Recently Filed in Thermostats and Sensors

There are lots of ways to be green—or greener—and this 4,500-square-foot designer’s delight on the Chesapeake Bay sports several of them. There’s a geothermal heating and cooling system that pulls clean, carbon-free heat from the ground. There’s a lighting control system that helps to save energy, motorized shading to keep rooms cool during the day, and easy and convenient control of everything. The green initiatives began with 14 bore holes drilled 120 feet into the ground for the geothermal heating and cooling system, which pulls… View this story
Climate Control Systems • Thermostats and Sensors • Home Control Systems • Green Technology • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

Programmable thermostats, by design, are meant to do one thing: regulate the temperature of your home, and perhaps display the current outdoor temperature. Home Automation Inc., however, believes that the device is capable of much more. Introduced at the CEDIA Expo last week, the company’s newly released Omnistat2 doubles as an interface for controlling the lights and other electronic components. To me, the design makes a lot of sense. Most thermostats already have built-in screens and plenty of buttons, so why not use those screens… View this story
Climate Control • Thermostats and Sensors • Green Technology • Product News

Control for consumers is the ultimate aphrodisiac and today Americans are used to having it in all facets of their lives. This control ranges from the interface on their iPods and their home theater remote controls, to the steering wheel-mounted radio controls in their cars and Web-enabled HVAC and security controls that are accessed from smartphones. Moen’s newest product release addresses the need for homeowners to control their showers, vertical spas and Roman spas. The company’s ioDigital system is designed to give users control over… View this story
Appliances • Climate Control • Climate Control Systems • Humidity Control • Thermostats and Sensors • Zone Controllers • Home Control Systems • Pool and Spa • Bathroom • Product News

President Barack Obama has announced his intention to “green” the White House, beyond former President Bill Clinton’s and George W. Bush’s efforts that saw more efficient heating and cooling systems and solar electric (PV) and solar thermals systems installed. According to Steven Strong Solar Design Associates, which designed and installed the current White House system in 2002, the White House has 10 kilowatts of Evergreen photovoltaic panels and two solar thermal systems, one for domestic hot water and another for the pool, hot tub and… View this story
Computer Systems • Displays • Multiroom Audio • Climate Control Systems • Thermostats and Sensors • Surge Protectors • Home Control Systems • Lighting Control Systems • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Kudus to NuVo Technologies and HAI (Home Automation Inc.) who came away with the Consumer Electronics Association’s recent 2009 Mark of Excellence Awards for the Green category. NuVo Technologies earned the Platinum Award for its corporate environmental policy, which includes a reduced use of natural resources, a recycling program for products and recycling policy at its headquarters, in addition to its four Energy Star-rated products, the Essentia E6G six-zone audio distribution system and three NV-T2 Tuners. The Essentia E6G uses a fully digital power source… View this story
Multiroom Audio • Thermostats and Sensors • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Z-Wave wireless networking developer Zensys has been touting the mesh network’s green benefits, and that may become more of a reality with the a Z-Wave-enabled Nokia Home Control Center that will monitor home applications and lighting as well as the reduction of electricity, gas, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions—and all from a handheld device like a smart phone. Z-Wave says the Nokia Home Control Center will allow compatibility and control within the interoperable Z-Wave ecosystem that’s over 300 products strong. The Z-Wave ecosystem lets… View this story
Lighting Control • Networking and Communication • Power Management • Thermostats and Sensors • Home Control Systems • Green Technology • Networking • Info and Answers

Your thermostat just got a little smarter. You can thank the Radio Thermostat Company of America (RTCoA), who just announced the CT80, a Wi-Fi based programmable communicating thermostat. Based on GainSpan’s GS1010 SoC (System on Chip) device, the unit promises energy management and home automation beyond your wildest dreams—or at least your HVAC dreams. Just add the thermostat into your setup and the unit can connect to your wireless home network. This allows you to access the unit from any computer to conserve energy, which… View this story
Thermostats and Sensors • Enhancements • Product News

Thermostats have gotten smarter. They’re able to adjust automatically to converse energy and stay in synch with your daily schedule. Unfortunately, many of these smart stats look pretty much the same as they did 10 years ago. AMX and other companies want to change all that, by adding some visual pizazz to their thermostats. The AMX ViewStat is one of the first thermostats with a color display. The current indoor and outdoor conditions come at you in color instead of boring black and white. It’s… View this story
Climate Control • Thermostats and Sensors • Home Control • Info and Answers

Controls and cables—they often go underappreciated within the electronics spectrum. Cables and wires are the nitty gritty that too often are an afterthought in your entertainment purchase and setup. Then you start scratching your head as to just how important these runs are as the central nervous system of your A/V. The old joke with controls was the basket of six remotes to control six different products. Now we have spiffy, versatile and extremely intelligent remotes. On top of that, we have automation systems that… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Audio Cables • Video Cables • Remote Controls • Thermostats and Sensors • Products of the Year Awards 2008 • Home Theater • Home Control • Product News • Slideshows

It’s hard enough to remember your keys—how will you remember to unplug appliances when you leave the house? Black & Decker will keep you in check with its Power Monitor. Set this baby up, and your energy bill will be blaring in your face 24/7. That will teach you to turn a few things off! The unit has a constant peek at how much electricity you use, as well as the cost in dollars and sense. The product includes a wireless sensor that attaches to… View this story
Thermostats and Sensors • Gadgets • Green Technology • Enhancements • Product News

No one likes coming home to a hot (or cold) house. DLP has designed a small device to help keep your home’s comfort level constant. The DLP Design Data Center System can remotely monitor temperature and humidity through the web. When readings fall below predetermined levels, the unit sends you an email. That way, you can start sweating before you even step in the door. The company says the unit is also perfect for monitoring baby rooms, storage in the attic, or your wine cellar.… View this story
Thermostats and Sensors • Web Services • Home Control • Product News

The way heating costs are rising these days, you’re going to want to do everything you can to save this coming fall and winter. The Z-Wave Alliance, the consortium that touts the Z-Wave wireless technology, celebrated the second anniversary of its Advanced Energy Savings Thermostat Device Class this week by debuting three more Z-Wave-enabled thermostats. The new devices are the Intermatic CA8900, Wayne Dalton WDTC-20 and RCS TZ43. That brings the total of Z-Wave thermostats to 12, which are fully compliant and play well with… View this story
Climate Control • Climate Control Systems • Thermostats and Sensors • Home Control • Enhancements • Product News