The weather is changing here in Austin, and I've spent a notable amount of time tweaking and adjusting our thermostat. We haven't programmed it for the fall and winter season yet, and to be honest, we're still trying to figure out exactly how to do it! Working at home, we don't have a clear cut schedule, so we never really know when we'll be here and when we'll be gone. When I read about a thermostat that learns your patterns for you, I was intrigued!
Nest, "The Learning Thermostat" is brought to us by a team of folks that includes Tony Fadell, formerly the Senior Vice President of iPods at Apple. Having had a large hand in the design of the iPod, Fadell introduced the attractive aesthetic and user-friendly interface to the land of the thermostat.
In many ways, this thermostat is a fancy, designer version of many programmable thermostats out there already. With a $249 price tag, it's got the flair of Apple products, enticing folks to spend more for slick gadgetry. However, after learning more about the device, I have to admit that there is a huge appeal to the technology of the thing. As far as my own household is concerned, identifying patterns in our living schedule is something best left to an expert — or a machine! Back when my fiance and I each had 9-5 jobs outside of the house, we wouldn't have needed any help. Now, we both work from home, and while our schedule now is sure to include some patterns, they're patterns that we could use some help in finding.
Nest claims to learn your habits after one week of use, and constantly adjusts to your desires and changing schedule as you "tweak" the settings. A video on their site explains how Nest will streamline your heating and cooling, within a set of parameters, and custom tailor the ambient temperature of your home according to your desired levels. Because you can set maximum and minimum temperatures for your home, as well as control your settings remotely, the idea is that you will also save money on your bills.
I recognize many of the things that make this device very appealing to the consumer. The sweet ukelele music playing in the video showing design-savvy people living in nice homes, and the slick minimalist design of the device make this a very cool thermostat. But I also have to admit that a thermostat that learns my patterns for me is an extremely attractive notion. I question whether I'll ever be able to---or take the time to---program my own thermostat for maximum efficiency. So the biggest question that remains for me? Would I spend $249 on it... How about you?
Images: Nest
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Ours is hideous... the plastic has yellowed, and it is huge. And after 8 years, I am sure that the technology has moved forward. Give me the cutting edge! (and yes, I've been on the bleeding edge a few times, but I can't help myself...)
I already pre-ordered one... Mostly because I love the 'set it and forget it' ideology.
I work at home and don't know that I could really take much advantage of it learning from me. It doesn't really get much more complicated than I want the temperature cooler at night, or I'm out of town and want it cooler all the time. Any time my schedule is different would be an idiosyncratic situation that would presumably require me to out-think the programming. I also have knee-jerk bad reactions to anything that has as one of its selling points that you can control it from your smartphone. It makes me embarrassed at the "important" ways we are using our new technologies.
I think I do a pretty good job with my current programmable thermostat.
But when this is available I'm probably going to get one because of all the sensors it has. Not just indoor temperature, but humidity and the ability to adjust itself based on outdoor weather.
I want this .
Hmmmm. Granted I am one of those people who puts the thermostat at 60 on the first cold day and then doesn't touch it (unless company is coming) until the last cold day.
But here's the thing...does anyone else see the ripoff factor of this device not only from Apple style but also the great style of the Honeywell Classic Round?
I can think of a thousand better things to spend $250 on. It looks nice; but really, how hard is it to change the thermostat settings? You can have a preprogrammed settings for the entire week and if you need to change it, you just set the desired temperature and press Hold to override the program. Then "unhold" if leaving the house or if you want to return to the programmed settings.
My husband saw this and ordered one instantly for the water-heated floor we're in the throes of installing. It hasn't arrived yet.
I would have just dealt with the regular old plasticky ones the guy was going to put in. Looks-wise, it's hardly a better 'fit' for our old bungalow.
The radiant heating guy thought it was a good invention and said it would be particularly useful for really cold places (unlike, say, where we live on the coast in California) where efficiency is a real goal. All the Dudes tearing apart our house are excited to see it when it comes.
I think this is one of those things designed to pull in people who say 'Ooooo' over the iPad. I would have been really thrilled if it was steel on the outside and smart on the inside, myself!
In the spring and the fall (you know, those transitional weather periods where one day you might need the heater and the next the A/C), I always wish there was a thermostat that would switch itself to heat or cold rather than you having to do it yourself. I like this new one because I think it's a bit more intuitive than the standard programmable thermostat, but I don't think it will switch from heat to A/C, which is what I would REALLY like to see.