Shopping for New Thermostats? Be Prepared with Answers

Are you shopping for smart thermostats and an energy management system for your property?A savvy HVAC controls company will ask you a series of questions, some of which may surprise you. “What is your occupancy rate?” Occupancy detection technology is responsible for significant energy savings because it takes advantage of unoccupied rooms. When no one …

Rebate Basics

Occupancy-Based Thermostats Replace Outdated Setback Design Thermostat rebates, like other rebates, are not based on specific brands. However, thermostat design is a consideration.” Kevin Thompson, Project Development Engineer at Telkonet explains, “rebate companies are no longer looking for setback thermostats on the commercial side. That wording has been dropped. “Setback thermostats were installed, but were …

Actionable Data

What does “Actionable Data” mean? It’s more than a simple industry buzzword. We take this term seriously. We encourage you to do the same. A powerful energy management platform extracts REAL data, then takes it one step further by analyzing that data. That enables YOU to take appropriate action. When data is extracted in real …

Google’s Nest vs. Energy Management Systems

You’ve likely heard about Nest. It’s Google’s version of a smart thermostat for residential markets. Nest and its competitors (like EcoBee) are available at your neighborhood big box retail store. They’re quick to set up. They’re considered “smart” technology: they can be integrated with other home devices like doorbells, garage door openers, lights and more. …

Voice Command is the New On Demand

With hotels yearning to achieve parity with their guests’ homes, voice technology enables a frictionless on command experience that EXCEEDS the home experience. Guest Post by David Berger, Volara CEO In its newly released Mobile Travel Trends 2019 report, Travelport Digital calls 2018 “a landmark year for voice technology.” The travel commerce platform is predicting …

Closed Airports, Ice Storms and Lost Opportunities

  Nick is an occasional business traveler from the Midwest. During a snowstorm, all planes in the Detroit airport – including Nick’s – were grounded. According to USA Today, “the hardest-hit airport from the storm was Detroit, which halted all flights because of icy conditions.” A nearby hotel opened up a block of rooms that …

Sleeping Occupants – The Ultimate Sensor Challenge

Energy management systems typically rely on room occupancy data: when the room is not occupied, the temperature can drift, lights can turn off. EMS devices like thermostats feature PIR sensors to determine occupancy. PIR sensors can detect two things: heat and motion. In the middle of the night, when guests are fast asleep, PIR sensors …