Sep 12, 2012

Panasonic to Launch Smart Home Energy Management System in Japan

On September 11, 2012, Panasonic announced its plans to begin the full-scale development of its Smart Home Energy Management System (SMARTHEMS^TM*1) business in Japan from October 21, 2012.

Mr. Nagae, Panasonic Corporation Vice President and Eco Solutions Company President, introducing SMARTHEMS^TM and AiSEG^TM at the Press Conference Held on September 11, 2012

With increasing awareness of environmental issues and concerns over the supply of electricity in Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake, energy saving measures for the home are becoming a pressing need. In response to that need, Panasonic has developed SMARTHEMS^TM to help create, store, use and manage energy efficiently.

With SMARTHEMS^TM, data concerning electricity, gas and water consumption is measured in real time, and users can for example monitor the current charging status of storage batteries and solar power generation systems and see the CO₂ balance for the entire home, giving an insight into energy usage and ways of further saving energy in the home.

AiSEG^TM on Display at the SMARTHEMS^TM Press Conference

A core component of SMARTHEMS^TM is AiSEG^TM*2. Standing for Artificial Intelligence Smart Energy Gateway, AiSEG^TM works as the control center of SMARTHEMS^TM, connecting and controlling the electrical equipment and appliances in the home. AiSEG^TM incorporates the ECHONET Lite protocol, which allows it to automatically control and manage any compatible equipment connected to the system efficiently, helping to increase energy savings and contribute to the environment.

A Variety of AiSEG^TM-compatible Products on Display at the Press Conference

SMARTHEMS^TM also utilizes a cloud computing service that allows it to flexibly evolve with changes in lifestyle. Firmware updates will be provided for the system to deal with developments such as changes to electricity rate and to ensure compatibility with new AiSEG^TM-compatible products. In the future, as well as expanding its lineup of AiSEG^TM-compatible products, Panasonic is also looking to widen the scope of compatible equipment to include not just home appliances and electrical equipment, but electric vehicle charging facilities, lighting and security systems as well.

Connecting housing equipment and home appliances, Panasonic SMARTHEMS^TM will evolve to provide a comfortable lifestyle with energy creation, storage and automatic energy saving.

1. SMARTHEMS is a trademark (under application for registration) of the Panasonic Group.
2. AiSEG is a trademark (under application for registration) of the Panasonic Group.