International.
The increasing use of home automation technology via the Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential for substantial energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, according to a new study published by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The study considers that the widespread adoption of residential automation products, such as temperature, circuit, and lighting control, if used for energy-saving purposes, could collectively avoid up to 100 million tons of CO2 emissions and reduce total residential primary energy consumption by up to 10% – savings that are more than a portion of residential primary energy consumption (8.4 percent) of consumer electronics', according to an independent study by CTA.
The new CTA study reports the overall potential for U.S. energy savings from various individual approaches ranging from 0.3 to 1.1 trillion BTUs (quads) of primary energy consumption, or 1 to 5% of total residential primary energy consumption. The findings of the study, which represent the best current estimates of savings that can be achieved, highlight several areas where home automation can provide energy savings, including connected thermostats, zoning, HVAC and control of blinds, circuits, and lighting.
The actual energy savings depend largely on how users choose to control their automatic home devices and equipment. Smart functions, when activated, can allow for greater savings. Smart thermostats, for example, can learn when certain rooms in a home need or don't need air conditioning to save energy without sacrificing comfort. The savings could be even greater when using automated devices together, as with whole-home control.
