In a Wi-Fi World of Devices Even a Thermostat Can be Smart
If you are going to climb aboard a bandwagon, the green bandwagon is generally not a bad choice, but assuming that you have a home wireless network in place, is a smart Wi-Fi connected thermostat right for you? If heat conservation basics like sufficient insulation, proper and consistent ducting throughout the house and an efficient variable speed furnace/cooling system are in place, then perhaps so. Either way the folks over at ecobee have have something for you to consider, the ecobee Smart Thermostat.
The ecobee Smart Thermostat is a 7-day programmable thermostat designed to help you conserve energy, save money and reduce your environmental impact. Utilizing WiFi 802.11 b/g wireless protocols, it allows users to place a thermostat anywhere in their home. Assuming the noted heat conservation basics are in place, this should allow you to maintain the temperature you want when and where you want it instead of relying on a thermostat tethered to a distant location in your home. Users can also automate heating and cooling patterns around their schedules and lifestyle through the unit's calendar-based programing schedule which can be laid out by the day, week or month. Weather-related news and information, system alerts and reminders relevant to the user and the system can also be attained by checking the unit's 'personalized Web portal,' or if you choose, through email which you send to yourself. There are a lot of features here and possibly a fair amount of savings if you are the kind of person who tends to leave the heater on whether you are home or not and/or like to come home to a specific temperature when away. Ecobee claims that these savings could be 20% or higher, but these come at a price. Ecobee's Smart Thermostat runs about $385 and requires a yearly 'platform fee' of $35 and installation by a professional technician is recommended. It is planned to beginning shipping early next year and system specs are available here.
--Tom Milnes
work from home on February 03, 2009 at 06:49 AM
Yay Austrailia! The land of rainbows and unicorns!
Hunter Johnson on February 03, 2009 at 07:16 AM
I couldn't tell by glancing at the site. What do I get for my "platform fee"?
Bill on March 22, 2009 at 07:00 AM
Internet access . It look like you are locked in and take it or leave it .
I couldn't tell by glancing at the site. What do I get for my "platform fee"?