A press release via Eartnetworks.com notes that Weather Bug announced on January 29, 2016, that a market study finds WeatherBug Home delivers 3x higher HVAC energy savings (combined with a connected/smart thermostat) than when a home is simply using a connected/smart thermostat (but not WeatherBug Home). Clients in a national grid study saved 11.4% more on home cooling (16.5% of savings vs 5.1% of savings) when WeatherBug Home capabilities were integrated with a connected thermostat. The study is based on a pilot conducted by National Grid.
National Grid (running in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island) is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. It commissioned the customer pilot in residential homes. In comparing HVAC savings between homes with non-connected thermostats (the control group) versus those with a connected thermostat and home energy monitoring reports versus those with WeatherBug Home thermostat optimization as well as a connected thermostat and home energy monitoring reports.
More specific findings from the study include:
- On a per-square-foot basis, the WeatherBug Home optimized group saved 0.1808 kWh/sqft, compared to 0.0358 kWh/sqft for the control group.
- Homes integrated with WeatherBug Home’s optimization and controls capabilities more effectively regulated temperatures than homes without these capabilities. Indoor air temperatures for the group with WeatherBug Home optimization controls more closely matched set points compared to the group without that optimization control.
WeatherBug Home is apparently quite a user-friendly application, and promotes behavior changes.
For 20 years, Earth Networks, which powers WeatherBug & WeatherBug Home, has been “Taking the Pulse of the Planet® using the world’s largest weather, lightning, and greenhouse gas monitoring networks.”
WeatherBug itself “provides neighborhood-level weather, superior forecasts and advanced severe weather alerts to millions.” WeatherBug Home, meanwhile, “taps big weather and connected home data for improved energy efficiency and comfort.”
Smart thermostats are all the rage. One I loved helps the owner to stick to a defined budget, with the basic point being that one can set a limit on the amount of money you want to spend on energy in a month. We’ve also written about WeatherBug in the past, and the Nest and Honeywell learning thermostats.
Related:
Energy Savings Tips For The Cooler Months
10 Energy Saving Tips for Spring
How Home Energy Efficiency Enables Stable Capital Markets
Images via Weather Bug Home
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