ecobee — Programmable Thermostats and Other Green Living Products

From the Hive...

Introducing the Beta Launch of ecobee Smart Plugs

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By: ecobee

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At ecobee, we’re not just all about thermostats — we’re about energy solutions. That’s why we’ve manufactured our very own Smart Plugs, to give you another way to understand, manage, and reduce your energy use.

Did you know that by adding a ZigBee® module to your ecobee Smart Thermostat and purchasing an ecobee Smart Plug, you can monitor and manage your home appliances, lighting, electronics and more via your existing ecobee Web Portal?

Lights on, lights off.  Entertainment system on, entertainment system off.   All with the click of a button—from anywhere!

Want to get more out of your Smart Plug? Try connecting it to a power bar!

Using the Zigbee® HA profile (a wireless protocol that provides highly-efficient connectivity), the Smart Plug measures the exact amount of energy consumed by the appliance or device that’s plugged into it on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. It will even show you how much it’s costing you to run that appliance or device.

Install it yourself — it’s easy!

Installing your Smart Plugs couldn’t be simpler. Just add the Zigbee® module to your Smart Thermostat, plug it into your wall outlet, follow the simple configuration then plug in your device or appliance.  Note that only one Zigbee® Module is required per thermostat and can be connected to an unlimited number of Smart Plugs within range.

Keep Your Software Current

In order to use your Smart Plug you will need to be running the latest ecobee software version 2.4.0.339. This update should happen automatically if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, but if for some reason you are running an earlier version you may need to contact support@ecobee.com  to upgrade.

Click here to learn more, or buy one right now, right from our website!

ecobee is Hittin’ the Road with the Smart Si–a Thermostat for Every Installation

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By: ecobee

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We’re hittin’ the road for a cross-country Road Trip to kick off the launch of our latest energy-saving residential product–the new ecobee Smart Si and to preview our latest commercial product–the ecobee EMS Si.

The ecobee Smart Si–Great Features. Great Price.  A thermostat for every installation.

Some of the great features include:

  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Cool mobile apps
  • Easy to use, secure ecobee Web Portal
  • Live weather
  • Color screen

Follow along and bee a part of all the action!

Traveling ‘in-style’, in an ecobee-branded RV, members of the ecobee team will stop at Distributor locations and local attractions across the USA to give live product demos, product training for Contractors, and more.  The ecobee Road Trip is jam-packed with exciting events, contests, prizes and more.

Beginning on May 17th in Seattle, Washington, members of the ecobee team will be hoppin’ into an ecobee-branded RV and taking off on an exciting cross-country Road Trip around the USA to showcase our newest products—the ecobee Smart Si and EMS Si.  With over 50 scheduled stops at ecobee Distributor locations over a 7-week period, it’s the perfect opportunity to demo our latest energy-saving products to our Contractor partners—in person.  (Not to mention the fun we will have along the way!)

Classic continental breakfasts and afternoon BBQ’s for Contractors alongside the ecobee RV, combined with informative and interactive training sessions in 26 cities across the US is surely a recipe for success.  Did we mention there will be tons of swag giveaways, and contests for great prizes?  Check out the official ecobee Road Trip website for more details.

Along the way we will be taking to our ecobee Road Trip blog, Twitter and Facebook pages to keep you posted on our progress, and to share funny stories, entertaining videos and amusing photos from our much-anticipated events.

ecobee Customers–we’ll also be stopping at some great local attractions and events, so be sure to come up and say “hi”, and Tweet your ecobee RV photos for your chance to win the New Apple iPad!  For full contest details click here.

Visit our Road Trip website, “like” us on Facebook, “Follow” us on Twitter—and you won’t miss a thing!

ecobee installed in 1.7 million sq/ft SUPERVALU® warehouse facility with an ROI of less than 1 week!

