To save energy, thermostat becomes mini computer

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Green Technology Daily

There are dozens of companies making in-home displays designed to help consumers shave energy use at home. But SilverPac is packing many of those features into a high-tech thermostat.

SilverPac, which makes digital picture frames and other media electronics, on Monday introduced the SilverStat 7, a sleek device that combines the heating and cooling controls of a programmable thermostat with a real-time energy display.

The device is designed with a seven-inch touch screen display that is able to illustrate the distribution of household energy down to individual appliances.

It has a Wi-Fi interface that will allow it to get electricity usage information from smart meters and talk to network-aware appliances on a home wireless network.


Read more: http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/new-technologies/585-to-save-energy-thermostat-becomes-mini-computer

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And the best part...it plays music...

[DJ13]

1. So now we can surf the net on our thermostat?

The refrigerator will get jealous.

[MurrayDelph]

6. If we could

think how great it would be to be able to adjust your home thermostat from work, so you can turn it off while gone, and turn it on just before
leaving for the day.

[roguevalley]

14. I can't even get a normal regular green thermostat because my house

has three wires for the thermostat I have -a 1980's deal- and the new control ones have two wires. :(

[nyc 4 Biden]

2. Image

[wpsedgwick]

4. Thanks for posting the image!

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. No Prob, this thing looks pretty cool.

[AlbertCat]

9. OMG!!!!

The indicators says the fuel cells are exposed and are about to reach critical mass!!!!!!!

Will it feed the cat and water the plants while I'm away?


Oh well.... it's still cool.

[im1013]

3. VERY cool!

[WriteDown]

7. For a low low price of???? nt

[Javaman]

8. How much energy does that bad boy use?

snark. LOL :rofl:

[tridim]

10. That's the first question I though of too.

:) It's one of them "vampire energy stealing thingies" that * often cluelessly talked about.

LCD panels and CPU's aren't all that efficient, though they're getting better. Let's see the cost/savings ratio. My old thermostat uses one AA battery per year of electricity.

[MicaelS]

11. And the bad news is....

The utility companies WANT your home networked with devices like these, along with their "smart utility meters". So when they can't supply enough electricity to meet demand THEY, not you, can decide what in your home to turn off, or turn up or down.

[daleo]

12. The thermostat always was a computer

It was an analogue computer. It received inputs (temperature), made a decision (start the furnace if the temperature is low enough) and produced an output (via expansion of a bi-metallic strip).

It was pretty small, too (a mini-computer).

[OKIsItJustMe]

13. More of a “finite-state machine” really

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite-state_machine

[Odin2005]

15. I WANT!!!