Cheaper, Redesigned Nest Thermostat Aimed at Integrators
The $169 Nest Thermostat E features a frosted white display and the option for a pre-configured schedule, in addition to the ability to be controlled by a smartphone.
The Nest Thermostat E is aimed to help integrators expand their opportunity with clients who simply could not afford to spend $249 on a thermostat, while also satisfying homeowners who do not want technology to be “obvious” on the wall.
After an anonymous source spilled the beans about Nest’s plan for a cheaper thermostat earlier this year, the company has officially introduced the Nest Thermostat E, with a new look, added features and a lower price point ($169) than the Nest Learning Thermostat.
Similar to its progenitor, the Nest Thermostat E can be controlled from a smart phone, but it comes with a pre-configured basic schedule. The new frosted display helps it blend more subtly into the wall. All the same functions for Works with Nest partner compatibility are maintained allowing for third-party smart home control, along with voice control via Google Home or Amazon Alexa.
According to a Nest spokesperson, the unit is aimed to help integrators expand their opportunities to clients who simply could not afford to spend $249 on a thermostat, while also satisfying homeowners who do not want technology to be “obvious” on the wall.
For integrators, Nest is offering margin on the product and also a special program that allows professionals to purchase up to four “personal use units” at an even lower price point. There are currently 20,000 certified Nest Pros.
Compare the two. On the left: Nest E. On the right: Nest.
Nest Thermostat E features:
- New industrial design — The Nest Thermostat E moves away from the prominent look of the Nest Learning Thermostat and replaces it with a more subtle design, highlighted by a white exterior ring and frosted display.
- Frosted display — The frosted display is designed to blend into the wall. It achieves this effect with display technology that lets light out but doesn’t let light in. When the frosted display is off, the screen is grey. When it’s on, it displays soft text and images that are designed to be easy to see and read with a slight glow. The frosted display uses an ambient light sensor to share information at just the right brightness.
- Pre-configured scheduling — The Nest Thermostat E comes with a pre-set schedule managed directly from the Nest app. It has the same learning capabilities as the Nest Learning Thermostat. It’s ENERGY STAR certified and expected to save between $131 and $145 a year per the results of an internal Nest study and two independent studies of the previous model.
“In 2011, we reinvented the thermostat category to make it easy for people to save energy,” says Matt Rogers, co-founder and chief product officer, Nest. ”Fast forward six years: Nest owners have saved more than 14 billion kWh — the equivalent of providing electricity to all the homes in New York State for over 100 days — and now we are bringing beautiful design and proven energy saving capabilities into even more homes. To do that, we needed to simplify.
“The more subtle look and feel of the Nest Thermostat E will seamlessly blend into any environment. It’s everything our customers have come to know and love from Nest thermostats with a renewed focus on user simplicity and control.”
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About the Author
Jason Knott
Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald Expositions Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Jason at jason.knott@emeraldexpo.com
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