Smart thermostat

They perform similar functions as a programmable thermostat as they allow the user to control the temperature of their home throughout the day using a schedule, but also contain additional features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity,[1][2] that improve upon the issues with programming.

[5] The idea of the scheduling feature is that users will set a warmer or cooler temperature when the home is unoccupied to save energy and money.

Due to this assumed energy savings, some building codes and government programs began requiring the use of programmable thermostats.

Between 2008-2009, Florida Power & Light (FPL) provided 400 homeowners with programmable thermostats and monitored their heating and cooling patterns.

The smart thermostat attempts to combat this issue by taking the user out of the picture and relying on sensors and computers to save energy.

Smart thermostats incorporate the use of sensors that determine whether or not the home is occupied and can suspend heating or cooling until the occupant returns.

With that goal in mind, Thompson created a thermostat that could communicate with a home's furnace and appliances to determine the energy usage and efficiency and how much it was costing.

Studies have shown, though, that manually creating a schedule may lead to more energy usage than just keeping the thermostat at a set temperature.

This feature requires the use of algorithms and pattern recognition to create a schedule that results in occupant comfort and energy savings.

The benefit of having a smart thermostat with geofencing capabilities is that it uses a users smartphone location to determine whether the home is occupied.

Instead of using a schedule or sensor to determine occupancy, the smart thermostat can rely on the location of the geofence to tell the HVAC system whether it needs to be on or off.

If the residents or lifestyles change, these smart thermostats will gradually adjust the schedule, maintaining energy savings and comfort.

Using this method, ecobee calculated energy savings by correlating how long heating and cooling equipment run to local weather conditions.

Upon conducting this model, ecobee determined a 23% savings on heating and cooling costs for those who switch to their smart thermostat.

All of these homes were enrolled in the MyEnergy program and had sufficient energy data before and after the installation of a Nest Learning Thermostat.

Additionally, it was concluded that Nest and standard programmable thermostat users reduced their cooling electric consumption by 13.9% and 13.1%, respectively.

[20] While smart thermostats have the potential to save energy consumption, they can create unintended consequences on the broader electrical grid.

Many owners of programmable thermostats found the controls and directions to be too confusing and opted out of using the scheduling feature completely.

[1] Researchers from the University of Central Florida conducted an experiment to show that hackers could use the Nest thermostat as an entry point into one's home.

Therefore, Nest cannot repair this issue with a simple software update, but rather it would need to build a new thermostat that can prevent this type of attack.

[1][19][20][21] Additionally, the technology within smart thermostats has proven to provide optimal occupant comfort, while still reducing energy consumption.

These factors suggest that installing a smart thermostat is one easy step than many people can take to reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately leading to a more sustainable future.

This donation helps to improve the TCHC's goal of providing healthy, safe, and sustainable homes for the people of Toronto.

The San Diego Gas & Electric company currently runs a program that offers participants a $50 e-gift card after switching to a smart thermostat.

[30] Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) offers smart thermostat rebates in California for residential and multifamily customers.

[31][32] Many other companies across the United States offer similar programs to incentive smart thermostats and more sustainable heating and cooling.

The Nest Rush Hour Rewards program partners with utility companies across the United States to incentivize customers to set a higher or lower temperature during peak demand periods.

This extra demand may require utility companies to run additional power plants, leading to more cost and carbon emissions.

To avoid this, the Rush Hour Rewards program incentivizes customers to set a more efficient temperature that will reduce the amount of energy needed to be produced by the utility.

[35] As more programs like these are created, smart thermostats will play an increasingly important role in reducing residential energy consumption.