09.26.2008 — Home theater might have all the glamour, but HVAC control can be a stable, money-making area for integrators.

Honeywell is trying help with several new wireless thermostats designed for retrofit clients in multiple price ranges.

The company, at CEDIA Expo 2008, unveiled its new Energy Internet Connection Module (ICM) that connects through a Honeywell VisionPro thermostats. But what if your client doesn't need all that HVAC connectivity in his whole-house controller?

While you are in the home mounting a flat panel, putting in a wireless home network and changing out a non-integrated thermostat is a quick $400 extra bucks for a dealer. Plus, the unit does not need to be "programmed." All zoning and parameters can be done at the keypad.

Honeywell rolled out the new line on a nationwide tour called World of Wireless (WOW).

The line includes:

• The wireless FocusPRO thermostat that controls up to three heating zones and two cooling zones
• Wireless Prestige Comfort System thermostat
• PrestigeHD with a color touchpanel and USB port to program the thermostat once and plug it into additional thermostats
• The central Equipment Interface Module (EIM) that is hardwired at the furnace (along with a return air sensor) and connected to the wireless adapter to transmit RF signals to the keypads
• The Portable Comfort Control handheld interface unit that enables homeowners to control heat/cooling from any point in the home
• A wireless outdoor sensor that transmits weather station information to the interface

Honeywell Prestige Thermostat

"This is a game changer for our industry. It's a new philosophy to advance HVAC control industry to the next stage," says Dan Joyce, channel marketing director for Honeywell's Homes of North America division.

The systems are designed to lower the labor risk for installers because it eliminates the need to fish wires in an existing home. The thermostats, however, can't integrate with a whole-house controller such as Crestron, AMX or Elan.

“This product is not for the ultra high-end,” says Joyce.

The system uses Honeywell's proprietary RedLINK protocol that operates in the 900 MHz bandwidth. Interference issues are avoided by hopping between 50 separate frequencies.

"We looked at Z-Wave and Zigbee but they weren't good enough," says Joyce, suggesting that 100 percent reliability is the goal. "It has to work every time and must be secure from interference."

A contractor that used to spend three hours changing a thermostat in a home can now do the job in one hour, according to Joyce. That 66 percent time reduction should equal profit.

“If you charged $400 for a thermostat changeout before, you should still charge $400. Don’t give away the profit,” he says.

These products will be sold through the trade channel only. Honeywell plans to support the product launch with a large presence at CES 2009 in Las Vegas.