Electric.ie Nov/Dec 18 Edition

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 43 Smart Thermostats: expert comment 'What are homeowner’s expectations of smart thermostats?’ • •ƒ”– Š‡ƒ–‹‰ –‡…Š‘Ž‘‰› Šƒ• ƒ†˜ƒ…‡†ǡ Š‘‡‘™‡”• ‡š’‡…– ƒ ‘”‡ ’‡”•‘ƒŽ‹•‡† ƒ’’”‘ƒ…Š –‘ Š‡ƒ–‹‰…‘–”‘Ž•Ǥ ƒ‹ ’”‹‘”‹–› ‹• –Š‡ ƒ„‹Ž‹–› –‘ ‡ƒ•‹Ž›…‘–”‘Ž –Š‡ –‡’‡”ƒ–—”‡ ‘ˆ ‡ƒ…Š ‹†‹˜‹†—ƒŽ ”‘‘ ‹ –Š‡ Š‘—•‡ Ǧ •‘‡–Š‹‰ –Šƒ–…ƒ „‡ †‹ƥ…—Ž– –‘ ƒ…Š‹‡˜‡ ™‹–Š –”ƒ†‹–‹‘ƒŽ –Š‡”‘•–ƒ–• ƒ† ”ƒ†‹ƒ–‘” ˜ƒŽ˜‡•Ǥ ‘— ™‘—Ž†ǯ–…‘–”‘Ž ‡˜‡”› Ž‹‰Š– ‹ –Š‡ Š‘—•‡ ™‹–Š ƒ •‹‰Ž‡ •™‹–…Šǡ •‘ ™Š› •Š‘—Ž† Š‡ƒ–‹‰ „‡ ƒ› †‹ơ‡”‡–ǫ ‘ Ž‘‰‡” •ƒ–‹•Ƥ‡† ™‹–Š ƒ Š‡ƒ–‹‰ •›•–‡ that is either entirely on or entirely ‘ơǡ Š‘‡‘™‡”• ƒ”‡ ‡š’‡…–‹‰ •‹’Ž‡”ǡ ˆƒ•–‡” •›•–‡• –Šƒ–…ƒ Ž‡ƒ” ˆ”‘ –Š‡‹” Š‘‡• ƒŽŽ‘™‹‰ ˆ‘” ‘”‡ ’‹’‘‹–‡†…‘–”‘Ž ‘˜‡” –Š‡‹” Š‡ƒ–‹‰ •…Š‡†—Ž‡ Ȃ ƒŽŽ ƒ……‡••‡† ƒ† …‘–”‘ŽŽ‡† ˜‹ƒ –Š‡‹” •ƒ”–’Š‘‡Ǥ ‘What features do you think are most important to homeowners?’ Š‡ ƒ„‹Ž‹–› –‘ ”‡‘–‡Ž›…‘–”‘Ž Š‡ƒ–‹‰ ƒ– –Š‡ –ƒ’ ‘ˆ ƒ •ƒ”–’Š‘‡ ƒ’’ ”ƒ–Š‡” –Šƒ –ƒ…Ž‹‰ –Š‡ •‘‡–‹‡•Ǧ…‘ˆ—•‹‰…‘–”‘Ž• ‘ˆ a traditional thermostat makes it •‹’Ž‡” ˆ‘” Š‘‡‘™‡”• –‘ –ƒ‡ …‘–”‘Ž ‘ˆ –Š‡‹” Š‘‡ Š‡ƒ–‹‰Ǥ ơ‘”†ƒ„Ž‡ •‘Ž—–‹‘• Ž‹‡…Š‡‹†‡” Schneider Electric ർ Joe Crawford, Marketing Manager at Schneider Electric, shares his thoughts on smart thermostats. Ž‡…–”‹…ǯ• ‡™ •›•–‡ ƒ”‡ ƒŽ•‘ „—‹Ž†ƒ„Ž‡ǡ ‡ƒ‹‰ –Šƒ– Š‘‡‘™‡”• …ƒ •–ƒ”– ™‹–Š ƒ „ƒ•‹…‹–ǡ –Š‡ ‡š’ƒ† –Š‡‹” •›•–‡ ‘˜‡” –‹‡ ™‹–Š ƒ††‹–‹‘ƒŽ smart radiator thermostats. These …ƒ „‡ ‡ƒ•‹Ž› ‹•–ƒŽŽ‡† ‘–‘ ‡š‹•–‹‰ ”ƒ†‹ƒ–‘”• „› •‹’Ž› –™‹•–‹‰ ‘ơ –Š‡ ‘Ž† ƒ† •…”‡™‹‰ ‘ –Š‡ ‡™ •ƒ”– –Š‡”‘•–ƒ– ‡ƒ‹‰ –Šƒ– Š‘‡‘™‡”•…ƒ ‡Œ‘› ‹†‹˜‹†—ƒŽ ”‘‘…‘–”‘Ž ‹ —’ –‘ ͢͝ ”‘‘•Ǥ ‘What message do you have for