Building & Design

A smart control unit designed by UK researchers could help improve energy efficiency by learning when householders use energy and adjusting thermostats accordingly.

The ‘Wattbox’ has been designed by a team at De Montfort University thanks to a £2.1 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The researchers found that existing home heating controls such as timers and thermostats are often too complicated for users to set to minimise energy use.

So, the team designed an intelligent, automated system that learns when householders use hot water or heating and when they switch on electrical appliances. The Wattbox then sets the thermostat to take account of the householders’ habits and the outside temperature.

For example, the device switches on the hot water just before it is needed and indicates on a display when it is ready for use.

The display also allows users to override the system’s decision manually and shows how much more or less energy is used as a result.

The researchers believe that by providing instant feedback and control of energy use, consumption can be cut by up to 20% without compromising comfort.

“Influencing user behaviour can be challenging,” says Peter Boait of De Montfort University. “Involving people in the design of technology and in developing energy reduction strategies offers a new opportunity to make real cuts.”

The team are now working on an intuitive control system that allows householders to see how their home is using energy at a particular time and what they can do to reduce that energy use.

For further information:
www.dmu.ac.uk
www.epsrc.ac.uk

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