In addition to reducing cooling demand and improving cooling system efficiency, technology can help control when and how much energy a cooling system uses. Smart thermostats automatically manage temperature settings based on factors such as household schedules and occupancy. This can reduce unnecessary cooling while maintaining comfortable indoor conditions.
Smart thermostats can automatically adjust temperature settings throughout the day. For example, a thermostat could maintain a cooler temperature while occupants are home, raise the setpoint while everyone is at work or school, and begin cooling the home shortly before they return.
Scheduling these changes eliminates the need to manually adjust the thermostat each day and helps prevent the cooling system from unnecessarily maintaining the same temperature when the home is unoccupied.
Some smart thermostats can detect whether the home is occupied and automatically adjust the temperature when occupants leave or return. Others use geofencing, which uses the location of occupants' smartphones to determine when they have left or are approaching home.
These features can be particularly useful for households with changing schedules because they allow temperature settings to respond automatically rather than relying on a fixed schedule.
Many smart thermostats track cooling-system operation and provide information about energy use. They may show how long the cooling system operates each day, identify changes in usage, or provide recommendations for reducing energy consumption.
Some models can also learn household routines or automatically make small adjustments to temperature settings to reduce energy use while maintaining comfort.
A thermostat’s temperature setpoint has a significant impact on cooling costs. During hot weather, a higher indoor temperature reduces the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, decreasing the amount of heat that enters the home and the amount of work required from the cooling system.
During cooling season, reasonable starting setpoints are approximately 74-78°F while home and awake, 72-76°F while sleeping, and 80-85°F while away. The appropriate temperatures depend on household comfort, health needs, humidity, climate, and other factors. Smart thermostats make it easier to automatically transition between these settings throughout the day.