March 2, 2017 – Homeowners, utilities and the environment could be winners with a home energy management system, or HEMS, developed by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The team’s open-source, user-friendly and easy-to-use software monitors and controls energy consumption, according to Helia Zandi of ORNL’s Modeling and Simulation Group. “HEMS supports monitoring and controlling a wide range of devices running different protocols such as WiFi, Z-wave and ZigBee,” Zandi said. “The system provides secure communication between devices and the smart grid.” It can also help reduce peak demand by using smart algorithms. Zandi noted that HEMS is a growing sector in the era of smart grids and smart homes and can help homeowners adapt their usage based on feedback provided by the system.
Homeowners can save energy and money through ORNL’s home energy management system. Image updated on 11/15/17.
