Smart Thermostats In Your Home

Many manufacturers are bringing web-connected smart thermostats to the market. Multi-service operators (MSOs), home security monitoring services and other smart home device manufacturers are taking a new approach using connected smart thermostats as part of a wider smart home system.

The end-user benefit of having a smart thermostat is that the product makes decisions about cooling and heating based on actual environmental factors. The smart thermostat uses presence sensing and algorithms to determine a person’s location in order to adjust the thermostat accordingly.

While algorithms are easily upgraded with automatic software updates over the Internet, adding an environmental sensor requires the replacement of the entire thermostat. As with smartphone, consumers may need to upgrade their thermostats every couple of years to maintain the highest level of the newest technology.

Connected thermostats lack the decision-making capabilities of smart thermostats, but they can still be connected to the Internet and communicate with smart home systems. They are also using the intelligence installed around the thermostats to help homeowners save money. For example, a smart home hub could gather information from the security system, determine that no one is at home, and turn off the air conditioner.

With this type of set-up, smart home technology can be easily expanded to take advantage of new features. Consumers who build their own smart home solution can purchase a hub, a connected thermostat, and any inputs the system currently supports. As the software inside the hub is upgraded to take advantage of new innovations and sensors, homeowners can expand their systems. For example, instead of spending $300 for a new thermostat with sensing technology, a smart home system could add a feature and install it into their system with only purchasing a new sensor for $50.

Smart thermostats are forecast to grow at a rate of 22 percent through 2019!