Schneider Electric has announced the launch of Wiser Air™, the company’s first Wi-Fi smart thermostat for residential consumers. The company said Wiser Air couples its energy management expertise with intelligent design and state-of-the-art technology to provide consumers with a tool that delivers energy efficient comfort.

Carrier announced that KB Home, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, will now include a Carrier Côr smart thermostat in all of its homes at newly built communities opening in 2016 and beyond.

NetworkThermostat, a leading communications-based thermostat manufacturer, announced it has received the WFX 2015 New Products Award for two new IP thermostats, the UP32HE-IP and the UP32HE-WIFI.

Parks Associates has released new industry research reports on the smart home and connected devices indicating that security is leading the way in this market area followed by connected lighting and smart thermostats. The new reports provide in-depth analysis of industry trends and consumer research.

The global smart thermostat market is projected to generate revenue of more than $1.3 billion by 2019, according to a report by Sandler Research. The report states that one of the main challenges faced by the smart thermostats market is the high initial cost, which exceeds that of conventional thermostats.

Consumers in Chicago and across northern Illinois are now eligible for rebates on smart thermostats that can cut the cost of the devices nearly in half, making their convenience and increased control of energy use more affordable.