Today the largest trial of home energy management systems kicks off in the UK as Climate Energy launches SmartHomes2020. The pilot scheme will see 5,000 homeowners receive a free solar photovoltaics installation combined with a home energy management system from PassivSystems.

SmartHomes2020 will see 4,000 privately-owned homes and 1,000 owned by social landlords given the chance to make energy bill savings of between £300 and £500 at the same time as reducing their carbon footprint.

Each home will be fitted with a PassivEnergy home energy management system, which helps consumers manage energy use in their homes. The device software and learning algorithms reduce home’s wasted energy by managing the boiler and hot water tank more efficiently, taking account of occupant usage habits, the thermal properties of the home and the weather outside.

PassivEnergy also monitors solar photovoltaics performance on the same platform. Early trials have seen the system save customers an average of 23% on their energy bills.

Andrew Holmes, Managing Director at Climate Energy said, “SmartHomes2020 provides the ideal opportunity for Local Authorities and Registered Housing Providers to participate in a scheme that will help them commit to meeting their carbon reduction targets and improving the energy efficiency of the social and private housing stock across their boroughs.”

Mark Davies, Chief Operating Officer at PassivSystems, “We’ve looked extensively at how people engage with energy in their home and are excited to be at the heart of such a large-scale and innovative project as SmartHomes2020. It will be fascinating to see how consumers react to having whole home energy management systems in their houses: we believe we will be able to help residents reduce their energy costs significantly, directly addressing fuel poverty at a time when energy bills have reached an all-time high.”

Free solar installation company ISIS Solar and the University College London will work alongside The Climate Group, Climate Energy Ltd and PassivSystems for the project.

SmartHomes2020 is a flagship project of the global Smart Cities Initiative of The Climate Group and aims to provide a thorough understanding of the benefits of renewable energy and everyday energy use, as well as delivering energy savings for the homeowner.