ANDOVER, Mass. — Schneider Electric has announced the new Eco IQ™ self-learning feature of its Wiser Air™ Wi-Fi smart thermostat. The company said, instead of requiring users to enter desired temperature set points, its users now only need to provide feedback when they’re not comfortable. The Eco IQ algorithm provides the ability to quickly learn and leverage feedback to create a comfortable heating and cooling plan.

According to Park Associates, smart thermostats are currently one of the strongest categories of smart home devices, with more than 10 percent of U.S. broadband households planning to purchase one in the next 12 months. But research shows that most users with smart thermostats don't know how to properly utilize them for energy savings and often override schedules. Schneider Electric said Eco IQ constantly manages and adjusts temperatures, freeing users from having to constantly provide feedback. This helps users create an optimal environment and maximize energy savings all day long, not just when they are away from their homes.

“Created by building automation and HVAC experts at Schneider Electric, Eco IQ is the most advanced self-learning algorithm on the market today,” said Paul Buda, engineer, fellow and senior group expert, Schneider Electric. “With Eco IQ, Wiser Air challenges the very idea of set points — commonly used as a determining factor of user comfort in other solutions — freeing users from the need to set temperatures and schedules.”

Wiser Air with Eco IQ uses Schneider Electric’s weather service, WeatherSentry™. Utilizing its forecasts, the Eco IQ feature learns how long it takes to change the temperature in the home in all types of weather and plans ahead to start heating or cooling just in time to hit users’ preferred target temperatures.

Featuring a smartphone style, high-resolution 3.5-inch color touchscreen and a plug-and-play design, Wiser Air with Eco IQ is designed to be easy to install and operate. Users select heating and cooling limits and whether to prioritize comfort vs. savings. Wiser Air syncs with its smartphone app to work across any device or operating system. The thermostat supports automatic software updates, giving users access to the latest technology advancements over time. Existing Wiser Air users will receive an update that includes Eco IQ. Once the feature is enabled by the user, they will be able to incorporate the self-learning feature into their thermostats.

For more information about Wiser Air with Eco IQ, visit www.wiserair.com/up-close/eco-iq/.

Publication date: 7/25/2016

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!