Your Thoughts?
[Link: cepro.com]

Energy monitoring/management, integrated systems and smart device control are very large categories for us.
With that being said, the smart vent has my attention but has not sealed the deal with me just yet.
My thoughts are all over the map with this one. I see the benefits but there are too many buts to lock down an opinion.

What are your thoughts?

Think of the programming the can be done to not just save energy based on scenes, states and occupancy but to create more efficient heating and cooling systems all together with the use of temperature sensors and motion detectors working in real time.
Houses with large rooms or high ceilings in main living areas tend to heat and cool unevenly. Especially remodels where the newer portion of the home is better designed and insulated. Also rooms with hard floors as opposed to carpet tend to create an uneven balance leaving some rooms too hot while others are too cold and visa versa.

I think it's a genius idea, but will take a few years to mature. It's the solution to every house that has some rooms that are too hot or too cold.

They need to be networked, to act in unison, and controlled with a single interface. They need to integrate with the thermostat, and remote temp sensors. And, they need a hardwired option (batteries suck).

They need to design something that can EASILY be attached to a client's existing vents.  Have the controls at the bottom so they're hidden.  

The idea is good, the follow through….meh.

1.  I think it's ugly. 
2.  What about kids getting their fingers stuck in it when they're crawling around on the floor.  That control area is going to attract kids like flies. 
3.  A lot of my clients have vents that sit flush into a hardwood floor, etc.  What then? 
4. How can I control them?   


 

hvac systems need to move x amount of air on the intake and on the exhaust... you can actually make a system less efficient by blocking vents...

its all about the airflow

That's what I tell my wife when she gets on me about my odiferous expulsions, you can't hold that in, you gotta let it go... It's all about the methane flow! :)

Zoned HVAC with motorized dampers has been around forever. The article stated how expensive they are, which is completely false.

The dampers are not expensive, the CONTROLLER is expensive.

Same with this method once we start trying to integrate it... You have to create all of the boolean (if/then) logic, and the input (temp sensors), and the layout of the home to create the zones.

Most of the people shouting 'AIRFLOW!' have no real idea what they are talking about. You have to balance a forced-air HVAC system so that the returns are drawing the same amount as the supply side is supplying in any given. The goal is balance so that there is not a 'positive pressure' or 'negative pressure' in that area.

Positive pressure means more air coming in, than being drawn out. This pushes air through crevices, switch plates, etc. into wall cavities and unconditioned spaces.

Negative pressure means that the return feed pulls more from the area than the supply side delivers. This means that air is 'pulled' through crevices, switch plates, etc FROM wall cavities and unconditioned space.

So you have to put smart dampers on the return vents as well as the supply vents and have them tied to the same state to maintain the balance on a room by room basis.

Once that is done, it's as simple as turning specific rooms on and off before sending the call for heating/cooling to a specific zone (or zones), and then ONLY monitoring the temp sensor in the zone(s) that are open.

If it's a more contemporary home with an open floorplan, you might have to do it floor by floor only, or call in an HVAC pro with CFM meter wands to help determine which returns and supplies can be tied together to maintain the balanced airflow in each area of the home.

It's still a band-aid solution to create a VERY rudimentary version of a zoned HVAC system.

One friend in the biz found a battery op one. It has a timer and a small motor to open and close vent. Cheap...$18.00

At least you could close areas in an upstairs that were not being used

Some good responses.

We have made contact and I plan to beta these with C4 when they become available. (they release with zigbee)

My personal home is perfect for this beta as we have a kitchen/living room addition that is enormous with a high vaulted open beam ceiling.
This room heats and cools differently than the rest of the house and our HVAC is a single zone.

Rick, who do we get to measure positive and negative air flow?
We will need to do this before and during the tests.
Is this something I can hook up with one of my HVAC guys on?

White Van,

We are Control4 dealers as well. Until I started reading about smart vents, we were going to invest in a damper system to address issues in a couple of rooms of our home.

If you don't mind, could you tell me who you are in contact with for the zigbee version of this product?

I can connect interested people with some of the developers. Ping me at [email protected]

You have mail.

Julie, I reached out and have begun conversing with the co-founder.
I will be happy to talk with any of your contacts and want to lock myself into the beta testing. I am very interested in this product.
I see a market and would like to capture it as a leader if the beta works out.