ASHRAE Journal - June 2021 - 55

COLUMN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
FIGURE 1 A smart home with communicating appliances and home energy management
system (HEMS) for advanced whole-home control.
Breaker
Panel
Thermostat
Smart Meter
TABLE 1 Smart home benefits. The icons shown identify the potential benefits of
addressing existing technology gaps.
Electric Vehicle
HEMS
Comfort, Convenience and Security
Connected smart home products give consumers
different ways of controlling appliances in their
homes and provide the ability to add schedules for
safety and comfort. Some products are focused on
security, with cameras and door sensors able to
provide alerts to consumers when they are away from
home.
Water Heater
Battery
technologies, such as window air conditioners, minisplit
heat pumps and some types of electric heating systems.4
Also, many are not compatible with the newest,
variable speed heat pumps and air conditioners, which
may require advanced thermostats made by the same
company as the HVAC system and may have very limited
external controls.
Some new products bring communication and control
capability to smaller HVAC equipment (window air conditioners
and mini-split heat pumps), but app functionality
is less sophisticated since they have not had as much
development time as leading smart thermostat apps.
Interoperability Between HVAC Systems
Combining controls for different equipment, such as
ceiling fans and a smart thermostat, could ensure optimal
operation of these complementary systems for improved
comfort and reduced energy consumption.4,5 Some signs
exist that the industry is moving in this direction, but
the controls available are simple and usually require the
user to defi ne them. The process of optimizing operation
of different HVAC equipment is complicated, and preset
modes would help ensure maximum benefi t without asking
consumers to fi gure out a complex control strategy
on their own. Some examples of equipment that could be
integrated for improved performance include mini-split
heat pumps, ceiling fans, central HVAC systems, motorized
window shades and dedicated ventilation equipment
like energy recovery ventilators.
Better Occupancy Sensors
More accurate occupancy sensors and better coverage
Health and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Air quality sensors can provide better insight into
the health of our homes, including how the IAQ has
changed over time. These benefi ts are relevant today,
but the health monitoring benefi ts of smart home
technology were drivers for elderly and disabled
populations before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Energy Effi ciency
Equipment effi ciency is mostly driven by the
equipment and not by external controls, but there are
opportunities to control equipment in ways that save
energy. Most of the benefi t of smart home technology
for energy effi ciency lies in the ability to turn off
equipment that is not needed, which can be done
more easily with better external controls and better
sensors to detect occupancy and indoor comfort.
Load Flexibility
More renewable energy is being added to the electric
grid and utilities are already faced with a strained
grid during periods of peak use. As a result, utilities
are asking residential customers to provide support
for the grid by responding to demand response
signals or following a time-of-use schedule in which
the price of electricity changes during the day. Many
smart home products today allow people to use
schedules, like a setpoint schedule for a thermostat
or water heater. Adding the ability to autonomously
respond to utility pricing or demand signals will help
consumers lower their energy bills and help utilities
add more renewable energy to the grid.
Resiliency
Some areas of the country experience regular power
outages, often driven by extreme weather events
such as hurricanes and blizzards. Generators have
traditionally been the main source of back-up power,
but more recently solar panels and batteries are
being adopted for resiliency. While backup power
systems are not always cost effective, the peace of
mind in having power in an emergency is a powerful
motivator. Smart home technology can give people
more control over their home during an outage and
can make it easier to use solar energy and batteries to
support critical loads during times when the grid is
unavailable.
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ASHRAE Journal - June 2021

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