Honeywell and Nest: Two Smart Thermostats — Some More of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

April 27, 2013 by 1 Comment

Clint 2 We thought it fair and appropriate that the last two comments (see below) on this blog string, originally posted June 5, 2012, scores one for Honeywell and one for Nest.

We are really getting excited about the thermostat story again, but it’s not only about the thermostat. The goal is to get smart thermostats on the wall as fast as possible and save energy-grief and money. The utilities need the information from as many residential thermostats as possible, as quickly as possible, and the incentives being offered are real motivation. Both Honeywell and Nest, as well as a few others, are doing a great job enabling the process — and making some smart money while they’re at it. Now that the Department of Energy is ready to go door-to-door and give free energy audits, which will (or should) undoubtedly recommend a smart grid-talking thermostat (with rebate coupon), this thermostat race is just heating up!

But who will connect all the smarts dots the soonest? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Thermostats Tagged With: , , , , ,

ControlTalk Now for Week Ending April 14, 2013

April 15, 2013 by 1 Comment

CTA Awards Steering Committee is the sponsor for this week’s ControlTalk NOW. The extraordinary BB King Blues Club will be the site of the 2013 ControlTrends Awards. Located in NYC’s Time Square, this famous venue promises to enhance the excitement and entertainment of the CTA’s.

Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls: See What’s Possible in Building Efficiency — The Boom Heard ‘Round the World.Technology [Read more...]

Filed Under: Building Automation and Integration, Commercial HVAC, Continuing Education, Control Talk, Energy Monitoring, Energy Saving Ideas, Johnson Controls, New Posts, News and Information, Product Reviews, Thermostats, Wireless Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Nest: Back in the News — Are We Still Waiting for Smart Thermostats to Outsmart Us?

April 12, 2013 by 3 Comments

The ControlTrends Community will soon be voting for the 2013 Thermostat of the Year. The Honeywell Prestige IAQ, Viconics, EnTouch, as well as the three other thermostats mentioned in the following article, Nest, Ecobee, and EcoFactor are all well recognized thermostats with an abundance of features and benefits.

I found this article written by Mary Catherine O’Connor posted in the Smart Planet Daily, which is a great source for Smart News and Ideas. Ms. O’Connor delivers a fresh, insightful, and big picture perspective, quite different from the traditional HVAC view, to the discussion of thermostats and the integral role the household thermostat will play in America’s, possibly, the world’s energy future.

Nest_AwayBy Mary Catherine O’Connor, April 11, 2013, 3:00 AM PDT

Americans are using less energy but are still failing to conserve energy.

That sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not. Because new homes are better insulated and heating and cooling system are more efficient, Americans burned around 10 percent fewer British thermal units to heat and cool their homes in 2009 than they did in 1993, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But during that same period, the amount of energy consumed for appliances, electronics and lighting grew by around 10 percent. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commercial HVAC, Control Talk, New Posts, News and Information, Product Reviews, Thermostats, Wireless Tagged With: , , , ,

Move over Nest: The Redesigned Honeywell Prestige Thermostat Redefines Cool

March 26, 2013 by 12 Comments

The new Honeywell Prestige IAQ is a thermostat with Brains and Beauty, and with a host of wireless accessories, the Prestige offers one sleek solution to solve comfort problems and drive revenue! Will Nest, can Nest, answer the competitive bell and rise to the challenge? The Prestige is a tour de force featuring elegant engineering and Nouveau Décor. Without a response from Nest, it appears Honeywell will take command of one of the largest and most lucrative markets in the HVAC industry.

Even the high-end DIY’s will reconsider once they give the Prestige IAQ a good once over. With fan control and the [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commercial HVAC, News and Information, Product Reviews, Thermostats, Wireless Tagged With: , ,

Episode 4: ControlTalk NOW

March 10, 2013 by 2 Comments

This episode of ControlTalk NOW is brought to you by J2Innovations

J2 FIN Builder 2.7, now compatible with Niagara 3.7, was released this week featuring enhanced Floor Plan Builder and FQL Block Queries. FIN Builder combines efficient workflow with the latest UI technology. FIN Builder is a Magnificent Toolset specifically designed [Read more...]

