The Takeaway: EverSense is a new, wi-fi enabled smart thermostat and home energy management system that uses unique location-based proximity controls via mobile devices and apps that allow you to control home energy consumption, efficiency and savings with minimal effort.
One of the big themes of the Consumer Electronics Show 2013 in Las Vegas this week is the continuing story of the “smart” home. While industry giants like LG and AT&T showcase visions of a connected world of appliances and devices, other small startups have come out with smart, design-driven solutions that appeal to a generation of homeowners who enjoy connecting with and monitoring their homes on iPads, smart phones and on the web. Austin, Texas-based Allure Energy unveiled the latest version of its upcoming EverSense smart home energy management system at the show, and its proximity sensing feature is a game changer.
An example of proximity sensing in an iOS app by Allure Energy.
The world of smart home thermostats got a facelift several years ago with the release of the competing Nest smart learning thermostat. Designed and engineered by former Apple employees, it was quickly adopted for its beautiful industrial design and smart mobile and web app features that allowed enhanced control over temperature controls and energy savings through fun and active engagement with the device and through smart algorithms that learned behavior patterns. The Nest includes an “Away” feature that uses motion detection and pattern recognition to determine when to shut off the system (which could also be triggered by mobile or web apps).
What makes the EverSense so intriguing is a series of patents that the company has secured that cover the use of proximity control via GPS and connected mobile devices and apps; basically, the EverSense actually knows when you are coming come or really gone and uses your actual location to trigger itself to action or sleep. What we like about this system is that it just makes sense for modern living. For many people, no two week or days are the same, and despite best efforts to program or monitor behavior, we often find ourselves stymied by unpredictable schedules. Technology that harnesses the location sensing abilities of mobile devices that are (for better or worse) a constant part of our lives are a powerful, frictionless way to incorporate efficiency into our personal behaviors. With heating and cooling of homes and buildings being one of the largest consumers of power in the world, smart and incremental technologies that improve efficiency, even slightly, have remarkable potential to help reduce our communal energy footprint.
According to Allure, the EverSense will also include other features, such as speakers for playing streaming audio, a weather application including an animated radar. The EverSense is scheduled to be available in Q2 of 2013.
