Wireless thermostat from Honeywell

I like to stay up on HVAC technology, and I'm going to be starting an HVAC/ Energy/ Control company in a few months, so I thought it would be a good idea to buy and install the new FocusPro Wireless system from Honeywell.

The system I bought comes complete in the box with wiring and installation instructions. Sometimes it is a little tough for me to gauge how hard or easy something is to install since I'm a bit of a geek and i do this stuff for a living, but I think a DIY'er could do this with a little bit of knowledge about low-voltage wiring.
It only took me a couple hours to install, and it seems to be running like a spinning top. First I disconnected the power to the air handler- even though I was only working with low voltage, its always better to be safe than sorry. Next, I mounted the main control unit to my air handler, and wired up the connections. I have to admit, I got a little nervous when I cut the wire coming from the thermostat!

Next, I mounted the return air sensor, I mounted it high because it is important to make sure it is upstream from any humidifiers or other accessories. I wired up the sensor, and checked all my connections.

Next I returned power to the system and then synchronized all the wireless devices. Once I verified that everything was synced, I mounted the outdoor sensor.

Next, I took the new thermostat and mounted it where the old thermostat was. (since I took a honeywell t-stat out, I could use the old mounting holes) and mounted the new wireless stat. I gotta admit it was nice not having to "wire" the 'stat.

Finally, I programmed the thermostat, and then put the wireless comfort station on the coffee table. I like this thing, because I'm thinking that Mel can take it up to the baby's room and let the system run off of it, so that the baby's room doesn't get cold.

I like the outdoor sensor and the fact that the system can switch whether it reads between the thermostat and the remote. A few things I'd like to see from honeywell is a web interface and a few more "wired" inputs in the main box- like an air pressure switch to tell us when the filter is too dirty, or inputs from other honeywell accessories, like an economizer or one of their ventilation systems.At any rate, it is a good start.

5 technologies that Rock and why things will change

Recessions suck- but they give smaller, more nimble companies the ability to shine when they might have been absorbed by a larger company in better times. For example, the recession in the early 90's gave companies like Yahoo, Google, etc. the opportunity to leapfrog ahead of companies like AOL and Compuserve.

So here's my predictions for the next big winners:
1. wireless technology- wireless application developers, network providers, and mesh networking will revolutionize the communications- meaning entertainment, information, web and communications all rolled into one on one or many connected devices. We'll no longer think of a device as a connection to a system, but of a device as part of a system.


2. embedded technology- smaller chips and embedded software will allow more and more mundane everyday objects to convey more information. Shoes will warn of friction-related blisters before they occur, shirts will measure heart rate, etc. Chances are, if its an important measurement, someone right now is figuring out a way to get it with embedded tech.


3. 3D Printers- Three dimensional printers, already in development and production will allow companies to roll-out with prototypes quickly, but longer term use of the systems will eventually blur the lines between what is a prototype and what is simply a useful one-off device.


4. Nanotech- not just new fibers and new materials, but new mini-machines with gears, and pistons, and tiny nano-devices created to build tiny devices. These tiny devices will give us the ability to eventually use the technology itself the capability to to make things smaller


5. The development kit. technology already builds on technology- but soon we'll no longer need to start at square one to get to the end result. Think of kids using lego mindstorms to build "robots" or this year's college students using the research from last year's class to move a project forward. Eventually people will think it is totally natural to create software without knowing a program language, or to build a car without knowing everything about aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, etc. They will use tools produced by others, to produce tools and products for others to use.


Although each of these things seem isolated, I see them as part of a system that will revolutionize the way things are done. No longer will chips be designed by techs in a sterile building wearing white suits, but in a rented warehouse by a couple of weekend hacks. For a brief moment in time, the little development shops, and hacker groups will be able to produce high-level tech while keeping costs down.

So if you are involved in one of these technologies, get to work, stop waiting for the gov to bail you out, build something and give your neighbor a job.

Enercient Countdown

I'm getting a little nervous/anxious/excited about the Enercient project, so I decided I'd add to the hype by getting a countdown clock and posting it on my blog.

Enercient progress report

Well, last week was a stellar week for us and for Enercient. We met with our web development team early in the week, and the "junto" page seems like its going to be very cool. Thursday we attended our first meetup, a social rockstar event at RFD. Finally on Friday we locked in our relationship with the hardware provider for Enercient!

For those of you who don't know, Mel and I arrived at the idea to start Enercient after researching social platforms, online applications, etc. and tried to think about how these things would relate to the facilities management industry- one thing led to another, sending us down yet another slightly different path, and we arrived at the idea to create a fully integrated, web-enabled wireless building management system.

This has been a really cool experience for me, I've done other ventures and been involved in some pretty big things in the past, but nothing has been quite like this. Mel and I started out with the idea that if it got too wierd, or stressed us out too much, took too much time from the family, or just didn't seem like it would work- we would stop, and so far everything has been going according to our plan.

So, here we are now, and (I guess becasue of being a little older and wiser) things have progressed relatively smoothly. I have been thankful for the network of friends that I have, but we have just been able to plod along, follow our plan, and move Enercient along little by little. I am fully confident that when we "officially" launch in January, we'll be ready to go.

Check back here, and as things progress, I'll provide updates!

Go Skins!

Not a big deal

I know that in the world of Technorati, Twitter, Socialmedian, etc. ad infinitum I am pretty much small potatoes, but I have been working on a couple of projects that I happen to think are very exciting. Enercient Systems Technologies was a little idea I got to provide wireless HVAC controls to commercial buildings.

It turns out that it has become a full-blown business venture, and as we draw nearer to the official launch of the company, some very cool things have been happening:
1. Microsoft has been VERY helpful. I attended their heroes launch this year, I actually have an ACCOUNT REP, and we just recently signed up as a Microsoft Registered Partner. (depsite the fact that I've told them that we'll ALSO feature the penguin on some of our equipment.
2. We have a pending Energy Star rating in the works
3. We will hopefully have a contract with our supplier on the table in a few weeks.

I know that in the grand scheme of things, none of this is a very big deal to anyone and I try to keep it all in perspective- but for now, at least I'm excited about it!