A new connected thermostat from Schneider Electric called
Wiser Air is designed to deliver efficiency and ease-of-use not only to homeowners,
but to the utility companies that serve residential customers.
Like many smart thermostats, Wiser Air features a sleek touchscreen design and enables homeowners to control their home’s temperature remotely and set personalized schedules. What sets it apart from the myriad other smart devices is that Wiser Air isn’t an isolated addition for homeowners—it’s part of Schneider’s energy management system, a turnkey solution aimed at helping utilities better reach their customers and manage residential energy loads more efficiently.
Through the Wiser demand-response management platform, utilities can provide homeowner engagement services such as home energy audits and make recommendations for efficiency upgrades. The platform also allows utilities to forecast demand-response events and optimize the grid for peak-use to ensure stability.
In addition to benefiting utilities, the Wiser Air thermostat is designed for end-user friendly operation; multiple tools are built-in to help homeowners optimize their efficiency and comfort. In addition to custom scheduling and automatic programming through Simple Schedule and Ready Modes, Wiser Air’s sensors monitor when residents are at home or away and shifts into active or efficiency mode accordingly, as well as responding to temperature, light, and humidity.
Wiser Air’s engagement platform connects utilities and residents with real-time interaction and two-way messaging. Homeowners have the ability to opt in or out of demand-response events and can view verified energy usage information, including how their home compares to others in the neighborhood.
The Comfort Boost feature allows homeowners to make a quick temperature adjustment without altering thermostat settings, and the system also makes use of Schneider Electric’s Weather Solutions service to provide forecasts and alerts to optimize settings for the current weather conditions.
As part of the Wiser program, Schneider Electric provides installation, deployment, and maintenance support, as well as marketing assistance with utility-specific branding. Along with Wiser Air, the product line includes smart plugs and load-control switches. Wiser Air will begin pilot programs in March 2015, with full product availability in June 2015.
