In just a few short years, a thermostat with Wi-Fi connectivity went from a novel concept to an expectation. And, with consumers demanding more and more from the devices in their increasingly smarter homes, it’s clear the market will only continue to grow and change.
To keep up with the growing consumer demand for easy-to-use, easy-to-install, feature-rich products, manufacturers are coming out with thermostats and controls that include features like Wi-Fi connectivity, diagnostics, geofencing, and more. Some of their latest products are listed below in alphabetical order by brand. Since the manufacturers submitted the information, please direct any questions or comments to them.
Carrier Corp.
Product: Côr™ thermostat
About the Product: Through guided programming options, homeowners can maintain control of their home comfort system or simply let the Côr thermostat do all the work for them. To maximize energy efficiency, the Côr thermostat offers advanced features like smart setback, which automatically determines the optimal temperature for home comfort and energy savings. Wi-Fi connectivity and 802.11 b/g/n wireless router compatability allow remote access to the Côr thermostat from virtually anywhere. Homeowners can wirelessly control home temperatures and energy savings via mobile and tablet apps. A comprehensive analysis of energy consumption is available through the online Web portal. The Côr thermostat also provides in-depth energy reports with detailed system performance data available back to the installation date. Each report includes interactive energy-efficiency tips, providing homeowners the ability to instantly modify settings for maximum savings. As flexible as it is smart, the Côr thermostat works with almost any brand of home comfort system. Installation by a trained Carrier expert ensures the Côr thermostat is setup to function properly with the homeowner’s existing equipment.
“The word Côr is Latin for heart, and we have designed the Côr to be the heart of a smarter home,” said John Gibbons, director, product marketing, Carrier. “This innovative thermostat adapts to each home’s needs and system capabilities, continually updating itself and learning the ideal settings to ensure comfort and energy efficiency.”
For more information about the Carrier Côr™ thermostat, visit www.carrier.com/cor.
ecobee Inc.
Product: ecobee3 Smart Thermostat (Apple HomeKit-enabled)
About the product: The ecobee3 smart thermostat gives homeowners the ability to monitor and control their home’s temperature, at any time and from anywhere, using their smartphone, tablet, or Apple Watch. The ecobee3, which was released in July, uses sensors to measure temperature and occupancy in multiple rooms at the same time. By sensing which rooms are occupied, it makes smarter heating and cooling decisions, which result in more comfort and energy savings for homeowners. It’s also the first smart thermostat compatible with Apple’s HomeKit, which gives users the ability to easily sync several connected home devices and control their device using Siri. The ecobee3 is $249 and comes with one remote sensor. Additional sensors may be purchased in packs of two for $79.
“The ecobee3 is designed with the residential consumer in mind,” said Stuart Lombard, CEO of ecobee. “We offer the latest in smart thermostat technology while working closely with our partners to ensure we consistently deliver the best products, quality, and service.”
For more information about the ecobee3, visit www.ecobee.com.
Emerson Climate Technologies Inc.
Product: Sensi™ Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat
About the Product: The Sensi Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat from Emerson features remote access from a smartphone, tablet, or PC. The Sensi thermostat provides contractors with a Wi-Fi thermostat that’s easy to install and simple to connect at a price similar to today’s touch-screen thermostats. The Sensi Mobile app provides contractors an effective way to keep their contact information right at the homeowner’s fingertips. Now that three out of four homes have Wi-Fi, the Sensi thermostat is a suitable solution to connect consumers to their home’s heating and cooling systems.
“Sixty percent of homes don’t have a C wire,” said Ed Blittschau, vice president of marketing for Emerson. “With the Sensi thermostat, you don’t need one. More than 70 percent of homeowners who have a programmable thermostat don’t use the programming feature. Being able to quickly adjust the temperature when needed is convenient in today’s busy lifestyles.”
For more information about the Sensi Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat, visit www.emersonsensi.com
Honeywell Intl. Inc.
Product: Wi-Fi VisionPRO 8000®
About the Product: The Wi-Fi VisionPRO 8000, which features Wi-Fi connectivity through a homeowner’s network and a free Total Connect Comfort app, allows homeowners to remotely control their comfort settings and manage energy costs. The Wi-Fi VisionPRO 8000 is the latest update in Honeywell’s expanding portfolio of Wi-Fi thermostats, which includes the Wi-Fi FocusPro 6000, the Wi-Fi 9000, and the Wi-Fi 9000 with Voice Control. The Wi-Fi VisionPRO 8000 is a simple, connected solution that meets ventilation codes, provides full temperature and humidity controls, and features an onboard humidistat. In addition, it offers easy setup for contractors and homeowners; remote comfort control via a smartphone or other connected device; a built-in ventilation controller; and compatibility with residential and commercial systems up to 3H/2C heat pump and 2H/2C conventional, including dual fuel, a relay for IAQ control, and equipment check/change reminders.
“The VisionPRO 8000 is a great offering for our contractors because it’s based on the tried-and-true VisionPRO 8000 with RedLINK,” said Tony Uttley, general manager of Honeywell’s Home Comfort Business.
