Japan and other nations share many common tasks, including the need to reduce CO₂ emissions, reduce healthcare costs, and build safe, barrier-free societies. Various measures have already been implemented, both in industry and at the household level, but a more effective solution will ultimately require a systematic approach that integrates many different devices and systems.
Japan, for example, has committed to reducing its CO₂ emissions by 6% from the level of 1990. We are fast approaching the limit, however, of what can be achieved by improving individual machines and devices. Further gains will require integrated, systematic control of energy consumption at the community and household level.
The need for system-based management is just as urgent in the fields of home healthcare and home security, where further substantial gains will require a systematic approach. This kind of integrated, system-based management can be achieved only through the widespread use of home network systems. However, today痴 home networks have not achieved widespread acceptance, in part because of the high cost of rewiring existing homes.
It is therefore necessary to develop a standard, general-purpose system that 1) requires no special rewiring and so can be applied to existing homes; and 2) can easily control a wide range of devices. ECHONET will make this a reality.
ECHONET is an abbreviation of Energy Conservation and Homecare NETwork. The mission of the ECHONET Consortium is to develop ECHONET systems.