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Adding GPS-Control to Traditional Thermostats: An Exploration of Potential Energy Savings and Design Challenges

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Book cover Pervasive Computing (Pervasive 2009)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 5538))

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Abstract

Although manual and programmable home thermostats can save energy when used properly, studies have shown that over 40% of U.S. homes may not use energy-saving temperature setbacks when homes are unoccupied. We propose a system for augmenting these thermostats using just-in-time heating and cooling based on travel-to-home distance obtained from location-aware mobile phones. Analyzing GPS travel data from 8 participants (8-12 weeks each) and heating and cooling characteristics from 5 homes, we report results of running computer simulations estimating potential energy savings from such a device. Using a GPS-enabled thermostat might lead to savings of as much as 7% for some households that do not regularly use the temperature setback afforded by manual and programmable thermostats. Significantly, these savings could be obtained without requiring any change in occupant behavior or comfort level, and the technology could be implemented affordably by exploiting the ubiquity of mobile phones. Additional savings may be possible with modest context-sensitive prompting. We report on design considerations identified during a pilot test of a fully-functional implementation of the system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. House_n, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA

    Manu Gupta, Stephen S. Intille & Kent Larson

Authors
  1. Manu Gupta
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  2. Stephen S. Intille
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  3. Kent Larson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, 5322, Endo, 252-8520, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa, Japan

    Hideyuki Tokuda

  2. Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Mühlenpfordtstrasse 23, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Michael Beigl

  3. Computing Department, InfoLab 2, South Drive, Lancaster University, LA1 4WA, Lancaster, UK

    Adrian Friday

  4. Microsoft Research, One Microsoft Way, 98052-6399, Redmond, WA, USA

    A. J. Bernheim Brush

  5. Department of Information Systems and Multimedia Design, Tokyo Denki University, 2–2 Kanda-Nishiki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, 101–8457, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoshito Tobe

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© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Gupta, M., Intille, S.S., Larson, K. (2009). Adding GPS-Control to Traditional Thermostats: An Exploration of Potential Energy Savings and Design Challenges. In: Tokuda, H., Beigl, M., Friday, A., Brush, A.J.B., Tobe, Y. (eds) Pervasive Computing. Pervasive 2009. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5538. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01516-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01516-8_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-01515-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-01516-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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