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By: ecobee

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SUPERVALU®, the 3rd largest food wholesaler in the United States moved into an astounding 1.7 million square foot warehouse and office space located in Denver, Pennsylvania in 1999.  The facility acts as the redistribution hub for SUPERVALU®’s banner stores and several independent retail stores in the North Eastern United States.  The immense building—often referred to as a “campus” by facilities staff—employs approximately 1000 people in the warehouse, transportation garage and business office areas of the building.  Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, the facility has 8 giant 4-million BTU furnace units that have the capacity to control a space up to a staggering 825,000 square feet.  In addition the building boasts 214 loading docks, electrically actuated vents and 102 industrial-sized exhaust fans throughout the facility.

With an outdated HVAC control system that even SUPERVALU®’s own HVAC technicians had difficulty deciphering, and after years of complaints from employees about their discomfort in the space, Eric Strunk, SUPERVALU®’s Facility Maintenance Supervisor began researching alternatives.

Enter ecobee.

Read the full case study by clicking here.

ecobee is Awarded with a Prestigious Green Toronto Award for Energy Conservation

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By: ecobee

Blog,News,Portal Only,Press Releases

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Toronto, April 16, 2012: ecobee Inc., makers of the award-winning Smart thermostat, Smart Si thermostat and EMS (Energy Management System), were awarded a prestigious Green Toronto Award in the Energy Conservation category on Friday April 13th, 2012.

The City of Toronto in partnership with Green Living Enterprises announced the winners at a ceremony in Toronto on Friday evening.  The City’s environmental awards of excellence recognize the individuals, organizations, and companies helping to lead the way to a cleaner, greener Toronto.

ecobee’s President and CEO, Stuart Lombard was there to accept the award on behalf of ecobee.  “We are honored to receive this distinguished award, and we’d like to thank The City of Toronto and Green Living Enterprises for recognizing ecobee’s ongoing commitment to energy conservation and environmental leadership. We’re thrilled that our products continue to help our customers significantly reduce their environmental impact and save money,” said Lombard.  He continued, “We were certainly in good company, and were very impressed by the outstanding accomplishments of the other esteemed nominees and award winners.”

ecobee’s mission is to help their customers conserve energy, save money and reduce their environmental impact.  Thanks to ecobee’s innovative, user-friendly Wi-Fi-enabled smart thermostats, more than 80% of ecobee customers run an energy saving program on their thermostat, in contrast to the North American average of 23%.  The result is that the average ecobee customer achieves an impressive annual energy savings of 26%.

 

Click the PDF symbol below to download the full press release.

ecobee EMS Changes the Lives of Facilities Staff at a 100,000sq/ft Church

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By: ecobee

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Here’s a sneak peek of our latest case study describing the installation of 32 ecobee EMS thermostats in an occupied 100,000sq/ft church in Springfield, Missouri:

“I got the sense that ecobee was forward-thinking—like we are—but they still understood the value of personal service.  You don’t find that with many technology companies these days.  Anytime I contacted ecobee’s Technical Support I got a real, knowledgeable person on the phone that was able to answer my questions within minutes.  I knew there was going to be service after the sale—we just felt more comfortable with ecobee,” said Chris Talburt, Facilities Manager at High Street Baptist Church.  He continued, “Even after the units had been installed, Jay (ecobee’s Regional Sales Manager) showed up to see how the installation went and he gave us pointers on how to make things run more efficiently, and maximize our energy savings.  That’s when I knew we had made the right choice.”

Click here to read the full article.

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Web Portal is Now Tablet-Friendly!

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By: ecobee

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Officially rolled out on March 28, 2012, the ecobee software development team has been busy in the hive ensuring that our customers’ ecobee experience is the best it can be. Now all of the great features of the Smart thermostat Web Portal work with the touch interface of tablets!

Product enhancements like this one demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing our customers with the tools to ensure they are comfortable while they’re home, and save money (and energy!) when they’re away.

