Who Owns the Data From Your Heat Pump? – GreenBuildingAdvisor

Green Building News

One manufacturer’s new all-in-one smart heat pump might presage the future of home HVAC systems

The modern home is now a complex web of performance metrics, diagnostic codes, and captured data. All this is made possible through a range of tools and technologies, from Nest thermostats and SPAN electric panels to virtual home assistants and cloud-based security systems. Theoretically, I can run my dishwasher, deploy my Roomba, and adjust the temperature in my bedroom with the tap of a button, from anywhere in the world. One of the taglines from the AI company Josh, a smart-home interface, says, “OK Josh. Play jazz, dim the lights, and start the fireplace.” (I’m guessing the well-to-do, middle-aged bachelor is their target demo.)

It is a brave new world, indeed. But when it comes to all those data and metrics–power and water usage, equipment performance, airflow and humidity levels, system demand, and more—some pertinent questions arise, like “Who owns the data? And to what ends?”

Remote monitoring

Like most home appliances made in the last few years, air-source heat pumps can be integrated with smart-home systems and be controlled remotely. More recently, certain companies have begun offering remote monitoring so that equipment manufacturers and HVAC installers have real-time access to temperature and humidity levels, airflow rates, refrigerant pressure, defrost cycle behavior, and more. Remote monitoring can reduce unnecessary service calls and shorten the diagnostic process. This feature is designed to not only measure performance but register signs of distress and diagnose the issue before the homeowner is aware of any problem—at which point the heat pump ostensibly calls the HVAC tech to the home on the owner’s behalf.

Two of the world’s largest HVAC companies, Daikin and Carrier, have gotten into this game. Daikin’s SkyportCare, for instance, leverages a smart-home thermostat and proprietary cloud system to give contractors access to customers’ heat-pump performance data,…