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Smart Thermostats

Buildings and Cities

Thermostats are mission control for heating and cooling homes. Smart thermostats use algorithms and sensors to learn and become more energy efficient over time.

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Rank and results by 2050 #57

Smart Thermostats

Reduced CO2: 3 gigatons
Net cost (Billions US$): $74.16
Net operational savings: $640.10 billion
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

We project that smart thermostats could grow from .4 percent to 46 percent of households with internet access by 2050. In this scenario, 704 million homes would have them. Reduced energy use could avoid 2.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions. Return on investment is high: smart thermostats can save their owners $640 billion on utility bills by 2050.

Smart Thermostats

Buildings and Cities

Thermostats are mission control for heating and cooling homes. Smart thermostats use algorithms and sensors to learn and become more energy efficient over time.

Thermostats are mission control for residential energy use for heating and cooling—9 percent of energy consumption in the United States. At present, the majority of thermostats require manual operation or preset programming, and studies show people are notoriously unreliable in doing either efficiently. Smart thermostats eliminate the capriciousness of human behavior, thereby driving more predictable energy savings.

The first smart thermostat, the Nest, came to market in 2011, developed by a team of former iPhone engineers who saw an opportunity to bring smartphone thinking to the antiquated temperature controls in homes. Thanks to algorithms and sensors, next-generation thermostats learn over time by gathering and analyzing data. You can still turn the temperature up and down, but these devices will remember your choices and memorize your routines—adapting to the dynamic nature of day-to-day living.

Smart thermostats detect occupancy, learn inhabitants’ preferences, and nudge users toward more efficient behavior. The newest technologies also integrate demand response; they can reduce consumption at times of peak energy use, peak prices, and peak emissions. The net effect: Residences are more energy efficient, more comfortable, and less costly to operate.

Vs

Women Smallholders

Women and Girls

If women smallholders receive equal farming resources and land rights, their yields will rise by 20 to 30 percent, avoiding emissions from deforestation.

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Rank and results by 2050 #62

Women Smallholders

Reduced CO2: 2 gigatons
Net operational savings: $87.60 billion
What do these numbers mean?

TOTAL CO2-EQ REDUCTION (GT)

Total CO2-equivalent reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2050 (gigatons)

NET COST (billions US $)

Net cost to implement

SAVINGS (billions US $)

Net savings by 2050

Impact:

This solution models reduced emissions from avoided deforestation, resulting from increasing the yield of women smallholders. Based on literature in the field, we assume yield per plot can rise by 26 percent, if women’s access to finance and resources comes closer to parity with men’s. If women managing 98 million acres receive equal assistance and achieve that 26 percent gain, this solution could reduce 2.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050.

Women Smallholders

Women and Girls

If women smallholders receive equal farming resources and land rights, their yields will rise by 20 to 30 percent, avoiding emissions from deforestation.

There is a gender gap in agriculture in low-income countries between the resources and rights available to men who work the land and those available to women who do the same.

On average, women make up 43 percent of the agricultural labor force and produce 60 to 80 percent of food crops in poorer parts of the world. Often unpaid or low-paid laborers, they cultivate field and tree crops, tend livestock, and grow home gardens. Most of them are part of the 475 million smallholder families who operate on less than 5 acres of land.

Women have less access to a range of resources, from land rights and credit to education and technology. Even though they farm as capably and efficiently as men, inequality in assets, inputs, and support means women produce less on the same amount of land. Closing this gender gap can improve the lives of women, their families and communities, while addressing global warming.

If all women smallholders receive equal access to productive resources, their farm yields will rise by 20 to 30 percent; 100 to 150 million people will no longer be hungry. When agricultural plots produce well, there is less pressure to deforest for additional ground, avoiding emissions.

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