SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Airzone Control and ecobee, which provides control products for smart homes, have agreed to a partnership that will allow the integration of inverter HVAC units — variable-refrigerant flow (VRF) and mini-split equipment — into the ecobee smart home ecosystem.
The partnership will allow homeowners to integrate the most efficient HVAC units on the market into the ecobee smart home ecosystem, a press release from Airzone Control said.
Inverter units such as heat pumps, VRF units, or mini-splits cannot communicate directly with smart thermostats. Airzone’s Aidoo Pro control gateway bridges this gap with a library of manufacturer protocols covering every leading inverter unit manufacturer, the press release said.
“This integration makes a seamless HVAC experience possible, allowing contractors to offer customers an upgraded home experience that you can control right from your smart thermostat,” said Adam Welton Sr., director of channel marketing at ecobee.
With any ecobee smart thermostat, homeowners can automate temperature setpoints to align with their daily schedules, saving energy while they’re away or asleep. Optional ecobee SmartSensors deepen automation and increase savings by automatically adjusting the temperature when a space is unoccupied; managing hot and cold spots throughout the home; and giving the homeowner the freedom to independently control the temperature in the rooms that matter most, the press release said.
Through an ecobee Smart Security subscription, SmartSensors on doors and windows can also pause the HVAC system if an entryway is left open. Airzone Aidoo Pro translates these commands for each HVAC unit, ensuring precise temperature control with no loss of functionality.
The flagship ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium comes with advanced eco+ features, including demand-response capabilities. Utilities often charge more for energy during peak demand; with demand-response, spaces can be precooled or preheated during off-peak hours, when energy is cheapest.
“Aidoo works with ecobee to enable next-generation features like demand-response on VRF, heat pumps, mini-splits, and other Inverter HVAC units,” says Victoria Garcia Massimo, director of operations at Airzone North America. “This responsible energy usage keeps the grid stable, and homeowners don’t notice any difference except a lower energy bill.”
Aidoo Pro integrates with ecobee Smart Thermostats via reliable wired integration. Users and integrators can remotely monitor and manage an HVAC system via the Airzone Cloud app. Airzone and ecobee also feature broad smart-home platform integration support, including with Siri, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.