On 7 November, 2012, Panasonic held a press conference to announce the development of the company’s Smart ecoie, or Smart Eco House in English, a smart home incorporating the company’s energy technologies and knowledge and experience of design and materials. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japanese government has introduced a wide variety of measures such as subsidies and accreditation systems in order to promote energy saving and the use of renewable energy. Interest in smart homes is also increasing with consumers and the market for smart homes is expected to grow.
The Smart ecoie makes use of Panasonic’s wide range of products and technologies. The house itself utilizes the company’s Technostructure building materials and construction methods, which are earthquake-resistant and offer long lasting, high quality durability. The Smart ecoie is equipped with Panasonic’s energy related technologies, with solar panels for energy creation, storage batteries for energy storage, energy saving equipment as well as the Smart Home Energy Management System SMARTHEMS, equipped with the AiSEG , which connects the electrical equipment and appliances around the home for smart energy saving.
As well as the above active systems, the Smart ecoie” also incorporates passive design features in the room layout, windows and ventilation which take advantage of the insulation and the elements, allowing energy to be used efficiently in the home throughout the year. With the Smart ecoie, Panasonic is proposing a smart and safe lifestyle that realizes comfortable and convenient energy saving.