Power Map turns your appliances into Facebook friends

Power Map wants to provide consumers with a way to track the power consumption of their appliances the same way they follow their friends’ shenanigans — through the Internet.

The myPowerMap meter plugs into any outlet and delivers real-time power consumption data to users over the Internet and lets users track the data. Users set up an account at the company’s website and can immediately begin tracking their power consumption.

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The idea is to make sure users “don’t leave the coffee maker plugged in when they leave,” said Power Map co-founder Steve Ortley.

“We want to attract all the dumb devices and aggregate all that data into a Facebook for your appliances,” he said. “You log into Facebook to find out the status of your friends and colleagues — and you’ll log into Power Map to find out the status of your washing machine.”

The myPowerMap meter costs $49.99 — lower than the power tracking device that can range anywhere from $100 to $200, Ortley said. Power Map also has some built-in advertising. It recommends service providers and retailers based on the condition and power consumption of appliances.

Power Map is a spinout from Rutgers University, and all the research and development still happens in a lab at Rutgers. The company is coming out to the public at the GreenBeat 2010 conference in Palo Alto, Calif. today and has accrued some interest from investors for its first round of funding, Ortley said.