Internet Thermostats ?

Lately we seem to be running into customers that are in the process of evaluating our product against one of several Internet thermostat manufacturers. I guess this is a good sign in that it shows how small building owners/managers are waking up to the need for some sort of energy management equipment in their facilities. Its hard to see why anyone would settle for remote thermostat access alone, however, when products such as ours (EcoView) offer much richer energy management capabilities for around the same price.

I find this to be a somewhat curious device - the Internet thermostat. The concept is relatively simple: add an ethernet connection to a standard HVAC thermostat and be able to access it remotely. It sounds cool and all, and surely would have been 5 or 10 years ago, but as an energy management strategy I find it to be somewhat lacking. First of all there is the wiring headache. An internet thermostat will require new wiring since you have to get the thermostat connected to the internet. I am aware that some of them use WiFi, but few HVAC units provide enough power to support this alone, which means new wires for power. Second you end up with individual network devices that cannot really cooperate as part of a larger energy strategy - such as syncing schedules with lighting control or occupancy. You really dont have a "system" as much as you have a "device". Maybe its just me, but in this day and age this seems a little weak - kind of like needing mobile communications but opting for a pager over a cell phone just because it is a few dollars cheaper.


Products like EcoView offer the full benefits of an energy management system at a price point that is targeted at small building owners and managers. You get lighting control, HVAC control, equipment control, real-time and historical energy consumption data as well as nearly infinite expandability going forward. You also get both a local user interface (touchpanel) and web-based access - all in an affordable and easy-to-install package. The EcoView thermostats are direct replacements for pretty much any existing thermostat and as a result are very quick and easy to install. The only device that gets an internet connection is the touchpanel, which can be conveniently located close to the building telecommunications equipment for painless installation. The touchpanel also manages all network devices, as any good EMS product should, allowing cooperation and interaction in ways that are impossible with individual, internet-connected devices. The touchpanel of course also serves the useful purpose of providing a centralized user interface where all devices can be viewed and controlled without having to break out a PC.

Well, the intent of the post was not to bash internet thermostats necessarily, nor to shamelessly promote EcoView (okay, well a little), but rather to make the point that I think anyone smart enough to realize that they need to something about energy management in their small building or residence should look past substandard solutions and spend their money on something more comprehensive and extensible instead. EcoView is not the only product out there that meets this bill. The key, I think, is to invest in a 'system' rather than a 'device'.

My 2 cents.