The problem with traditional smart thermostats (oxymorons anyone?) is that they exist in only one or two locations within a house, adjusting the temperature for the whole house based on readings from just a couple of rooms.
Some smart thermostats, especially those linked to home automation systems, may have remote sensors located in multiple rooms of the home but typically the system responds simply by averaging the data.
Alarm.com is aiming for a smarter solution to energy management and home comfort with a new Smart Thermostat with "Precision Comfort" working in conjunction with its popular SHaaS (smart home as a service) platform.
In the Precision Comfort ecosystem, discreet temperature sensors are placed in the most-used rooms of the house. Alarm.com uses this information, along with datapoints from other connected devices such as motion sensors and security systems (not to mention residents' location via GPS geofencing) to optimize the temperature for the right room at the right time.
In time, Alarm.com learns patterns within the home including who uses which rooms at what time of day. Depending on the rooms' orientation (west- or east-facing for example) and the user's temperature preference, Alarm.com can automate the temperature settings ... with the user's permission.
The thermostat, expected to ship in the first half of 2015, is sold through Alarm.com's network of professional dealers/installers.
SMART THERMOSTAT FEATURES
Precision Comfort. Using sensors across the home, it's now possible to set the temperature in any room, not just where the thermostat happens to be.
- Remote Temperature Sensors – Manage the temperature in any room.
- Any Room Set Points – Optimize the temperature in any room using the mobile app, Smart Schedules or Modes.
- Dynamic Modes – Set dynamic modes (Home, Away, Sleep) based on time of day and the target room and temperature.
- Smart Schedules Activity Patterns – Data from multiple devices throughout the home provides faster and more accurate learning for personalized optimization recommendations.
- Geo-Services – Location based automation rules adjust the temperature automatically, to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort.
- Extreme Temps – Responding to local weather patterns, the Alarm.com Smart Thermostat automatically adjusts on extremely hot or cold days to reduce energy waste.
- Demand Response – Integration with leading utility software platforms enables instant eligibility and easy enrollment for reduced rates, rebates and automatic savings.
- Multi-Sensor Learning – Activity from devices and sensors around the home is captured to learn, adapt and respond to the individual needs of each household.
- Triggered Automation – The Alarm.com Smart Thermostat responds automatically to other devices like the security system or the door locks.
- Instant Override – Instantly change the temperature, turn on/off schedules or set to away mode for extended savings.
- Temperature Notifications – Get an alert if someone changes the temperature or when your home's temperature is unexpectedly high or low.
- Local Control Management – Limit temperature threshholds and restrict local device controls.
- Universal Mobile App – Control the Alarm.com Smart Thermostat and every smart device in the home with one intuitive mobile app.
In addition to the new thermostat, Alarm.com is introducing at CES Unveiled a smart tracking system for pets. The Alarm.com cloud service processes information from a Tagg GPS Plus tracker—a waterproof on-collar GPS with activity monitoring and temperature sensing.