How eco+ is Maximizing Energy Efficiency In Over One Million Homes

The computer that got the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon and back in 1969 was the most powerful system of its time. We’ve come a long way since then; the processor inside the ecobee thermostat hanging on your wall could simulate the moon landing half a million times at once.

eco+ uses machine learning to understand the rate at which your home heats and cools. It then factors in your daily occupancy habits, comfort preferences, the local weather, and the cost of electricity at different times of the day to build a more precise thermal model of your home.

By tailoring the way your HVAC system heats and cools to your personal preferences, eco+ helps you stay more comfortable, consume cleaner, greener energy, save money, and can even put cash back in your pocket.

One of the major challenges with renewable energy is its variability. While it’s low cost, it’s not always available when it’s most needed. If the excess energy produced by wind and solar can’t be stored, it’s lost.

HVAC systems are the most energy-intensive devices in most homes, accounting for over 50% of home energy consumption.¹ If we can shift more of the HVAC system’s energy consumption to times of the day when renewable energy production is higher and prices are lower, we can consume more of the clean, lower-cost energy generated by wind and solar.

That’s where eco+ Time of Use (TOU) comes in. With TOU, your entire home effectively becomes a thermal battery, storing clean, green energy for later use during peak periods when energy is more expensive to produce.

When the supply of energy can’t keep up with demand, energy grid operators bridge the gap by firing up so-called peaker plants that are often powered by fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels worsens local air quality and contributes to climate change.

Sometimes the power supply can become dangerously overwhelmed to the point where operators are forced to shut off power to avoid longer outages and damage to the system. To make matters worse, these outages tend to occur at the worst possible times of year—during a summer heatwave when people rely on air conditioning or in the depths of winter.

According to climate scientists, a warming planet will mean more heat waves and increase our reliance on power-hungry, grid-straining air conditioners. It will also mean more frequent power outages and more infrastructure damage due to extreme weather.²

Some utilities provide cash incentives to customers willing to cut their energy consumption to reduce strain on the grid when demand peaks.

Unfortunately, to date, enrollment in these programs has been low, mostly due to these factors:

• Utilities often apply aggressive setbacks to program participants’ thermostats or completely cut power during peak demand.

• The enrollment process for these programs is viewed as clunky.

Understandably, most people aren’t willing to completely hand over control of their comfort to their utility, especially during a summer heat wave or winter cold spell when they need it most.

“We don’t think people should ever be uncomfortable in their homes. So, when we looked at how utilities were handling demand response and the resulting enrollment rates, we thought, there’s a better way to do this,” said Carradine.

ecobee’s answer to this problem, eco+ Community Energy Saving (CES), puts an end to the discomfort associated with utility demand response events and makes enrollment simple.

ecobee thermostat owners can now enroll in their local demand response program with one tap in the ecobee app, and choose their desired comfort and savings level with a slider on a simple scale of one to five.

ecobee smart thermostats were among the first to be ENERGY STAR certified to deliver cost savings and keep you comfortable. eco+ builds on this solid foundation by learning your household routine and taking into account more factors like indoor humidity for a new level of personalized comfort.

Schedule Assistant

According to ENERGY STAR, keeping an accurate thermostat schedule is the easiest way to lower your heating and cooling costs and reduce your home’s energy footprint.²

The eco+ Schedule Assistant learns your occupancy schedule. When your routine changes, it recommends a new thermostat schedule and gives you the choice to implement it or not. One tap is all it takes to lock it in.

Adjust temperature for humidity

We all know that sticky, uncomfortable feeling of walking outside on a hot and humid summer day. Humidity also affects the way we experience temperature indoors. For instance, an indoor temperature of 72°F feels cooler at 40% humidity than it does at 60% humidity.

ecobee uses the humidity reading on your thermostat to make sure your home always feels like the temperature on your thermostat, without heating or cooling more than is needed. With ecobee, you’ll be more comfortable year-round, despite indoor humidity changes.

^* Compared to a hold of 72°F/22°C.

^† Based on a study conducted by a third-party expert during summer 2020 across the US and Canada. Savings vary by season, climate zone, and rate structure.

¹ “Use of energy explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration.

² “Are Blackouts Here to Stay? A Look Into the Future.” Scientific American.

³ “Smart thermostats.” ENERGY STAR.

⁴ "What is carbon neutrality and how can it be achieved by 2050?” European Parliament.