Finding Comfort in Technology

I recently had the honor of presenting at Emerson’s annual Investor Conference in New York, sharing insights about the global solutions we offer as a business. Any time I travel to New York, I’m struck by the city’s immense infrastructure and the technologies that power the city that never sleeps. 

Similarly, today’s air conditioning applications are just as varied and complex as NYC itself, with equally large performance demands. Whether in residential or commercial settings, AC units need to provide more than just comfort. Modern air conditioning is tasked with being all things to all people. It needs to ensure control, efficiency and reliability in a market that also demands affordability and compliance with environmental laws. With advancing technology and regulatory changes, the need for efficient technologies to provide comfortable spaces at home and work has never been more important.

In the home, Emerson is working to provide solutions that help homeowners take control of their utilities. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, household air conditioning units in the U.S. use about 6 percent of our country’s total electric output. This adds up in a big way for homeowners, who spend more than $29 billion on air conditioning a year. And with more than 40 percent of summer utility bills coming from operating your air conditioner’s compressor, our highly efficient modulation and variable speed technology can help save up to 25 percent on energy costs (as compared to conventional HVAC systems). Elsewhere in the home, smart thermostats such as Sensi allow consumers to change temperature via mobile app, touch or smart home assistants. These advanced tech solutions are providing consumers with more control – of their environment and their budgets – than ever before.

On the commercial side of the industry, we’re assisting contractors to make complex choices easier – and with clear-cut solutions that meet regulation requirements and efficiency standards. According to Energy Star, commercial buildings account for nearly half of all energy consumption in the U.S. at a cost of more than $200 billion a year. Oftentimes, up to 30 percent of this energy or more is wasted through inefficiencies, such as around-the-clock heating or cooling buildings that are only occupied for part of the day.

This was precisely the scenario for one of our education customers, who was searching for a way to use smart thermostat technology to easily program classrooms to cool when students are present – and preserve energy when they aren’t. Smart thermostats make this possible through the tap of a finger on an app, but with multiple thermostats to control, the task of managing on an app can become arduous. To help solve this issue, our engineers worked to develop the Sensi Multiple Thermostat Manager, a tool that enables school administrators, building managers or facility directors to program an unlimited number of thermostats within a single dashboard.

This solution didn’t exist even five years ago but, as comfort, control and efficiency demands increase, the industry is getting creative in how we meet the needs. And as the industry continues to transform as technology and regulations evolve, we’re focused on continuing to serve as a leading resource for efficient, reliable residential and commercial solutions.