By Cameron Chai
Tri Cascade has introduced a novel energy management system for homes. The elka 700-10 is an energy gateway thermostat that features an energy in-home display.
elka 700 + Intelligent Outlet
The elka 700-10 has an inbuilt energy efficient-comfort management application that acts as a bridge between the consumer and the utility company. It also features ZigBee Communication. The system helps homeowners to reduce the costs and consumption of energy by up to 35% during the first year. Based on the weather pattern, the system will guide consumers on their energy requirements and the modifications that need to be done to reduce costs.
The system’s smart energy in-home display provides information about household energy use and also calculates the energy load data from devices, including water heaters, HVACs and other such domestic devices. It also provides safety information about the energy levels and detects any over current.
The elka 700-10 has an LCD touch display that features Freescale i.MX28 technology and the Windows Embedded Compact 7 operating system. It allows remote monitoring from smart phones. Tri Cascade can customize the elka 700-10 without major modifications through Microsoft’s Silverlight for Windows Embedded.
The ZigBee and Freescale’s i.MX28 solutions provide a rich interface for users and enable a home area network in the elka 700-10 energy gateway thermostat. The device allows utilities to send demand response messages to the residence. A two-way communication is facilitated between the utility and the device. It also allows utilities to shed load and reduce consumption during periods of critical peak demand.
Source: http://www.tricascade.com/