Nest Labs recently announced that it has created the Nest Learning Thermostat. Nest learns from your behaviors, preferences and surroundings to create a custom heating and cooling schedule, keeping you comfortable when you're home and conserving energy when you're away.

Nest Labs recently announced that it has created the Nest Learning Thermostat. Nest learns from your behaviors, preferences and surroundings to create a custom heating and cooling schedule, keeping you comfortable when you're home and conserving energy when you're away.

"It was unacceptable to me that the device that controls 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. hadn't kept up with advancements in technology and design," said Tony Fadell, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nest Labs. "Together with the team, Co-Founder Matt Rogers and I set out to reinvent the thermostat using advanced technologies, high-quality manufacturing processes and the thoughtful design elements the iPhone generation has come to expect. The resulting Nest Learning Thermostat is like no other thermostat on the market. We hope it will not only save money and energy, but that it will teach and inspire people to think more about how they can reduce home-energy consumption."

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the annual energy bill for a typical single-family home is approximately $2,200, with heating and cooling (HVAC) accounting for approximately half of the bill. The programmable thermostat, developed in the 1970s, promised to help people conserve energy, but 89 percent of owners rarely or never set a program (source:ACEEE)(source:2010). The devices are simply too complicated. In fact, Energy Star revoked its certification of all thermostats in 2009 when it became apparent that people weren't actually engaging with programmable thermostats to reach their proper functionality.

Nest Learning Thermostat

Nest addresses the programming problem through a combination of sensors, algorithms, machine learning, and cloud computing. Nest learns behaviors and preferences and adjusts the temperature up or down accordingly, making you comfortable when you're home and saving energy while you're away. Nest also provides people with tips and information to help them make energy-saving choices.

Product Features:

-- Programs itself -- Nest programs itself based on the temperatures you set. Nest learns your personal schedule in a week and starts automatically turning down heating or cooling when you're away to save energy. Nest will keep refining its schedule over time.

-- Saves Energy -- Nest tracks the temperatures you typically set and guides you to more energy-efficient ones, displaying the green Nest Leaf as a reward when you set the temperature to a more energy-efficient setting. The Auto-Away(TM) feature uses sensors to detect when you're not home, lowering the temperature and saving energy. You can also check Energy History to see how much you saved.

-- Connected -- Connect Nest to your home's Wi-Fi to control it from your laptop, smartphone or tablet. Change the temperature, adjust your schedule and check your energy usage.

-- Simple to Use -- Rotate the outer ring to adjust the temperature. The display turns blue when cooling and red when heating. Push down to open the menu.

-- Convenient Installation Options -- Bundle installation service with purchase at nest.com or install Nest yourself if you're handy around the house. Just about everything you need comes in the box. If you've installed a lighting fixture, you'll find that installing Nest is a similar process.

-- Thoughtful Design -- The brushed stainless steel dial frames the display while the ring's curved, neutral-silver finish creates a chameleon effect that grounds Nest within its environment by picking up the color of the wall upon which it's mounted. This combination of sleek design elements and premium materials makes Nest a thermostat you can finally feel proud to display in your home.

Pricing and Availability

The Nest Learning Thermostat is expected to be available at www.nest.com and retail outlets in mid-November for a suggested retail price of $249.00 (U.S.).