Standalone ZigBee energy management solution will not require a separate HAI system.
April 19, 2011

Home Automation Inc. is finally shipping its ZigBee-enabled Omni2 thermostat and the company plans to create a complete ecosystem based on the ZigBee Pro Smart Energy Profile.

Per Cepro, during the International Security Conference (ISC West) this month, HAI provided a glimpse of a standalone energy management system that won’t need an HAI controller to drive it.

In addition to the Omni2 thermostat pictured above, the system will also include a display device and 3 load control modules. The pictured graphic energy display changes color as an easy way to show energy state or events. HAI’s first ZigBee load control modules include 5-, 15- and 30-amp units for pool pumps, spas and other high-load electronics, as well as smaller plug-in devices.

HAI already offers a ZigBee-enabled energy management interface, called the MicroControl, but it must connect via RS-485 to a standard HAI control system to harness the CPU’s intelligence.

Soon, HAI will offer APIs for third-party vendors to incorporate the ZigBee offerings into their own control systems, says HAI regional sales manager Robert Pickral.

Later this year, HAI will offer a standalone MicroControl that requires no separate CPU, enabling users to create an all-ZigBee energy management system (EMS) including an interface (the MicroControl), thermostats, load controls and (in some cases) integration with a smart meter and the smart grid.

The user interface devices – including the MicroControl and thermostats – feature multi-colored LCD screens that change according to energy events. These events include anomalies in the household’s energy usage (maybe the freezer is on the fritz?) and changes in the utilities time-of-use pricing.

So, will users be able to access the standalone EMS via the Internet for energy monitoring and load control? Currently, they can do so via an HAI controller and Snap-Link bridge.

How about a similar device for the forthcoming all-ZigBee system? Pickral says to stay tuned.