SAN RAMON, Calif. - The ClimateTalk™ Alliance announced its launch with members including Consert Inc., Embedded Electronic Design Solutions (EDC), Emerson Climate Technologies, E-Senza, EWC Controls Inc., Microchip Technology Inc., Rheem Manufacturing Co., and Watsco Inc.

The alliance is an open standards communication framework that enables simple connectivity between diverse HVAC and smart energy devices, leveraging existing industry standards for seamless information integration.

According to the new entity, with HVAC equipment consuming 40-45 percent of the energy in the home and new regional efficiency legislation on the horizon, this alliance has been formed to drive collaboration on standards that address fragmentation in the HVAC communications market by providing simple, cost-effective solutions, and provide interoperability for applications in the smart energy arena. This unified approach is intended to improve efficiency through communications offering benefits to utilities, OEMs, contractors, and homeowners alike.

“The ClimateTalk Alliance will help answer the growing need for a common communications protocol geared toward the residential HVAC industry,” said Kelvin Kleman, engineering manager electronics & controls, Rheem Manufacturing Co. “With the flexibility and adaptability of the ClimateTalk standardized protocol model, the alliance will support expanding this concept to control applications outside of HVAC, including air quality equipment and energy management systems, as well as a number of other applications.”

The ClimateTalk framework allows various components, including smart energy devices, to send messages in the same language, no matter what brand of equipment is being used. It offers an easy-to-use solution for the homeowner as well as installation and diagnostic simplicity for contractors. It can also expand message sets and applications, allowing for the addition of new components without upgrading the user interface, which offers ease of integration and flexibility for the OEM and allows for OEM customization and differentiation within a common framework.

The ClimateTalk Alliance is open to companies committed to providing long-term interoperability of communicating devices that provide reduction in energy consumption while improving comfort and end user experience.

For more information, visit www.climatetalk.org.

Publication date: 11/30/2009