Filed Under: Building Automation and Integration, Commercial HVAC, Control Talk, Energy Monitoring, Energy Saving Ideas, In the Community, New Posts, Thermostats Tagged With:

Great Thermostat Race First Quarter Results: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

March 7, 2013 by 2 Comments

ClintAs the great 2013 thermostat race approaches the first quarter turn, it looks as though some of the contenders are more competitive and in more of a hurry than the others. At least four of last year’s five top contenders did leave the gate.

Remember, these are the industry thoroughbreds led by the most competent technical and marketing stable hands in the business. Here’s an early performance review from the cyber track:

In Lane 1, Viconics is taking advantage of its new handlers at Schneider Electric and is preparing to unleash a flurry of new thermostats (VT8000 series) and wireless products incorporating the technical horsepower of the Can2go products with its own formidable line.

In Lane 2, Honeywell appears to be setting the pace though, [Read more...]

Filed Under: Building Automation and Integration, Commercial HVAC, Energy Monitoring, Thermostats Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ecobee at AHR Expo

February 14, 2013 by 3 Comments

If you saw my post from the AHR Expo in Dallas, you know that I was blown away by the enormity of it. If you have not had the privilege of attending one, I highly recommend that you try to do so in the future.  And plan on spending a few days there.  Believe me, it will take that long to see everything.  When my colleagues and I went, we had a limited amount of time, so we had to squeeze in as much as possible very quickly.  Luckily Sean was able to shoot some video footage with a few of our vendors.

Ecobee manufactures a great line of thermostats for residential and commercial use.  There’s a reason why they call it a  Smart Thermostat. For one thing, it’s internet enabled through WiFi so that you can easily monitor and manage your comfort. It’s also a smart way to save money and reduce your environmental impact. Check out Sean’s video and see what Ecobee had to show at the Expo.

Filed Under: Commercial HVAC, Energy Monitoring, Energy Saving Ideas, Thermostats Tagged With:

Countdown to Dallas: ControlTrends 2012 Thermostat of the Year

December 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

Ken and Eric review the 2012 ControlTrends Awards Thermostat of the Year nominees. With Nest, Honeywell, Ecobee, Viconics, and new comer Entouch all nominated for this coveted award this proves to be a very interesting competition.

If you have experience with any of this thermostats please share with the Control Trends Community in comments. Click here to register to vote, the ballots will be sent out this week.

Filed Under: Thermostats Tagged With: ,

HVAC Controls Training: EnTouch Wireless Thermostat Part 3

November 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

If you have seen Part 1 and Part 2 of this three part training series you know what cool products EnTouch makes for light commercial applications like portable classrooms and restaurants.

EnTouch is a nominee for the 2012 ControlTrends Awards Thermostat of The Year. EnTouch has very solid competition from Nest, Honeywell, Ecobee, and Viconics for this prestigious Award.
To vote for EnTouch or any of our other nominees you must register to vote. We will send you a voting ballot the first week in January. We will not share your information and will only send you information about The ControlTrends Awards.
Do you want to see an EnTouch system being installed? See our Dozier Mills install and configure the EnTouch Thermostat and the EnTouch Energy Monitor. Cool right?

Filed Under: Technical Tips, Thermostats Tagged With: ,

Get Smart with ecobee’s Smart Si

July 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Doesn’t your home deserve to get smart? At the 2012 AHR Expo, ecobee introduced its new Smart Si thermostat.  A lot of people are showing off their “smarts” these days, so what makes this thermostat special?  Let’s take a look.

It’s Easy

The Smart Si is Wi-Fi enabled, so you can make adjustments to your thermostat on the go from your tablet, computer, or smart phone.  An easy to read color display and an intuitive user [Read more...]

Filed Under: Building Automation and Integration, Commercial HVAC, Energy Saving Ideas, Thermostats
«Older Posts