For more information about the Wi-Fi VisionPRO 8000, visit www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com.
Johnson Controls Inc.
Product: The Wi-Fi-capable York Affinity Residential Communicating Control
About the Product: The Wi-Fi-capable York Affinity Residential Communicating Control provides homeowners with remote access to the control system from their smartphones or tablet devices using the IntelliComfort™ mobile app, which allows them to easily monitor the status of every enabled system device — from the air conditioner to the furnace, air handler, and heat pump.
“The York Affinity Residential Communicating Control reaches out to every enabled device in a comfort system to ensure all are working together at maximum efficiency,” said Liz Haggerty, vice president and general manager, unitary products group, Johnson Controls.
For more information about the Wi-Fi-capable York Affinity Residential Communicating Control, visit www.york.com.
Lennox Industries
Product: iComfort S30 smart thermostat
About the Product: The iComfort S30 smart thermostat makes it easier than ever for homeowners to save energy and achieve optimum levels of comfort while also offering service providers advanced features that make installation and maintenance easy and cost-effective.
By bringing innovation to energy savings through intuitive technology and adaptable features, the iComfort S30 helps homeowners save energy without thinking about it while having their homes feel just the way they want them to, when they want them to. At the same time, the iComfort S30’s Mobile Setup app lets technicians remotely monitor and adjust the system during setup without having to walk back and forth between the thermostat and the indoor and outdoor unit. The intuitive thermostat also makes a heating and cooling system smart enough to alert them to a problem before it happens. Features of the iComfort S30 include the Dealer Dashboard with DaveNet®, an online hub that lets dealers see the system status of every homeowner and even prioritize customers in the list; remote monitoring, which gives service providers precise and detailed analyses of the operation of every iComfort system they’ve installed so they can offer more proactive service; remote troubleshooting, which not only helps dealers identify problems, but also helps them diagnose and solve issues remotely; and performance reports, which show service providers historical data of the operation and performance of a homeowner’s system.
“The iComfort S30 is a smart, powerful thermostat that’s easier to install than any thermostat Lennox has ever developed,” said Kyle Golden, energy-efficiency expert at Lennox. “That means greater opportunities with every sales call; shorter time on every installation; and the ability to offer faster, more thorough, and more proactive service.”
For more information about the iComfort S30 smart thermostat, visit http://bit.ly/iComfortS30.
Mitsubishi Electric US Cooling & Heating Division
Product: Diamond Controls™ solutions system
About the product: The Diamond Controls solutions system is an automated controls system that offers exceptional control levels over entire buildings. It functions on a single integrated controller, including design, programming, installation, training, and follow-up — steps that are typically handled by multiple contractors. Efficiency gains through the use of sensors and controls lower costs due to operating all facility functions with the controls, and customizable security options are just a few of the benefits. The system is certified by programs such as LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Green Globes®, and Energy Star®.
For more information about the Diamond Controls solutions system, visit www.mitsubishipro.com.
Nest Labs Inc.
Product: Third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat
About the Product: New features for the third-generation Nest include a sleek, new design that includes a 40 percent larger, brighter, high-resolution screen and new graphics that are easier to see from far away. The crisp display has 229 pixels per inch (PPI), which is 25 percent more than the second-generation Nest Thermostat. The third-generation Nest also has a slightly thinner profile to be flusher against the wall. Additional new features include Farsight, which takes advantage of the new high-resolution screen so users can see useful information on the Nest Thermostat from across the room; Furnace Heads-Up, which looks for shut-off patterns that indicate there’s a persistent problem and alerts the user in the Nest app and on the thermostat screen twice per year and through a monthly Home Report. The Nest Thermostat integrates with Nest Protect and Nest Cam, and when Nest Protect sounds a Heads-Up or Emergency Alarm for smoke or carbon monoxide (CO), in addition to a Nest app notification, the user will see a message displayed on the Nest Thermostat display. The Nest Thermostat can also automatically shut off fossil fuel-based heating systems in the event of a carbon monoxide leak.
“The Nest Learning Thermostat has been proven by third-party researchers to save people, on average, about 10-12 percent on their heating bills and about 15 percent on their cooling bills,” said Maxime Veron, head of hardware product marketing for Nest. “Millions of Nest homes around the world have saved approximately 4 billion kilowatt hours of energy compared to what they would have used if they’d left their thermostats at a consistent temperature.”
For more information about the third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, visit www.nest.com.
Pro1 Technologies
Product: T701i
About the product: The T701i is perfect for the everyday homeowner who wants to keep it simple. Millions of T701 thermostats are already in homes across the nation, not because of all of the bells and whistles they offer, but because they’re simple to install, operate, and sell, according to company reps. The same logic was applied while designing the T701i. Installation is a breeze, programming is optional, and Wi-Fi is optional. Comfort is guaranteed.
“Our mission at Pro1 is to make high-quality products at a value that the mass market can enjoy,” said Geoff Goss, director of marketing at Pro1 Technologies. “The T701i is just that. It’s easy to use, high quality, and priced lower than many popular non-connected thermostats on the market today.”
