Stûv, manufacturer of heating solutions, developed a remotely monitored and controlled pellet stove. This not only gives the customers more comfort and convenience, but also allows Stûv and its dealers to provide more personalised support to customers and to monitor all connected stoves, in view of improving the product and the associated service.
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This case is one of the 15 smart product examples we have compiled for you in the Smart Product Inspirator |
Stûv designs, produces and markets individual heating solutions using wood and pellets. Its wood burning stoves, pellet burners and wood inserts are designed with a focus on energy performance, pleasure of use and durability. The company is located in Bois-de-Villers (Namur).
Why this product
The market is evolving. IoT technology makes it possible to monitor and control a pellet stove remotely. This provides the customer with increased convenience. In addition, it allows Stûv and its dealers to provide more personalised support to customers and to monitor all connected stoves, in view of improving the product and the associated service. Some competitors have also brought connected solutions to the market. Smart home platforms and standards are evolving as well, which provides opportunities for the company to connect its products to this ecosystem.
Value for the customer?
The value for the customer lies in the improved user comfort of the stove. They can check the status of their stove from the remote control, their smartphone or tablet, and also control it. They can program it to be switched on and off at specific times. It also notifies the user of the various alarms relating to the operation of the stove. This results in a better user experience. Data can also be shared with the dealer and Stûv so that remote support can be provided.
Technology behind this smart stove
The stove is equipped with various sensors and actuators to monitor and perform remote operations. It has an electronic control unit that connects via Wi-Fi or cable to the home network and the internet. A remote control serves both as a local user interface and as a temperature sensor. The stove can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet through a mobile app. Whether at home or outside, it is possible to connect to the stove either directly via Wi-Fi or via the cellular network. A cloud-based solution has been implemented, providing Stûv and its dealers the ability to monitor the installed base of stoves and to provide remote support.
Capturing value
The added IoT features, that improve user convenience and experience, attract a specific customer segment. Without these features, this segment would switch to competing solutions. For now, the IoT features are included in the purchase price of the stove. Besides increasing revenues, it makes internal supporting processes more efficient and helps employees to better understand and solve potential end-user problems. Stûv also uses the anonymised product usage data to gather insights for future product developments.
Next steps
Stûv is looking into several options to extend its smart stove offering. An option reserved for dealers would be to include the possibility of remotely updating the operating parameters and to provide remote diagnostics. By interfacing with smart home systems, Stûv aims to simplify the installation and onboarding process and make their solution even more accessible and easy to use. From the collected product usage data, the company wants to learn if certain alarms occurring during use, can be predicted and prevented by means of corrective actions or personalised advise to the users.
Smart Product Scenarios
To enhance your chances of success and guide your smart product innovation, Sirris offers you practical tools and guidelines. Our Smart Product Inspirator provides you with a framework for identifying valuable smart product ideas based on the 5 most common scenarios and 15 smart product examples illustrating these scenarios. With these carefully analysed scenarios we help you uncover the potential for success . The key scenarios for Stûv's smart pellet stove are: 'Smart maintenance' and ‘Digital user interface'.
