Indiana Can Save Millions Thanks to ecobee Data

How Can 2.5 Million Indiana Households Save Energy?

This is the question Jesse Smith and Josh Bode asked themselves before researching methods of reducing energy use in Indiana. As one of the most energy intensive states in America, Indiana needed its utilities and government to look towards the future. They realized that if things didn’t change soon, Indiana’s energy demands would only worsen. Fortunately for the people of Indiana, data from ecobee’s Donate Your Data provided accurate and valuable information for Josh and Jesse’s research. But why exactly is data so important?

Accurate Data Builds the Future

The quality of research findings depends solely on data. But access to accurate, real-life energy-use data is expensive and hard to come by. Nonetheless, Jesse and Josh sought to devise a way to reduce stress on the grid and avoid wasted energy. Knowing exactly when, how, and why energy is consumed, cities and states can discover new ways to optimize energy use.

Using anonymized, voluntarily shared data from hundreds of Indiana households equipped with ecobee Smart Thermostats, Jesse and Josh designed a system to improve energy use and save the state – and taxpayers – between $448 million to $2.3 billion. Their research recognized the huge benefits to Indiana homeowners if they adopted smart thermostats and participated in “demand response” events. When energy use is at its highest, demand is diverted, so that everyone can keep the lights on.

Saving money and being more efficient isn’t the only positive impact of this research; improving energy efficiency enables us to shift to renewable energy sources faster, combat climate change sooner, and transition to a more sustainable future.