Honeywell Adds Smart Grid App to Prestige Thermostats

Honeywell has added time-of-use utility price schedule programming to its Prestige line of programmable thermostats to enable interaction with the smart grid.

The unit’s time-of-use price schedule feature automatically adjusts the home's temperature when electricity rates are highest.

"Giving homeowners the tools to interact with utilities and reduce energy use is a critical part of the emerging smart grid," says John Tyhacz, vice president and general manager for Honeywell's home comfort and energy systems business. "Smart controls allow homeowners to automate their energy consumption based on price to better manage their utility costs."

Honeywell introduced the Prestige in late 2008 as a full-color, high-definition, wireless-enabled thermostat that is only sold through dealers. The unit’s patented, interview-based interface walks a homeowner through the set-up process by asking a series of questions that help the thermostat program itself.

Built-in wireless technology allows communication with other Honeywell RedLink wireless devices including the Portable Comfort Control, a hand-held device that senses temperature in any room of the house and gives homeowners the control to adjust temperature from anywhere in the house.

When used as directed, Honeywell estimates homeowners can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 33 percent – or $200 each year – depending on geographic location.