Energate Companion™ Dockable Home Energy Manager

Providing Consumer Options for Convenience

As the name implies, the Companion complements the Foundation Smart Thermostat by providing consumers with an information rich experience. Companion can be used virtually anywhere in the home and when not in use docks with the Foundation Smart Thermostat. There are significant benefits associated with the dockability feature of the Companion including easy storage, automatic battery charging, and seamless synchronization with the Foundation.

The 7” color-touch screen allows the consumer to program and remotely control their Smart Thermostat as well as obtain a graphical view of their energy consumption and costs. In addition to providing all of the core functions of an In-Home Display (IHD) and a Home Energy Manager (HEM), the Companion can be configured to act as an information center (e.g., weather alerts) or a digital picture frame. Consumption information is also available on the Companion including current consumption data in terms of $ and kWh used and the associated costs as well as allowing the consumer to compare their usage to last month, last year or to their neighbor or an average customer. Other information includes cost of energy used in this billing period as well as the projected cost out to the end of the current billing period broken down by the loads under control.

CONSUMERS CAN

  • See their current energy use and compare it to previous periods and other consumers
  • Display a digital photo, weather or news feed
  • See what they have spent so far and what their bill is projected to be
  • See their carbon footprint

UTILITIES CAN

  • Offer enhanced tools to the Consumers segment that desires it , possibly generating incremental revenues through after-market sales of the Companion unit
  • Communicate more effectively with their customers
  • Offer energy saving tips to their customers
  • Easily update the information being displayed as new data and applications are developed
  • Provide an effective Energy Efficiency tool now, and upgrades to include new energy savings applications in the future

VALUE OF DOCKABILITY (Patent Pending)

The consumer now has a choice of whether their needs can be met entirely by the Foundation, or if they want to add a Companion unit to their home energy management tool set. Since the Companion does not require a professional install, it can be ordered when and if the user wants to delve deeper into their energy consumption data.

  • Leverages the existing HVAC wiring to charge its batteries (i.e., no need to replace batteries or find an outlet to plug a power adapter into).
  • Convenience of not having to replace batteries or find a power outlet.
  • No wires or power adapter needed
  • Provides a convenient place to store the unit when it is not in use.
  • Interoperability between the units is guaranteed. No uncertainty as to whether the Display and Smart Thermostat will work together.
  • Enhanced security through the exchange of identity keys when docked with the base station, establishing security while simplifying the install process.
  • Location-based climate control algorithms in concert with a temperature sensor in the Companion can be used by intelligent control algorithms to optimize the in-home environment based on the actual indoor environment.
  • Provides a vehicle for utilities to segment their customers to reduce their overall costs (i.e., deployment cost savings) by providing all consumers with a fully featured PCT and providing those customers that are interested with an advanced HEM functionality.