CEE Integrated Home Competition

Back to Enter Now

Thermostats


Category Scope:

The connected thermostat category is open to products with primary applicability in the residential sector. Products must be available for sale through distribution channels serving the residential new construction and major renovation markets in the United States or Canada. If an entry is comprised of components from more than one manufacturer, the Competition encourages collaboration in the submission of the entry. Category scope includes energy efficient and connected thermostats that can operate with various brands of heating and cooling equipment.

The Competition is intended to highlight connected residential thermostats available for purchase in 2025. As such, products available or planned for introduction to the market between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 are eligible to enter the 2025 Competition.

If you are interested in submitting a product family, the Organizers recommend that you select a single product that is representative of the product family and note in the submission form that the single entry is part of a larger family. Manufacturers are also invited to submit images of other products within the family as well as marketing materials that show the product family.

If you are unsure whether your product falls within the category scope or have additional questions, please reach out to the Organizers at competition@cee1.org.


Desired Qualities and Capabilities

The Integrated Home Competition is seeking connected thermostats that demonstrate energy savings. While it is not expected that entries will include all of the following, desired qualities and capabilities include:

  • Meet CEE performance-based specification/ENERGY STAR® Program requirements or CEE features-based connected thermostat requirements, as described in the CEE Residential Connected Thermostat Specification.
  • Energy management, which encompasses features that reduce the product’s overall energy consumption levels either through core product functionality or influencing customer behavior.
    • Energy consumption information for users, including remote access via an app, website, or home energy management system.
    • Programmable settings, such as vacation, away, or nighttime modes that reduce energy use.
    • Sensing capabilities to optimize HVAC operation.
    • Ongoing, active management of settings through features like automatic scheduling or learning-based schedule creation based on consumer preferences and habits.
  • Ability to receive and respond to a utility or third-party signal (i.e., pricing signal or curtailment signal).
  • Demand response (DR) capabilities, defined as the ability to delay, curtail, or increase operation to enable load shifting from peak use or low supply periods to low use or high supply periods.
  • Data sharing with consumers and consumer-authorized third parties, including operational status and energy consumption reporting.
  • Consumer customization, such as the ability to input preferences and parameters related to product operation and the ability to tailor notifications for events like device status, system failures, power surges, or planned device shutdowns.
  • Ability to collect and analyze HVAC performance data that enables ongoing energy savings measurement and verification (such as through Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics (AFDD)), while being mindful of consumer personal privacy concerns.
  • Ability to operate seamlessly with other connected devices, systems, and platforms within the home.
  • Simplified device set up and use, including installation and account set up.
  • Intuitive consumer operation through multiple interfaces.

It is not expected that entries will include all of the above capabilities; rather, products should include measures that save energy and provide a positive consumer experience. Additional capabilities beyond this list will also be considered in the judging process. Products with greater functionality generally receive more points.

(see the Judging Criteria for more information)


Additional Questions?

Check out the FAQ or contact Competition Organizers at competition@cee1.org with any questions.