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When it comes to smart products, less is more, and simpler is better. Contractors don’t want to have to work too hard to figure out how to install something; they simply don’t have the time. They also want seamless integration with existing HVAC systems or smart products so their customers can easily figure out how to operate them. After all, homeowners want things simple, too.

If these smart products can save money and energy too, it’s even better. Which, increasingly so, a lot of them can.

At the 2024 AHR Expo, smart product manufacturers discussed what homeowners and contractors want out of these products, and highlighted their integrated, connected, and simplified solutions.

Time and Energy Savings

NEW STYLE: The new design of the Verdant, launching to the world in Q3 on the Expo show floor. (Staff photo)

The design of Copeland’s smart products focuses heavily on being environmentally friendly and lowering carbon footprint. Specifically, the fuel behind its Verdant commercial smart thermostat — featuring an infrared occupancy sensor to detect human beings entering or leaving a room — was to find a way to reduce HVAC runtime that resulted in saving energy.

"The Dynamic Setback feature in Verdant thermostats is designed to intelligently reduce HVAC runtime when guests leave the room,” said Peter Koutsogiannopoulos team lead of OEM & strategic partnership, electronics & controls for Copeland. “This helps ensure temperature fluctuations occur within the preferred limits before the HVAC system resumes operation.”

Data that’s been collected over time demonstrates that the company’s products do what they say they are doing.

“With a proven track record of 15 years, our energy management thermostats effectively deliver on their promise – real energy and cost savings,” said Koutsogiannopoulos.

Verdant also provides a full remote management system.

“So whether it’s a hotel manager or apartment manager or owner, they can be in the comfort of their own home and completely visually see their property and ensure it is running properly,” said Koutsogiannopoulos. “If and when there's an issue, you can get an alert, and you can work to solve it immediately.”

Connectivity

Since smart products aren’t really a “new” thing anymore, consumers and contractors expect more out of them now — like how these smart products interact with other systems. Part of the way smart product manufacturers are giving consumers more of what they expect is through increased connectivity.

PROS: Google Nest smart thermostats provide more visibility through unique HVAC monitoring. (Staff photo)

Thermostats are the flagship products of Google Nest, and connectivity is one of the main factors driving the company.

“A big part of that is the HVAC monitoring for us,” said Serge Lombardi, Nest Enterprise - strategic partnerships lead. “HVAC monitoring allows contractors to stay digitally connected to their customers using their Nest Pro ID.”

HVAC monitoring is one of the most helpful benefits of being a Nest Pro, according to Lombardi.

"It also allows potential customers to make new connections with HVAC contractors in the area," Lombardi said.

If a customer has signed up for the Rush Hour Rewards program, their Nest thermostat automatically adjusts the heating or cooling schedule and temperatures during an energy Rush Hour.

“This is really a huge bonus for us in terms of making sure our products work with as many systems as possible,” Lombardi said.

Mars is primarily a supplier of replacement motors and components, dealing mostly with replacements of what was originally installed by the OEM. Over the past few years, they have seen the replacement blower motor area evolve — especially the Bluetooth connectivity aspect.

CONNECTIVITY: MARS showcases its new Bluetooth-equipped line of aftermarket ECMs, Azure at the 2024 Expo. (Staff photo)

“Bluetooth connectivity in the aftermarket replacement motors is being used to allow service techs to adjust airflow more easily with their smartphone,” said Chuck Klose, marketing manager – motors and components at Mars.

As a response to this growing market and the desire for more connectivity out of smart products, Mars released a Bluetooth-equipped line of aftermarket electronically commutated motors (ECMs) called Azure.

The Azure replacement motors can replace any OEM contract torque ECM, along with many OEM variable speed ECMs, using Bluetooth and the company’s app.

“The technology allows the service tech to fully adjust motor output to optimize system airflow,” Klose said. “The OEM motors have limited adjustability, meaning the original system may not have delivered optimal airflow until the blower motor failed and was replaced with an aftermarket Bluetooth adjustable motor. In addition, this technology creates a more universal product that allows service trucks to carry fewer motors.”

Simplified, Integrated Solutions

Increasingly, both homeowners and contractors want simplified smart products that work together and are built to last. HVAC professionals are already dealing with labor shortages, which inevitably leads to not having enough time as it is. So they don’t want to spend a lot of time figuring out how to install and connect a smart product to existing HVAC systems — they want seamless integration, and so do their customers.

“Providing easy-to-install solutions that won’t drive calls from contractors or homeowners is a priority,” said Adam Welton, senior director of channel marketing and sales at ecobee. “We want to make sure the experience is easy to use for the homeowners, and pros trust us to deliver on that goal.”

In response, ecobee recently launched its new Smart Doorbell Camera that provides a 175° vertical field of view and crystal-clear vision day or night. It works with ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium in order to display a view from the doorbell and support two-way talk directly on the thermostat. In addition, it features doorbell chime integration that turns ecobee products with built-in smart speakers into a doorbell chime.

CRYSTAL CLEAR: The ecobee Smart Doorbell lets homeowners talk through the doorbell from the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium. (Staff photo)

“We’re delivering on the ecobee philosophy of doing more with less,” Welton said. “Pros will deliver more value for homeowners and spend less time installing extra equipment … Our Smart Doorbell Camera and Smart Thermostats are also home monitoring hubs for customers who would like to enhance their home security with ecobee Smart Security.”

With those integrated solutions, customers can arm or disarm their home right on the thermostat keypad itself. The home can also be disarmed by geofencing and Wi-Fi detection with family members’ smartphones.

“The fact that the Smart Doorbell Camera is wired also benefits HVAC professionals because it is another ecobee device they can help their customers install. Although the doorbell is designed to be easy to install (with an easy-to-follow installation guide right in the app), the fact that it’s wired may lead homeowners to rely on the expertise of professionals to do the installation,” Welton said.

HVAC systems are often referred to as the ‘lungs of the home,’ so it’s important to have solutions to balance things such as indoor air quality, energy efficiency, or time. And it’s just as important to have the right professionals to install them, and the right apps to control them, said Marissa Kocaman, product manager, IAQ solutions at Resideo. For example, Resideo offers humidifiers, dehumidifiers, ventilators, filtration, and UV bulbs that can also be integrated using the Honeywell Home T10+ kit thermostat and equipment interface module (EIM).

INTEGRATION: The Honeywell Home T10+ allows a simple way to manage humidity, temperature, and ventilation, all at once. (Staff photo)

“For contractors, it's a really great solution because it allows them to do a breadth of applications, in particular around indoor air quality,” Kocaman said.

Integrating different systems into a single platform, for control from one device, allows for homeowners to balance IAQ, since humidifiers and dehumidifiers may work against each other in homes with poorly configured systems.

“Resideo's Honeywell Home T10+ smart thermostat kits offer homeowners a convenient way to manage temperature, humidity, and ventilation all in one place,” said Kocaman. “It allows homeowners to control their comfort settings from anywhere using the Resideo app or rely on the built-in sensors to adjust the settings based on their schedule. Additionally, the T10+ can be configured to use room sensors to balance the temperature in homes without zoning, which can help eliminate any unpleasant hot or cold spots.”

Simplifying the wiring of the Honeywell Home smart thermostats from Resideo helps HVAC professionals save time during installations, especially retrofit.

“When indoor air quality devices are connected through the EIM, auxiliary IAQ controls such as humidistats, dehumidistats, and ventilation controls are no longer needed,” Kocaman said. “The T10+ thermostat and Resideo app can completely control the HVAC system and IAQ devices.”