DAVIDSON, N.C. — Ingersoll Rand announced that it is offering home automation technology including the Nexia™ Home Intelligence System to the 20 international teams participating in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, set for Oct. 3-13, in Irvine Park, Calif. The company said the technology will help the student teams gain more insight into total energy used in their house projects and allow them to make better decisions in achieving maximum efficiency.
“We are excited to expand our current sponsorship with the Department of Energy and provide additional technology to the university competitors in this year’s Solar Decathlon,” said Gary Michel, senior vice president, Ingersoll Rand, and president, Ingersoll Rand Residential Solutions. “While the competition allows university contestants to demonstrate their experimental and leading edge concepts, it is also important to communicate that practical and affordable technology is readily available to help today’s homeowners achieve significant energy efficiency.”
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Ingersoll Rand said that incorporating the Nexia Home Intelligence System into their house designs allows participants to leverage the latest wireless technology to control the thermostat, locks, lighting, cameras, blind and window covering controls, energy management system, and solar production measurement. The primary controls and locks are manufactured by Trane and Schlage. Nexia serves as an open platform to connected devices to allow complete home control management and remote connectivity.
Ingersoll Rand is also making available its Trane Energy Management Solution (TEMS) to help measure circuit level energy consumption and renewable (solar) production. All data and measurement is displayed in a simple, easy-to-read user interface. This will provide insight for the teams and help them educate visitors on energy use and costs, which is an important component of the competition.
To date, four teams have committed to using the Nexia Home Intelligence platform in their Solar Decathlon 2013 entry:
1. Arizona State University and the University of New Mexico
2. Team Ontario (Queen’s University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College)
3. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
4. West Virginia University
For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.
Publication date: 4/15/2013
