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My house needs AC, and I want to go all solar electric, so I'm looking for a couple efficient 2-3 ton ducted heat pump / ACs. (Think "Energy Star 2015 Most Efficient", so SEER 18+ / HSPF 10 or so.)
To reduce energy use when power is expensive (e.g. when the sun's not shining), I'd like to have my (possibly homebrew) home automation system connect to the thermostat and change its settings automatically.
And alas to get the most efficiency out of variable speed heat pumps, you have to use the manufacturer's communicating thermostat, not something like a Nest or Ecobee (right?).
So, which vendors' thermostats allow connection via a remote network like wifi/ethernet (or maybe zwave) without sacrificing efficiency? Heck, even a web interface to allow a PC to connect would probably do. A smartphone app wouldn't really do, as smartphone apps can't be controlled by home automation systems. And a paid-per-month system like Nexia is right out, no way am I gonna pay $10/month for the privilege of controlling my heat pump.
This old chart gives some clues:
Is there some more up to date info out there?
To reduce energy use when power is expensive (e.g. when the sun's not shining), I'd like to have my (possibly homebrew) home automation system connect to the thermostat and change its settings automatically.
And alas to get the most efficiency out of variable speed heat pumps, you have to use the manufacturer's communicating thermostat, not something like a Nest or Ecobee (right?).
So, which vendors' thermostats allow connection via a remote network like wifi/ethernet (or maybe zwave) without sacrificing efficiency? Heck, even a web interface to allow a PC to connect would probably do. A smartphone app wouldn't really do, as smartphone apps can't be controlled by home automation systems. And a paid-per-month system like Nexia is right out, no way am I gonna pay $10/month for the privilege of controlling my heat pump.
This old chart gives some clues:
Is there some more up to date info out there?
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