EnergyHub unveils smart thermostat service for utilities
EnergyHub has launched a new software platform for utilities designed to help cut home energy consumption without reducing comfort.
The Mercury cloud-based smart thermostat service targets utilities, cable and television service providers, home security companies and device manufacturers. The service uses advanced analytics and user interfaces to optimize thermostats and increase energy efficiency.
“This summer’s heat waves have demonstrated the need for simple and responsive solutions to protect the grid,” said Seth Frader-Thompson, CEO of EnergyHub. “The Mercury platform offers a cost-effective way for service providers, device manufacturers, and utilities to bring residential energy management into the mainstream.”
The average annual energy bill for a US single-family home is $2,200, of which 46 percent is spent on heating and cooling, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Coupling wireless thermostats with EnergyHub’s Mercury platform enables end-users to automate their heating and cooling systems through web and mobile interfaces. By doing so, they could save up to 20 percent on their energy bills, according to EnergyHub.
The Mercury platform works with off-the-shelf wireless thermostats and analyzes a customer’s comfort preferences and the home’s unique characteristics to arrive at a customized heating and cooling plan. Over time, the system provides personalized coaching based on the home’s historical performance and provides comparisons to other households to encourage even greater efficiency.
Mercury is delivered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that can be customized to match any brand so that established home security, cable and telecommunications service providers can bundle thermostat optimization and remote monitoring and control services with existing subscription offerings. Device manufacturers (such as thermostat and security systems) can use the platform to deliver engaging customer interfaces that support next-generation product offerings and create new revenue streams.
EnergyHub says utilities and grid operators can use the software’s analytics and back-end management tools to improve the yield of demand response programs while delivering real-time measurement and verification. Offered either as a turnkey solution or as a supplement to existing consumer-facing programs, the platform can be integrated with AMI and AMR network deployments without the need for costly back-end investment, according to EnergyHub, which also plans to host a webinar on the Mercury offering.