We always welcome your feedback at support@ecobee.com

The ecobee Team

Religious Congregations, Schools, Restaurants, Small and Large Commercial Alike See Big Savings with the ecobee EMS

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By: Steph

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Lately, ecobee EMS success stories have just been pouring in.  We are so thrilled that our commercial customers are seeing such amazing energy savings, and enjoying a better quality of life with the ecobee EMS product.  Last week, we shared stories from some of our very happy ecobee EMS customers—and as promised, we are back this week to share a few more.  Enjoy!

 

“We installed 32 ecobee EMS thermostats in our 100,000sq/ft church, and within weeks of the installation we’ve seen a significant amount of energy savings.  I can control all 32 thermostats right from my iPad, and I receive Alerts right away if there is an issue with our HVAC equipment so there are no surprises when I get in to work.  I can honestly say that ecobee has improved my quality of life.”

–Chris Talburt, Facilities Manager, High Street Baptist Church.

 

“We recently completed the installation of 48 ecobee EMS thermostats at each of our 40 Midwest Cellular retail locations.  Our stores are located across 3 states, so we used to have to send someone out to each location twice a year to ensure there were no issues with the HVAC equipment.  With the ecobee EMS thermostats, we can control all of our retail locations right from the secure ecobee Web Portal.  Now, we know we are always saving the most amount of energy possible –and that’s a great feeling.”

– Terry Claypool, Midwest Cellular

 

“We opted for the ecobee EMS thermostats as opposed to a Building Automation System in our 11,000 sq/ft 2-storey church due to the significant cost savings we were able to realize with ecobee.  The ability to control our facility’s heating and cooling system anytime, from anywhere, and the superior customer service we received was icing on the cake.   The installation couldn’t have been smoother—it took our HVAC contractor less than half a day to install all 8 EMS thermostats in our facility.  We highly recommend the ecobee EMS product for other churches and religious facilities like ours.”

–Larry Conrad, Trinity Lutheran Church

 

“We currently have 18 ecobee EMS thermostats installed at a number of our commercial properties in several locations.  Because our properties are located across 5 states, we especially love the remote connectivity and the fact that we can group together and control multiple thermostats right from the Web Portal.  One thing that really sets ecobee apart from the rest is their superior customer service.  Not once did we ever have to wait on hold, and we were really impressed by the level of HVAC and product knowledge the Customer Support Representatives have.  As an analyst, I personally love the fact that I can monitor the HVAC reports online and export them to an excel spreadsheet to share with my colleagues.   We’re very happy with our decision to go with ecobee.”

–Andrew Spilseth, Elevate Property Management

ecobee EMS Customers Share Their Success Stories

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By: Steph

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Many schools, religious congregations, municipal and government buildings, small and large commercial facilities, and restaurants across North America are taking advantage of significant cost and energy savings with the ecobee EMS (Energy Management System).  ecobee is the most cost-effective centralized solution to monitor and control your building’s heating and cooling system–all at a fraction of the price of a traditional Building Automation System.  The success stories are countless (not to mention impressive)—so we thought we’d share a few of them with you!

 

“14 ecobee EMS thermostats were installed in our 80,000 sq/ft church in June 2011, and we saw a reduction of nearly 50% in our energy costs within the first two months.  We saved so much so quickly, our utilities company even contacted us to find out how!  They’ve now taken us off their demand rating system so we are able to reap the benefits of preferred energy rates.  We’re installing 11 more EMS thermostats this spring.”

–Mike Strope, First Assembly of God

 

“We decided to try out the ecobee EMS product for our 135,000 sq/ft furniture retail location in St. Louis, Missouri in January 2011.  Right away, we were able to track an energy savings of 25-30% month over month, which equated to huge cost savings.  We were so impressed by
the product, and the savings we received, that we made the decision to outfit our other 4 furniture retail locations in the St. Louis area with a total of over 135 ecobee EMS thermostats.  Along with the tremendous cost savings we’re enjoying, I can control the heating and cooling for each of my locations all from my ecobee Web Portal which saves me tons of time.  We are very happy with our decision to go with ecobee.”

