Best Buy entered the home energy management market in three of its stores this month. The trial provides customers with access to smart thermostats and solar elements as well as a plethora of controls and efficient lighting solutions.
Ingersoll Rand announced the combined efforts of its Trane and Schlage units working with Verizon in launching Verizon’s new Home Monitoring and Control service. The service creates a “connected home,” giving consumers remote access to their thermostat, locks, lights, appliances, and energy use.
As the popularity of smart phones and tablets continues to grow, consumers are becoming accustomed to multiple features and instant connectivity. And so they are starting to demand more from the other devices in their homes, including the thermostat.
Today, the simple thermostat is evolving into a much more complex digital device, still mounted on the wall, but providing homeowners with far greater control over their environment while offering detailed information about the performance of their home comfort system.
Next year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to release a new Energy Star specification for climate controls. This spec will replace the discontinued Energy Star spec for programmable thermostats.
With an intuitive user interface, the ComfortLink™ II thermostat features a 7-inch, high-definition color touch screen, which allows homeowners to control and provide the ideal temperature and humidity 24/7.