Nest has been bought by Google - sound familiar?

[Fuzzy]

I don't doubt that adding insulation above properly installed code minimum has minimal effect. However, there are practically NO homes built where the insulation is actually installed properly. Yes, the right materials are used that are listed in the code, but that does not necessarily make a proper thermal barrier. All it takes is a single electrical wire passing into an insulation cavity without proper sealing, and the R-value of that section of insulation is dropped to a quarter of what it is 'supposed' to be.

[tmiranda]

I live in Central Florida and several years ago both of my AC units (heat pumps - which were manufactured in 1990) died and were replaced by new energy efficient units. My electric bills went down by 25% overnight. I was pleased.

Replacing all of the incandesent light bulbs with CF bulbs saved me about $40 per month.

I also turned off a stand alone freezer. I think that saved me about $30 per month, I never realized how much juice that thing used!

[pjpjpjpj]

Krypto - ugh, ComCheck. Yeah, talk about clunky.

I recently attended an ASHRAE lunch where the speaker's topic was "Sustainable buildings - wasting money efficiently". It was pretty snarky, but the overarching point was that unless stuff is installed correctly, commissioned properly (such that it operates as it's supposed to), and maintained properly, all the great design equipment in the world doesn't help. That goes for both the mechanical equipment and the building - as fuzzy says, the average American house is friggin swiss cheese leaky. Heck, we have a client that is a major worldwide financial company and on their local corporate campus, all buildings less than 20 years old, they've recently been running across massive openings in the building envelope that have been there since the building was built (recent frigid temps have revealed some of them due to pipes bursting!). Like, 4" high gaps where roofs met walls, dozens of feet long. How much energy has that wasted over the past two decades?

[ccsmoke]

I don't own a nest but am always looking at home automation. The thing that makes the nest cool is the ability to do a two way communication. This allows for the ability to add rule sets and expansion. To me, that is a much better way then a programmable thermorstat as it allows way more control. It also brings up awareness to the idea of a off the grid home goal for the masses as our children, I believe, will rely on this.

-Functionality: As any early adoptor will tell you, usually take 3 revs before it is a solid device. Certaintly is some concerns with the compatiability with the device. The retrofitting of it requires a common wire as running battery only will drain and recharging of the battery may not keep up. The loss of power for extender period of time can lose settings and/or connectability. Most battery operated home automation devices do not act as a repeater thus creating a hole in a mesh network. I do believe that the acquisition will help fund the research and development of improving the product and future products even from competing companies along with the open api.

Now what makes it interesting is the idea of total control. While some devices are not available yet, intergration with other products can be very useful. This make region, home and drilling down farther, zone control. To me this is where two way communication excels.

The ability to open a shade in the winter when the sun is out in the kitchen while closing the register vent or damper in the same room when the temp in that zone reaches 72 sending an alert to change the furnace filter not because its 1 month old but rather the motor energy consumption is of greater value than it was at a time of equal outdoor temperature. The rule sets allow for great customizations as our regions, homes, and zones are different.

The security of these devices though, do concern me...have to have an airgap or intranet of things which cuts down the functionality.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by ccsmoke

Now what makes it interesting is the idea of total control. While some devices are not available yet, intergration with other products can be very useful. This make region, home and drilling down farther, zone control. To me this is where two way communication excels.

The ability to open a shade in the winter when the sun is out in the kitchen while closing the register vent or damper in the same room when the temp in that zone reaches 72 sending an alert to change the furnace filter not because its 1 month old but rather the motor energy consumption is of greater value than it was at a time of equal outdoor temperature. The rule sets allow for great customizations as our regions, homes, and zones are different.

The things that you are talking about go somewhat behind a thermostat and into more sophisticated home automation systems like Crestron or Control4 - but that is likely the direction that Nest, and now Google, are moving.

[ccsmoke]

The things that you are talking about go somewhat behind a thermostat and into more sophisticated home automation systems like Crestron or Control4 - but that is likely the direction that Nest, and now Google, are moving.

The Nest supports damper control as well as up to 3 stages of heating and cooling. The ability to talk to their smoke detector and issue commands based with that input show the ability to create a mesh network.

http://support.nest.com/article/How-...ng-and-cooling.

But yes the open api allows for professional systems like Crestron/Control 4 or DIY systems like Homeseer, Viera, Insteon, & Indigo to name a few. Software like Irule or Roomie Remote can help with the app fatigue into one universal UI as well as the many hubs coming to market or at the market. The security of some of these devices are questionable though, until these products mature a bit...not saying the Nest is insecure, but some of these hubs are currently that will most likely sell more than an expensive Pro systems.