Tado Cooling – Intelligent AC control

Why do think I Nest is a gimmick almost bordering on a marketing scam? Because in only works in a relatively narrow range of applications (i.e.: small one or two room apartment). In a larger family home --and particularly a two story home-- it is worthless. You could save money with a cheap programmable thermostat. In order to really save money in such settings you need a zone system with one thermostat/sensor per zone, a multiple stage compressor (or multiple condensing units), a variable speed air handler, a high efficiency HEPA filter, attic exhaust fans and, ideally, a filtered outside air bypass system to take advantage of cool night air.

I am in the middle of renovating my home and have done all the research. Nest is a waste of time and money. You'd save far more money --FAR MORE-- buying a relatively cheap whole house fan to cool the house down at night (at least in my region). But, hey, everyone believes that technology is magical. Damn the math and physics. Hence the hype and sales.

Automating window units is a different game. These are devoted mostly to cooling single rooms. So now you have the equicalent of a highly granular zone system. If you have a home or office with several of these units an intelligent control system could, depending on traffic patterns and the daily flow of people in and out of the various spaces, have a big impact. This is different.

EDIT: I see the cargo-cult HN down-voting got started right away. You can't say anything bad about Apple, Tesla, Nest and others on HN. Of course, they never back-up their downvote because it's purely emotionally driven.

So, here's the challenge: If you think I am wrong about Nest tell me why and back it up. The comparison is between Nest and a cheap programmable thermostat. People's lives are reasonably regular and heat cycles in the summer are too. If you are intent on saving money a programmable thermostat will do wonders. I've been experimenting with this for three years knowing that we would have to redo our cooling and heating system in 2014/15. I've gone two full summers without running the air conditioner but for two weeks by rigging and intelligent $200 fan (meaning, I hooked it up to a $5 timer) to exchange air out of the house when outside air was cooler than inside. That move alone represented a savings of around $500 PER MONTH. See my point?

"The name tado° is derived from the Japanese greetings 'tadaima' and 'okaeri'. Loosely translated, they mean 'I am home' and 'welcome home'."