To learn more about the T701i, visit http://bit.ly/Pro1-t701i.
Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand
Product: Trane® Air-Fi™ Wireless System
About the Product: Trane Air-Fi wireless technology provides greater reliability, simplified installation, and more flexibility as building spaces change. Air-Fi replaces the need for wired building controls, allowing installations to be completed quickly with less disruption to occupants in existing buildings. Air-Fi helps optimize building performance reliably with self-repairing mesh technology that features redundant signal paths to help prevent communication failures. Trane offers a typical 200-foot indoor signal range with up to four times the number of paths extending up to half a mile when unobstructed for even greater levels of signal reliability. Air-Fi is a ZigBee®-certified building automation solution, and the system is built on a platform that supports BACnet® open standards. Air-Fi wireless uses a long-lasting battery that typically won’t need to be replaced for the life of the system in most installations, thereby saving time and money.
“Trane Air-Fi is a reliable, flexible solution that frees building owners from the hassles associated with traditional wired systems for building controls,” said James Kohl, senior product manager, controls, Trane. “Air-Fi offers easy problem solving, efficient performance, and cost savings over the life of the equipment.”
For more information about the Trane Air-Fi Wireless System, visit www.trane.com/airfi.
Product: Trane XL824
About the Product: The Trane XL824 seven-day programmable Wi-Fi-enabled control features a 4.3-inch color touchscreen and is equipped with the built-in Nexia™ Home Intelligence Bridge, which allows homeowners to remotely control and schedule the thermostat — and more than 200 additional Z-Wave products throughout their homes — from any Internet-enabled smartphone, tablet, or computer. Using Network Wide Inclusion (NWI), Z-Wave appliance modules, dimmer modules, comfort controls, locks, sensors, and other products are enrolled simply and quickly. The XL824 also allows dealers to view HVAC system performance data for customers remotely through Nexia Diagnostics using a Web-enabled device. Nexia Diagnostics provides service technicians with fast, accurate HVAC diagnostic data, allowing a dealer to remedy a homeowner’s comfort issues quickly and easily.
“Trane XL824 provides homeowners the ability to control their heating and cooling system and their home from Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets, and computers, anywhere in the world,” said Karl Mutchnik, controls portfolio manager at Trane.
For more information about the Trane XL824, visit http://bit.ly/TraneXL824
Venstar Inc.
Product: ColorTouch
About the Product: Venstar offers six models of its award-winning ColorTouch programmable residential and commercial thermostats. All six models have a multi-functional, simple-to-use touchscreen, which can be programmed to display a picture gallery of up to 100 files to be used as a slideshow. ColorTouch residential models T7850 and T7900 and commercial models T8850 and T8900 have Wi-Fi inside, allowing users to connect anytime, anywhere. ColorTouch thermostats are compatible with Venstar’s Skyport™ Cloud Services, which allow both commercial and residential users to use Venstar’s free Skyport mobile app on their Apple iOS®, Android™, and BlackBerry® mobile devices or directly from the Web to instantly access and control multiple thermostats at numerous locations. ColorTouch thermostats are now available online and throughout North America from Venstar’s exclusive network of wholesale HVAC distributors.
“The new ColorTouch residential and commercial thermostats with Wi-Fi inside deliver top-of-the-line programmable HVAC control with a customizable touchscreen,” said Steve Dushane, president and CEO of Venstar Inc. “The new ColorTouch thermostats with Wi-Fi give users the ability to control energy usage and reduce costs remotely or by using the high-resolution color touchscreen.”
For more information on the ColorTouch, visit www.venstar.com/thermostats/colortouch/.
Product: Voyager®
About the Product: Voyager is Venstar’s new value-priced line of residential and commercial thermostats. Voyager thermostats deliver a rich feature set that enables users to reduce energy costs with local or remote operation via the Internet of Things, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and Z-Wave. Voyager residential thermostats (T3700, T3800, and T3900) feature “Simple as You Want” operation with a choice of 7-day, 5+2-day, or 1-day programming. Voyager commercial thermostats (T4700, T4800, and T4900) also feature “Simple as You Want” operation with a choice of 7-day, 5+1+1-day, or 1-day programming. Venstar also offers a model designed specifically for the school environment (T4900SCH). Voyager thermostats are compatible with Venstar’s Skyport™ Cloud Services, which allow both commercial and residential users to use Venstar’s free Skyport mobile app on their Apple iOS®, Android™, and BlackBerry® mobile devices or directly from the Web to instantly access and control multiple thermostats at numerous locations. Voyager thermostats are now available online and throughout North America from Venstar’s exclusive network of wholesale HVAC distributors.
“Ease of use and affordability are big factors for today’s businesses and residential owners — especially for those managing temperature and energy usage in multiple locations,” said Dushane. “Venstar’s new line of Voyager thermostats puts the latest in fully featured, connected indoor comfort control within reach.”
For more information on the Voyager, visit www.venstar.com/thermostats/voyager/.
Publication date: 10/19/2015
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