A Residential Energy Gateway, now being developed, will gather and act on household energy data, helping manage energy use and educate homeowners about efficiency options that fit their lifestyle.
The consumer is key to an energy-efficient future. Today, 87% of U.S. homes are air conditioned, 50 million have three or more TVs, and home electronics and appliances are proliferating. Even with efficiency on the rise, managing the mounting electrical load in our homes — and educating residents about energy use — is critical.
To do the job, a residential energy gateway for home-energy management is being developed at i4Energy. It will field, respond to, and learn from communications from all points in the residential-energy picture. It communicates with home appliances, HVAC, and on-site power generation systems, gathering data and optimizing usage. It checks the intelligent meter to assess whole-house electricity usage, and with the utility to gauge pricing at any given time. Most important, the gateway communicates with the resident, learning household demands and preferences, weighing costs to prioritize usage, and conveying an accurate picture of energy use and options for the home.
