As soon as the New England weather makes up its mind (any day now?), air conditioning season will truly be upon us. While these clunky machines transform our houses into safe-havens from the summer heat, they can do a number on our utilities bills - let alone the environment. Haruumi Shiode, an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School, and Mash Ohtsuka have partnered up for a venture called Nature, Inc. Its mission: To convert an AC unit into a smart one, thanks to its new, cost-effective technology. And - unlike existing technologies in the space, such as LG's Smart AC - the startup's products are completely agnostic and can be used on any AC make or model. Shiode explained that after years working in the investment field, specifically focused on the power sector, he knew he wanted to revamp how we consume energy. “I decided I wanted to build something to contribute to a cleaner, safer energy,” he said. Teaming up with Oshtsuka, he zeroed in on a fixture of our everyday energy use – window AC units.

They’ve developed a hardware component called a controller, as well as a mobile app that, when used together, will allow people to benefit from the Internet of Things from what was once an ordinary household object. The controller taps into Wi-Fi and uses infrared technology to connect with an average AC unit. Then, through the app, users can control their room AC from anywhere. What does that mean, exactly? Shiode said people will be able to turn any units on or off remotely. Additionally, they can set scheduled times for when they want cooling to start and stop. They can adjust different settings on their AC, including temperature. The controller features sensors for not only temperature and humidity, but also for motion, voice and illumination, so it can detect when people or animals enter and exit a room, adjusting the AC settings accordingly. The duo is launching a Kickstarter campaign on May 23 to introduce the controller and app to the market and do their first major round of fundraising with a goal of $30,000.

The early bird cost of the controller will be $49, compared to its projected retail price of $69. mobile home ac units for saleEither way, the device promises to be an affordable investment.ac unit will not come on There is more to come from Nature, Inc., later down the line. how much does it cost for ac unitEventually, the startup will be releasing a power plug to go with the other components. It will plug into a wall outlet and an AC unit, tracking the power consumed by the machine so people can monitor their energy consumption and utilities bills. They have developed the technology, but it is still currently undergoing testing. “How energy is produced and used is out of control,” Shiode shared, reflecting back on all his visits to power plants and coal mines.