alt Hacker NewsFor some people they may only opportunistically (perhaps they have excess PV production at that moment) run their AC or temporarily turn it off when they temporarily have other power demands at that moment (eg running dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, kettle, etc) and don’t want to pay for grid energy while doing so.
“HVAC” is essentially not a thing in houses in South Africa likely due to having a mild climate, this also makes insulation in houses optional and mostly not done.
So most people with AC here are probably using it as a luxury and will happily have it be off a little if it meaningfully reduces energy usage while still making their house noticeably more comfortable.
This is exactly the case in my household. Excess solar is pretty much worthless here, so with a smart AC you can dump the excess solar into your house as either heat or cold. This (currently) has a lot better ROI than installing a household battery. (Battery tech and availability might change this.)
I am enamoured by making dumb AC's smart by this method, since you probably have a lot less IT risks than by using the suppliers app. I think the trade off is between IT risk and mechanical / technical risk, since adding your own parts have an effect on warranty (or at least: willingness to repair by the supplier).