REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — EcoFactor®, a leading provider of cloud-based home energy services, announced that it has been awarded U.S. Patent 8,751,186 for the use of connected thermostats to calculate the dynamic thermal properties of buildings. The company said it is the 20th patent it has received for its approach to energy management and intelligent home automation.

EcoFactor said its latest patent further extends its coverage of key technologies involved in the use of big data to manage energy use and improve home automation. The company has also received patents for its advances in areas including:

• Geolocation — The use of location-based information from smartphones and other mobile devices to help consumers automatically reduce energy use when they are away from home and adjust to a more comfortable setting when they arrive.

• HVAC Performance Monitoring — Use of thermostat data to evaluate changes in the operational efficiency of an HVAC system over time and identify HVAC system faults and fault trends.

• Plug-in HVAC — Extends the energy efficiency and savings benefits of EcoFactor’s cloud-based home energy management system to plug-in air conditioners and space heaters.

“EcoFactor has invested heavily in technologies that have now been proven in the real world to deliver triple-digit annual savings for consumers, industry-leading demand response, and high customer satisfaction,” said Roy Johnson, EcoFactor CEO. “Each patent is another indication of the innovation and creativity of our team, and adds to EcoFactor’s value as a leading-edge home automation player.”

For more information, visit www.ecofactor.com.

Publication date: 8/4/2014