–Patrick Winkler, Weekends Only Furniture

 

“We have 10 ecobee EMS thermostats installed in 4 satellite fire stations and a Public Works Building in the city of Minnetonka—and we are absolutely thrilled with the product.  Because our satellite stations are unoccupied the majority of the time, I have the units set so that if someone comes in to use the space, all they have to do is touch the ‘Occupied’ icon on the thermostat, and the temperature will automatically adjust for a period of 2 hours.  Never again will I have to come in to one of our facilities and realize the heat or air conditioning had been running on high for days on end, driving up our energy bill.  Additionally, the Alerts feature has saved us on more than one occasion.  Less than a month after the ecobee EMS thermostats were installed, we received an email alert to let us know that one of our units was malfunctioning.  We were able to respond immediately, and avoided a potentially costly situation.  Bravo ecobee on creating an outstanding product that delivers on its promises.”

–Larry Schnack, City of Minnetonka

 

Stay tuned for more great stories from happy ecobee customers coming next week.  To learn more about the ecobee EMS product, click here.

 

ecobee Customers Form their own Online Community for Fellow ecobee Lovers

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By: Steph

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ecobee customers are really passionate about our products.  As a matter of fact, over 96% of ecobee customers would recommend us to a friend.  For most of our customers, recommending ecobee to their friends and family is a no-brainer—but some of our customers took it one step further.   A group of passionate  ecobee users started their own ecobee Google User Group so they could continue to share their love for the product with other ecobee advocates!  And, while the ecobee Google User Group is in no way associated with us at ecobee—we couldn’t help but share it with you.  Click here to visit the ecobee Google User Group, and join in the conversation.

And, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to join our growing community on Facebook and Twitter, to get your regular dose of ecobee, our latest news, product and software announcements, great contests for prizes and more.

See you there!

About ecobee

ecobee delivers intelligent energy management solutions. Installed in homes and businesses across North America, the ecobee Open Energy Management Platform is the easiest way for residential and commercial customers to understand, manage and reduce their energy consumption. Servicing both the Utility and HVAC markets, ecobee's line of WiFi enabled thermostats, online web portals and smart phone apps are the products of choice for ease of use, energy efficiency and demand response programs.

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Recent Posts

  • The ecobee community has saved an estimated 20,836,725 pounds of CO2. This is approximately equal to the amount of CO2 emittied by the average car driving around the equator 4,270 times!

  • The ecobee community has saved an estimated 20,836,725 pounds of CO2. This is approximately equal to planting 9,450 trees or taking 1,800 cars off the road!

  • Annually, ecobee uses less energy as an entire office than one average home.

  • Through Bullfrog Power, ecobee offsets even more energy than we consume, putting more clean energy back on the grid than we take.

  • The amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved by ecobee employees cycling or walking to work is equal to 139 tree seedlings growing for 10 years.

  • The amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved by ecobee employees cycling or walking to work is equal to recycling 1.8 tons of waste… rather than sending it to a landfill.

  • This year, ecobee employees have collectively walked over 6,727 km to work. This is equivalent to walking from Toronto to Alaska or swimming/walking from Toronto to Moscow!

  • ecobee employees have collectively cycled almost 11,630 km this year — the distance from Toronto to Delhi, India!

  • One ecobee employee switching to public transit can reduce daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds, or more than 4,800 pounds a year.

  • 80% of ecobee users consider remote connectivity to be the most valuable feature.

  • 66% of ecobee Smart Thermostat users have downloaded the ecobee SmartPhone app for the iPhone/iPod Touch or Android.

  • 78% of ecobee Smart Thermostat users that download the SmartPhone app use it at least once a week.

  • 47% of ecobee users would rather interact with their heating and cooling system through their SmartPhone than their thermostat!

  • 65% of ecobee users access their ecobee Web Portal once a week.

  • Did you know that ecobee was the industry’s first WiFi enabled thermostat? Find out more about the ecobee story…

  • At ecobee over 80% of our users are running a program. It's just that easy!'