Study Finds WeatherBug Home Delivers Greater HVAC Energy Efficiency in Utility Pilot

Homes in the pilot that integrated with WeatherBug Home saved three times more electricity

GERMANTOWN, Md. — Consumers who integrated WeatherBug Home’s HVAC control and optimization capabilities with their connected thermostat saved 16.5 percent when cooling their home as compared to 5.1 percent HVAC savings using a connected thermostat –– saving 11.4 percent more in HVAC energy use — according to results from a pilot conducted by National Grid.

The residential customer pilot commissioned by National Grid, a leading electricity and natural gas company, compared HVAC savings between homes with non-connected thermostats (the control group) versus those with a connected thermostat and home energy monitoring and those with a connected thermostat, home energy monitoring reports, and WeatherBug Home thermostat optimization. Specifically, the pilot found that:

• Homes in the pilot that integrated with WeatherBug Home saved three times more electricity (16.5 percent energy savings during cooling season) compared to homes with only a smart thermostat and home energy monitoring report (5.1 percent savings).

• On a per-square-foot basis, the WeatherBug Home optimized group saved 0.1808 kWh/sq. ft., compared to 0.0358 kWh/sq. ft. for the control group.

• Homes integrated with WeatherBug Home’s optimization and controls capabilities more effectively regulated temperatures than homes without these capabilities. Indoor air temperatures for the group with WeatherBug Home optimization controls more closely matched set points compared to the group without that optimization control.

“We’re thrilled that our customers are taking advantage of the WeatherBug platform,” said Ed White, vice president of new energy solutions, National Grid. “Helping customers connect the dots between weather patterns and their energy usage is a powerful tool that helps customers inform how and when they use energy. As the concept of smart connected homes continues to grow, offering this kind of user friendly, intuitive platform to customers will drive behavior changes and increase participation in efficiency programs like this one.”

According to Earth Networks, parent company of WeatherBug and WeatherBug Home, 50 percent of a home’s energy usage is driven by the weather. By integrating its weather ‘big data’ (Earth Networks’ proprietary cloud processes 25 terabytes of real-time data daily from its neighborhood-located sensor network) with connected thermostats and utility meter data, WeatherBug Home develops a thermodynamic model for each home to more precisely forecast the amount of energy needed to heat or cool each home on each day, and then translates that learning into intelligent optimization of home energy so consumers can save money and remain comfortable at the same time. In addition to boosting energy efficiency, the solution also provides utilities with intelligent demand response to reduce peak loads while minimizing customer discomfort. Consumers are also provided customized insights on their energy use, predictive costs, and personalized tips on how to save money.

“It is significant that the National Grid customer pilot found our intelligent learning on how a home responds to weather conditions tripled energy cost savings to more than 16 percent, while actually keeping customers more comfortable,” said Bob Marshall, chief executive officer, Earth Networks. “We are excited by the results of this independent study and its affirmation that WeatherBug Home is leading the industry by delivering greater consumer energy efficiency and intelligent demand response to utilities beyond what has previously been possible.”

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