What Is a Smart HVAC System?
Discover what makes a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system smart and how a smart system enhances comfort and helps reduce energy consumption.
By Anne Fonda
A smart HVAC system uses advanced technology and internet connectivity to improve system performance. These smart heating and cooling systems gather data, use predictive algorithms, and may use automation to enhance your home comfort and increase energy efficiency.
Smart HVAC systems start with a smart thermostat
A smart thermostat connects to your home’s Wi-Fi. At its heart, it’s a programmable thermostat, but it offers an array of features to help you customize your home comfort. Smart thermostats use HVAC sensors, automation, and remote access to deliver the right temperature, humidity, and airflow at the right time, without any manual adjustments.
“Smart HVAC systems are a game-changer. By intelligently optimizing temperature and airflow, they not only deliver superior comfort and air quality, but also significantly cut energy waste, putting money back in your pocket and giving you long-lasting peace of mind.”
-Michael Morey, Product Management Leader, Hardware
Trane has some of the best smart thermostats on the market today, including two that work with non-Trane systems.
Other components of a smart HVAC system
In addition to the smart thermostat, the basic components are an energy-efficient air conditioner or heat pump on the outside and an energy-efficient gas furnace or air handler on the inside. You may also have a packaged system. Your smart thermostat may also control indoor air quality (IAQ) equipment such as your whole-home humidifier, whole-home dehumidifier, ventilator, and whole-house air cleaner.
Additional features
While not necessary to comprise a smart system, a Link™ communicating variable-speed system can help maximize your comfort and energy savings. A zoned HVAC system offers the highest level of comfort, allowing you to customize temperature, humidity, and other settings for each zone.
What are the benefits of a smart HVAC system?
There are a lot of benefits to having a smart HVAC system. A few of those benefits include:
- Customized comfort
- Enhanced energy efficiency
- Remote control with the Home App
- Compatibility with voice assistants
- Integration with other smart devices
- Maintenance alerts
How do smart HVAC systems work to enhance comfort?
In addition to programming a schedule tailored to your comfort preferences, a smart HVAC system is at your beck and call, from the palm of your hand or by saying a few words. Think about the last time you woke up hot or cold at night. You probably got out of bed to open a window, turn on a fan, or add a blanket to the bed.
With a smart thermostat and the Home App, you can raise or lower the temperature with a few taps on your phone (which we know is at your bedside). Or if you have a voice assistant device in your bedroom, tell it what to do. Then roll over and go back to sleep.
Or, say you’re having a large gathering, and things start to heat up. Cool things down discreetly without having to wade through the crowd to get to the thermostat.
How can a smart HVAC system help me save money?
Your HVAC system accounts for nearly 40% of your household’s energy usage. Energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment combined with a smart thermostat can help you minimize your energy consumption and maximize energy savings.
You’ll want to set a schedule that lowers or raises the temperature (based on the season) while you’re away from home. The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates you can save as much as 10% annually on your heating and cooling bills by turning back your thermostat by 7-10°F for 8 hours a day. Geofencing can also help raise or lower the temperature as you’re nearing your home if you’re earlier than usual.
If you have a heat pump, make sure that you have a smart thermostat that is compatible with heat pumps.
In addition, your smart thermostat will send you maintenance alerts, such as when it is time to change the HVAC air filter, change the humidifier pad, or schedule professional maintenance of your HVAC equipment. By taking care of regular HVAC maintenance promptly, you can help prolong the life of your system and avoid costly HVAC repairs.
How do I control a smart HVAC system?
When you have a Trane smart thermostat, you simply download the Trane Home App to your smartphone to give you control of your system from the palm of your hand. Need to adjust the temperature because school got out early? No problem. Left for the airport without setting a vacation schedule? No problem. With the Home App, you’re always connected and have full HVAC control.
You can also access your system via a tablet, laptop, or paired voice assistant such as Google Home® or Amazon Alexa®.
For some additional HVAC energy-saving tips, check out the following blogs.
- How Can Crawl Space Insulation Affect HVAC Efficiency?
- What Is the Best Temperature to Set My Thermostat in Winter?
- Should You Really Set Your Thermostat to 78 in the Summer?
- What Are the Recommended Thermostat Settings for Vacation?
- 9 Ways to Save Energy & Reduce Cooling Bills This Summer
- How to Save Money This Winter on Your Heating Bill
Work with the HVAC experts
Trane is committed to innovating smart HVAC solutions for homeowners. It’s all part of our commitment to sustainability and helping our customers lower their carbon footprint. The benefits of smart HVAC systems are twofold – they can help you save money on your heating and cooling bills and help reduce carbon emissions at the same time.
Anne Fonda, Content Writer
A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.
She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.
When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.
Expert review by Lori Alexander, Digital Solutions Marketing Manager
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