JouleBug App Promoting Sustainable Practices Launches in Raleigh

Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs

Prepared by: Michael Williams, Assistant Director, Public Affairs

 

For more information: Donna-maria Harris, Communications Coordinator, City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability, 919-996-4259

 

September 20, 2012

 

JouleBug App Promoting Sustainable

Practices Launches in Raleigh

 

During its regular meeting on September 18, the Raleigh City Council received a briefing on JouleBug, a new, unique, mobile smartphone application that makes it simple and fun to act more sustainably.

 

JouleBug was developed in Raleigh, by a team working out of DesignBox, a company located in the Warehouse District of Raleigh. The app premiered this past weekend during SPARKcon in Downtown Raleigh. JouleBug is available as a free download from the App Store.

 

Users can earn points, pins, and badges by using the JouleBug app to learn new ways and track existing habits for improving their sustainable behavior. By earning badges, like “Green Arrow” for recycling or “Light Saver” for switching just two bulbs to CFLs, they can anticipate saving up to $200 annually on utility bills.

 

Users can compete with friends from Facebook and Twitter, or as part of a group competing with other groups. Points and pins are tracked and posted through the JouleBug Leaderboard.

 

Beginning on September 28, the JouleBug Sustainable Raleigh badge will be available to users who earn enough points and pins. By accomplishing various tasks unique to the City, users can earn pins such as: Downtown Walkaround (complete the Downtown Raleigh Sustainability Walking Tour), Raleigh Rocket (ride an R-Line or CAT bus), Juice Box (visit a Raleigh electric vehicle charging station), Solar Squisher (use a Big Belly solar recycle station, The City of Spokes, (exercise along one of the City’s sustainable parks or greenways, or Hometown Hero (volunteer eight hours of community service within the City).

 

The City’s partnership with JouleBug is the company’s first with a municipality. The partnership, a result of Raleigh’s national leadership in sustainable technologies and practices, connects the community using innovative gaming technology, and also showcases the City’s commitment to developing economic opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

 

JouleBug will be released nationally in October, at the 2012

South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Eco Conference held annually in Austin, Texas. Hosting an international audience of on-the-ground innovators and executive-level decision makers from the public and private sectors, as well as thought leaders from academia, SXSW Eco is a three-day conference addressing the need for a concerted, cross sector approach to solving the recognized challenges facing the economy, the environment and civil society.

 

For more information on the City’s sustainability activities, visit www.raleighnc.gov and enter “sustainability” in the search window, or call the City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability at 919-996-3840. For more information on JouleBug, visit www.joulebug.com or email info@joulebug.com.

 

 

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