New global app lets users 'report' energy waste around the world
Does the sight of a light bulb left on in an empty room leave you hopping mad? A new app which lets users ‘report' energy waste around the world could be just the thing.
‘LightsOut' is an app which aims to create a global map of geographical examples of inefficient energy use by letting users take photos and upload them to its site.
The concept uses geotagging technology to locate incidences of energy waste.
Still in the initial stages of development, the project was created by Spencer Lawrence and won "Best in Show" at the Boston Cleanweb Hackathon event earlier this month.
"I would continually get frustrated because I'd see all these lights on," Lawrence told Fast Company. "You would have a bright blue sky, and there would be absolutely no need for these lights to be on.
"As someone who cares about climate change, that felt like a slap in the face and obviously one of the most blatant wastes of energy there is."
The app plays into the trend for 'online public shaming' which has emerged over recent years, allowing users to report instances of irritating behavior by other people.
The concept is particularly popular in the motoring world, with apps such as Parking Douche and SpotSquad encouraging users to publish terrible examples of parking.
