http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/ Engadget Comments for Silverstat7 Zigbee-packin' thermostat to debut this fall for $600? http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 12:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
Im not a electrician, but Im pretty sure this bad boy would use more than your typical thermostat. So the cost to recoup will be more than the price tag.

Its like going to the store and spending $105 for the sole purpose of using a $5 coupon with $100 minimum purchase.]]>Jan 15th 2010 12:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Well, it's not just a thermostat, it's mainly a domotica hub for the masses, and I like it!]]>Jan 15th 2010 12:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
Okay, so here's my calculation for payback of just the initial unit based on power rates where I live (so not including the power that it consumes).

To recoup $600
With power at $.07 per kwh
For 365 days for 5 years

This would have to help/cause you to save 4.7 kwh per day or 195 watts per hour, around the clock.

Obviously, whatever the power usage of this unit minus the usage of a traditional thermostat (almost nil, i would guess) would need to be added to the 195.

The saving grace here, though, may be that power will probably continue to go up over that 5 year span while the initial $600 investment will not.

So.....in this persons estimation (read: blind guess) this little gadget would be helpful if it produced results equal to turning off two 100 watt light bulbs at all times for 5 years.

Or.....at least you'd have a cool gadget in your wall.]]>Jan 15th 2010 12:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
Yeah that's one of the questions I asked them when I emailed them..."what are the power/installation requirements?" and they stated "As far as Installation of the SilverSTAT 7, it is meant to be as simple as possible. It is intended to replace your standard thermostat by hooking up to your existing wiring."

One of the other questions I asked them was about the dimensions, they didn't supply them. I figure this thing has to be atleast an inch thick given what it is.

In regards to cost, at the $600 they replied to my email with, one would think that you could probably "do-it-yourself" for less seeing as it appears to be nothing more than tablet PC stuck to your wall. Possibly use a small LCD touch screen like from a GPS unit, hide an HTPC-sized box somewhere that's wireless enabled to mimic the internet connectivity aspect, a remote on/off switch connected to the HVAC system and good to go for a couple hundred bucks.]]>Jan 15th 2010 12:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/If you're replacing a regular thermostat and use the setback aspects of it (so you're not heating/cooling while at work) you could probably see significant savings.

Of course, how much better is it than an existing programmable thermostat?]]>Jan 15th 2010 1:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/I guess it's not about saving money, but more of an enviro-media center, that just feeds you data. I would buy this, but at a third of that price point.]]>Jan 15th 2010 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
Why do I need to recoup that money? I do plenty of other home upgrades that aren't designed to save money, but make my home better. It would be better if it had a smaller e-ink display that didn't need as much power.

I don't have a programmable thermostat even, though I hardly use any electricity/natural gas currently. I probably paid $600 for my entire electric usage in the past 2 years. 3 or 4 years for natural gas.]]>Jan 15th 2010 1:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 12:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
Seriously? Porn?

Not even a hooker should cost $600.]]>Jan 15th 2010 1:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 12:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
Ecobee makes a more "lite" "smart" thermostats. Looks similar functionally, but no big screen, pr0n, and such. Just your temp and maybe the outside temp.]]>Jan 15th 2010 5:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
I promise, this is the first and last time i will ever use "gorgeous" to describe a thermostat.]]>Jan 15th 2010 12:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 1:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/


]]>Jan 15th 2010 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
I was gonna say, I need one of these right next to my separate doorbell answering/peephole display, right next to my ....]]>Jan 15th 2010 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/
It's... beautiful...]]>Jan 15th 2010 4:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 15th 2010 7:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Does it do anything else? Turn my lights on? Let me control the temp in every room? Open my garage door for me? Connect to iPhone/iPod?

It is pretty, that's for sure. Just don't see any use to it.]]>Jan 15th 2010 8:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/Jan 16th 2010 12:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/15/silverstat7-zigbee-packin-thermostat-to-debut-this-fall-for-60/I love this thing, I really want one for my home. If it does enough out of the box and is easy to hook up, I'll fork over $600 for it.

@mtnDewFTW Yeah, actually it's supposed to do all those things, that's why it's desirable.]]>Jan 18th 2010 7:23AM