Customers will have more ways to manage their peak energy demand after the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the continuation of Arizona Public Service’s (APS’s) energy efficiency programs and the implementation of five new and expanded measures.

Schneider Electric has announced the new Eco IQ™ self-learning feature of its Wiser Air™ Wi-Fi smart thermostat. The company said, instead of requiring users to enter desired temperature set points, its users now only need to provide feedback when they’re not comfortable.

Carrier announced its Côr thermostat has been certified to comply with the latest California Energy Code Title 24 as an Occupant Controlled Smart Thermostat (OCST) by the California Energy Commission (CEC).

Nest Labs Inc. has announced the addition of Time of Savings to its energy services offerings. Time of Savings enables the Nest thermostat to learn the price of energy for customers on Time of Use (TOU) rate plans so it can automatically adjust to help these customers use less electricity when energy prices are most expensive. 

The number smart homes in North America and Europe reached a total of 17.9 million in 2015, according to a new research report from Berg Insight. North America is the world’s most advanced smart home market and the region had an installed base of 12.7 million smart homes at the end of the year.

Venstar® announced that its Voyager® programmable Wi-Fi® thermostats are now compatible with Amazon® Echo, giving users voice control over thermostat functions including setting temperatures and turning on heating or air conditioning for one or multiple thermostats in their homes.

Smart and communicating thermostats enable consumers to save money on energy bills, help utilities meet energy efficiency and demand-side management (DSM) requirements, and play a part in connected home solutions.

Emerson announced its Sensi™ Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat is now eligible for demand response programs managed by EnergyHub. EnergyHub, a leading provider of connected device management for utilities, will include the Sensi thermostat in its utility demand response programs.

The number of North American and European homes with a smart thermostat grew by 81 percent to 5.8 million in 2015, according to a new research report from Berg Insight. The North American market recorded a 78 percent growth in the installed base of smart thermostats to 4.5 million.