4 ms·

Let's say its 30C. If you want to keep the air temperature at 27C, then the AC needs to be set below 27C. Also, many buildings have warmer areas and cooler ar

Let's say its 30C. If you want to keep the air temperature at 27C, then the AC needs to be set below 27C. Also, many buildings have warmer areas and cooler areas. If you're unlucky to be in a warmer area, you're going to be working in temps of 30C or warmer. And what about if I have a solar array on my roof? Shouldn't I be able to use the power I generate to be more comfortable? I predict people will move the thermostat to a warmer part of the building, or just put a heat source under the thermostat.

hedora 4y ago
I'm usually hesitant to encourage people to buy IoT junk, but EcoBee has nailed this problem. The "bee" part of the name refers to a ZigBee network that it forms with inexpensive per-room temperature/motion detectors. It is pin compatible with old school thermostats, and you can add a large number of temperature sensors. In the cases you are referring to, the best bet would be to add a sensor to each of the 2-3 hottest/coldest rooms, then set it to keep everything in range. This is more comfortable and energy efficient than over cooling/heating, and costs under $500 for a building. It also works fine without a network connection. You can also check the temperatures of multiple rooms at a glance, and partially close some duct vents accordingly. Installation of the temperature sensors is easier than hanging a picture. Their batteries last about a year, and are standard/easy to replace.
- phpisthebest 4y ago
  That may have been in the past, not sure, but I am 90% sure all Ecobee products today are "hubless" wifi cloud encumbered products Very Few thermostats on the market are Zigbee, Centralite has one (the pearl) but I am not aware of any others honestly
  - hedora 4y ago
    It says the sensors connect via "915MHz"; so they might not be ZigBee, but they're also not WiFi. WiFi is still optional according to their FAQ: https://support.ecobee.com/s/articles/Wi-Fi-FAQ-Setup-Guide-and-Troubleshooting https://support.ecobee.com/s/articles/Wi-Fi-FAQ-Setup-Guide-... 915MHz is on this page: https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/accessories/smart-temperature-occupancy-sensor/ https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/accessories/smart-temperature-o... (Under detailed specs, connectivity.)
    - phpisthebest 4y ago
      >>WiFi is still optional according to their FAQ: "optional" as in it will work in manual mode like a normal thermostat, it would not have any "smart" features with out a wifi connection >915MHz is on this page: That is for the sensors, which connect to the Thermostat, but not the thermostat itself Zigbee can operate on 915MHz radio, but since they do not say the devices are "zigbee certified" I would bet it is some proprietary signal, or some incompatible zigbee that would not work with a non-echobee hub or network, which is one of the main feature people look for in a "ZigBee" device, no vendor lockin, and no cloud requirement
  - dpifke 4y ago
    It's not Zigbee, but for anyone looking for a smart thermostat that doesn't rat you out to "the cloud," Honeywell makes a Z-wave thermostat: https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/products/air/thermostats/programmable-thermostats/t6-pro-z-wave-thermostat-th6320zw2003-u/ https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/products/air/thermostats... I have two that I use with a local Home Assistant install, and I have no complaints.

hedora 4y ago

I'm usually hesitant to encourage people to buy IoT junk, but EcoBee has nailed this problem. The "bee" part of the name refers to a ZigBee network that it forms with inexpensive per-room temperature/motion detectors. It is pin compatible with old school thermostats, and you can add a large number of temperature sensors. In the cases you are referring to, the best bet would be to add a sensor to each of the 2-3 hottest/coldest rooms, then set it to keep everything in range. This is more comfortable and energy efficient than over cooling/heating, and costs under $500 for a building. It also works fine without a network connection. You can also check the temperatures of multiple rooms at a glance, and partially close some duct vents accordingly. Installation of the temperature sensors is easier than hanging a picture. Their batteries last about a year, and are standard/easy to replace.

phpisthebest 4y ago
That may have been in the past, not sure, but I am 90% sure all Ecobee products today are "hubless" wifi cloud encumbered products Very Few thermostats on the market are Zigbee, Centralite has one (the pearl) but I am not aware of any others honestly
- hedora 4y ago
  It says the sensors connect via "915MHz"; so they might not be ZigBee, but they're also not WiFi. WiFi is still optional according to their FAQ: https://support.ecobee.com/s/articles/Wi-Fi-FAQ-Setup-Guide-and-Troubleshooting https://support.ecobee.com/s/articles/Wi-Fi-FAQ-Setup-Guide-... 915MHz is on this page: https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/accessories/smart-temperature-occupancy-sensor/ https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/accessories/smart-temperature-o... (Under detailed specs, connectivity.)
  - phpisthebest 4y ago
    >>WiFi is still optional according to their FAQ: "optional" as in it will work in manual mode like a normal thermostat, it would not have any "smart" features with out a wifi connection >915MHz is on this page: That is for the sensors, which connect to the Thermostat, but not the thermostat itself Zigbee can operate on 915MHz radio, but since they do not say the devices are "zigbee certified" I would bet it is some proprietary signal, or some incompatible zigbee that would not work with a non-echobee hub or network, which is one of the main feature people look for in a "ZigBee" device, no vendor lockin, and no cloud requirement
- dpifke 4y ago
  It's not Zigbee, but for anyone looking for a smart thermostat that doesn't rat you out to "the cloud," Honeywell makes a Z-wave thermostat: https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/products/air/thermostats/programmable-thermostats/t6-pro-z-wave-thermostat-th6320zw2003-u/ https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/products/air/thermostats... I have two that I use with a local Home Assistant install, and I have no complaints.