Information on the homes and smart devices participating in this study can be found on the respective community pages on this website. Please contact the study team at info@ncconnectedcommunities.com with additional questions you may have on these devices in your home.

The purpose of this study is to learn how using your electrical appliances, heating and cooling, water heating, and other equipment can help your electric utility provide you with better electrical service. The project will last 24 months and will include up to 1,000 homes served by Duke Energy. The project is being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and your electrical utility, Duke Energy in partnership with your homebuilder or leasing agency.

Whether you choose to participate in this research study is entirely up to you. You can always choose not to take part in this study. Your participation is voluntary. You may ask us any questions you want before deciding to participate in the study. You can agree to take part in the study and later change your mind without giving any reason. Your decision will not be held against you, and there will be no penalty or loss of benefits. You do not waive any of your legal rights by enrolling in the study.

We cannot promise any benefits to you or others from your taking part in this research. However, possible benefits include a more comfortable home with lower electrical bills than a similar home that is not participating in the study. Your home could be easier to maintain since you can control your heating and cooling system and other equipment in your home from any location using your smart phone. The smart equipment in your home could also help the utility use more solar and wind power, which is better for the environment. While some of these benefits may stop at the end of the study, you could continue to receive these or similar benefits through participation in programs or electric rates offered by Duke Energy after the study.

Your participation in the North Carolina Connected Communities program will begin when you purchase your new home or lease a rental property in a participating NC3 community. Following the purchase or lease of your home, you will be contacted by the study team by email to help you set up the participating smart devices in your home. You can contact the study team at any time at info@ncconnectedcommunities.com with questions or to opt out of the study.

You can email questions to the NC Connected Communities study team at info@ncconnectedcommunities.com or submit your contact information on this website and someone from the study team will reach out to answer your questions.

You are expected to enroll in one of Duke Energy's smart thermostat programs (EnergyWise Home® or Power Manager®) as part of this study. When enrolled, we will be changing your thermostat temperature by a few degrees during times of peak energy use on the electric grid; therefore, you may feel a little uncomfortable when this happens. However, if this happens, you can change your thermostat back to a more comfortable temperature setting whenever you want. We may also be changing the times your water heater is running to help with the grid and, if you are on a time of use electrical rate, to save you money on your electrical bill; you should not lose any hot water and you can choose to run your water heater whenever you want. Any adjustments you make to your thermostat or water heater will not result in a loss of data or impact the results of the study. We may also operate additional equipment in your home, if present, such as batteries and electric vehicle chargers, to help with the grid; we will always ensure you have priority use of this equipment, so you always remain in control of this equipment. Loss of your personal information also represents a potential risk in the study. Although our team has collaborated with the Department of Energy and Duke Energy to implement Cybersecurity best practices, we recognize the potential for errors, mistakes, and prospective data breaches.

You will receive an email from Duke Energy after you set up your electric service, directing you to an online portal to enroll your smart thermostat in either the Duke Energy Power Manager® or Duke Energy Progress EnergyWise® Home program.

To set up the smart devices in your home, you will need to install the user apps for these devices on your phone, tablet, or computer and accept the associated terms and conditions for using that device. More information on accessing these user apps can be found on your community page on this website and will be emailed to you by the study team after you move into your home.

Once you move into your home, the North Carolina Connected Communities study team will contact you with a welcome email containing the following informational materials: Steps to set up the participating smart devices in your home. What to expect after you have set up your devices. How to enroll your smart thermost in either the Duke Energy Power Manager® or Duke Energy Progress EnergyWise® Home program if you have not already done so.

If you have not already enrolled your smart thermostat(s) in either the Duke Energy Power Manager® or Duke Energy Progress EnergyWise® Home program, you will receive an email from Duke Energy after you set up your electric service, directing you to an online portal to do so. You will also receive a welcome email from the study team when you move into your home, with guidance on enrolling your smart thermostats in the Duke Energy programs. You may also receive a prompt on your smart thermostat when setting it up in your home, that will walk you through enrollment in the Duke Energy Power Manager® or Duke Energy Progress EnergyWise® Home program.

Project participation is twenty-four (24) months or until March 31, 2027 (the end date of the study), whichever comes first.

The information that you provide in the study will be handled confidentially, and every effort will be made to protect the data and limit the use and disclosure of your personal information. However, there may be circumstances when this information must be released or shared as required by law. Other organizations that may have access to information from this study include the Central Department of Energy Institutional Review Board, representative(s) of the U.S. Department of Energy Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) and its accrediting organization, other federal regulatory agencies, and/or the research study team that is contractually bound to protect your data. This data will be securely maintained until the end of the study, when all personal data will be permanently deleted. Only data that cannot be linked to your identity will be preserved beyond the end of the study for a period of three (3) years. When we share the results of this study in professional publications and/or educational presentations, we will not include your name, address, phone number, or email address. All identifiable information, e.g., your name, address, will be removed from the data collected in this project.  After we remove the identifiers, the data may be used for future research or shared with other researchers without your additional consent.  Full Privacy Policy is available here.

You can withdraw from the study at any point. In this case, you will notify the study team by emailing them of your desire to unenroll at info@ncconnectedcommunities.com or contacting them through the project website at www.ncconnectedcommunities.com. You may be asked to provide a reason for your withdrawal. You can keep all the equipment and devices in your home when you withdraw. When you withdraw from the study, the study team will notify the OEM device providers (such as Curb) on your behalf to stop their service. However, because you will have a direct agreement with Duke Energy for the enrollment of your thermostat(s) in Duke’s Smart Thermostat program, you will need to notify Duke Energy directly if you choose to withdraw from this program. It must be noted, however, that you can withdraw from the study but continue enrollment in Duke Energy’s program; also, you can re-enroll in service with the OEM device providers after withdrawing from the study but will be responsible for paying the monthly/annual fees directly to these providers on your own.

You may contact the study team with questions at any time by entering your contact information in this website or emailing the study team at info@ncconnectedcommunities.com, and someone from the study team will contact you shortly. This study has been reviewed and approved by the Central Department of Energy Institutional Review Board (CDOEIRB), an administrative group of people who oversee the rights and welfare of human-research subjects participating in research activities conducted with support of U.S. Department of Energy. If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the research study, or for any other reason, you may contact the CDOEIRB at (865) 574-4359 or at CDOEIRB@orau.org. You also may ask questions about your rights as a research subject, request to obtain information, or offer input. If you want to know more about the program, visit the Department of Energy Human Subjects Protection Program website at https://science.osti.gov/ber/human-subjects.

You will get to keep all devices and equipment installed in your home for this project. If Curb is located in your home, you will have the option to enroll in an ongoing subscription for continued use of the home energy monitoring system. You may continue to participate in any available Duke Energy programs following the completion of the project. Because of the smart equipment in your home, you may be contacted by Duke Energy or the study team during or after the study, with offers to participate in new Duke Energy programs, products, or services.

During the 24-month study, the following data will be collected about you and your home: Name, address, phone number, email address Household demographics, home ownership or rental status, and building and equipment characteristics (building age, equipment installed on premise) Duke Energy account numbers and utility billing data Energy use and operation of the following equipment in your home: Heating and cooling systems (compressor, air handler, heat strips) Water heater Other equipment (dishwasher, range, dryer) Whole house (Mains) Electric vehicles (if included) Electric storage batteries (if included) Photovoltaic (PV) system (if included) Smart electrical panel (if included) Thermostat device settings and changes such as temperature settings Survey results of your experiences in the home and use of equipment in the home You will receive approximately nine (9) emailed surveys to complete over the 24 months you are in the study.