electricians and installers who are unsure if installing smart thermostats is for them? (Is there an opportunity here for ‡Ž‡…–”‹…‹ƒ•ǫȌǯ Modern smart thermostats are „‡‹‰ †‡•‹‰‡† ™‹–Š –Š‡ ‡Ž‡…–”‹…‹ƒ in mind as well as the homeowner. ‹–Š ‹•–ƒŽŽ‡” ˆ”‹‡†Ž› ˆ‡ƒ–—”‡• Ž‹‡ •–ƒ†ƒ”† ™ƒŽŽ ’Žƒ–‡•ǡ ™‹”‡Ž‡•• ’”‘†—…–•…ƒ †‹”‡…–Ž› ”‡’Žƒ…‡ ƒ traditional thermostat with no need ˆ‘” ‡š–‡•‹˜‡ ”‡Ǧ™‹”‹‰Ǥ Š‡ ƒ„‹Ž‹–› –‘ „—‹Ž† —’‘ ‡š‹•–‹‰ •›•–‡• ƒ• ™‡ŽŽ ƒ•…‘–”‘Ž –Š‡ Š‡ƒ–‹‰ ‹ ƒ††‹–‹‘ƒŽ ’”‘’‡”–‹‡• ƒŽ•‘ ’”‡•‡–• ‡Ž‡…–”‹…‹ƒ• ™‹–Š ƒ —‹“—‡ ‘’’‘”–—‹–›ǡ ƒ• Š‘‡‘™‡”• Ž‘‘ –‘ ‹•–ƒŽŽ •ƒ”– Š‡ƒ–‹‰ ‘– ‘Ž› ‹ –Š‡‹” own homes but also in the homes of ‡Ž†‡”Ž› ’ƒ”‡–• ‘” ”‡Žƒ–‹˜‡•Ǥ Ž‡…–”‹…‹ƒ• ƒŽ•‘ ‡‡† –‘ ”‡…‘‰‹•‡ –Šƒ– –Š‡ †‡ƒ† ˆ‘” •ƒ”– ’”‘†—…–• ‹• ‰”‘™‹‰ ”ƒ’‹†Ž› Ȃ ‹‰‘”‡ –Š‹• ƒ† ‹–…‘—Ž† Šƒ˜‡ ƒ •‹‰‹Ƥ…ƒ– ‹’ƒ…– ‘ future business. ‘How important is it to have an integrated approach and make sure smart thermostats can connect with other solutions as a home ecosystem?’ ‡•‡ƒ”…Š Šƒ• •Š‘™ –Šƒ– Š‡ƒ–‹‰ ‹• ‘ˆ–‡ –Š‡ Ƥ”•– •–‡’ –Šƒ– Š‘‡‘™‡”• –ƒ‡ –‘™ƒ”†• ƒ ˆ—ŽŽ› ‹–‡‰”ƒ–‡† •ƒ”– Š‘‡Ǥ ơ‡”‹‰ ‹…”‡ƒ•‡† ‡ƥ…‹‡…›ǡ •ƒ”– Š‡ƒ–‹‰ ƒŽ‘‡…ƒ •ƒ˜‡ •‹‰‹Ƥ…ƒ–Ž› ‘ ƒ—ƒŽ ‡‡”‰› …‘•–• „›…—––‹‰ –Š‡ ƒ‘—– ‘ˆ ‡‡”‰› ™ƒ•–‡† „› Š‡ƒ–‹‰ ƒ”‡ƒ• –Šƒ– ƒ”‡ǯ– „‡‹‰ —•‡†Ǥ Š‹• •ƒ‡ ’”‹…‹’Ž‡ ‰‘‡• ˆ‘” ‘–Š‡” •ƒ”– •›•–‡• Ž‹‡ Ž‹‰Š–• ƒ† •‡…—”‹–› ’”‘†—…–• ‡ƒ‹‰ –Šƒ– ƒ ˆ—ŽŽ› ‹–‡‰”ƒ–‡† •›•–‡…ƒ „‡ ƒ ‹’‘”–ƒ– •–‡’ ‹ ‹…”‡ƒ•‹‰ Š‘‡ ‡ƥ…‹‡…› ƒ• ƒ ™Š‘Ž‡Ǥ ‘– ‘Ž› –Šƒ–ǡ „—– ‰‹˜‹‰ Š‘‡‘™‡”• –Š‡ ƒ„‹Ž‹–› –‘…‘–”‘Ž ‡˜‡”› ƒ•’‡…– ‘ˆ –Š‡‹” Š‘‡ ”‡‘–‡Ž›ǡ ‡Šƒ…‡•…‘˜‡‹‡…‡ǡ …‘ˆ‘”– ƒ† •ƒˆ‡–›Ǥ ‘’ƒ–‹„‹Ž‹–› ™‹–Š ‹–‡”‡–…‘‡…–‡† ˜‘‹…‡…‘–”‘Ž •›•–‡• Ž‹‡ ƒœ‘ Ž‡šƒ ƒ”‡ ƒ‹‰ –Š‹• ‡˜‡ •‹’Ž‡”Ǥ ‹•‹–™™™Ǥ•…Š‡‹†‡”Ǧ‡Ž‡…–”‹…Ǥ‹‡