Connected Thermostat Alternatives for Room Air Conditioners and Minisplit Heat Pumps
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
The availability of smart, connected thermostats has improved climate control, energy efficiency, and grid demand-response programs for central HVAC systems. However, a significant gap exists in addressing integrated control systems for point-source heating and cooling systems such as window air-conditioners (window ACs) and mini-split heat pumps (MSHPs). This report examines the emerging market of third-party connected thermostats tailored for these systems, focusing on their effectiveness, reliability, and potential barriers to adoption.This study evaluates several commercially available products designed for room ACs and MSHPs through a series of laboratory tests. While these infrared-based (IR-based) thermostats offer remote temperature control and scheduling via mobile apps, our findings reveal that none are seamless, with reliability of basic functions being a critical factor. Promising features include integration of indoor air quality metrics and time-of-use pricing, but the latter are not yet available in the U.S. Barriers to broad user acceptance include non-seamless setup processes, challenges in thermostat placement, and unclear product differentiation. There is a pressing need for research and development in enabling MSHPs and central thermostats to coordinate, enhancing energy savings and comfort in retrofit applications. This study underscores the importance of further innovation in connected thermostat technology to address the diverse needs of single-zone HVAC systems and promote efficient energy management in households.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 2441256
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP--5500-89554; MainId:90333; UUID:f00ec35a-6521-4198-b6b8-21a6ee7878ca; MainAdminId:73480
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Assessment of Low-Cost Minisplit Heat Pump Connection System
Evaluating Thermostats’ Deadbands Using HVAC Hardware-In-the-Loop Experiment for Advanced Control Strategies
An Integrated Control Method for Supplemental Minisplit Heat Pumps in Existing Homes
Technical Report
·
Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2022
·
OSTI ID:1922100
Evaluating Thermostats’ Deadbands Using HVAC Hardware-In-the-Loop Experiment for Advanced Control Strategies
Conference
·
Fri Feb 07 23:00:00 EST 2025
·
OSTI ID:2998522
An Integrated Control Method for Supplemental Minisplit Heat Pumps in Existing Homes
Technical Report
·
Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2021
·
OSTI ID:1814927