alt Hacker NewsMy idea of HVAC is that it should be "set and forget", so "smart" is the polar opposite of what I want. The round Honeywell on the wall has been doing its job for the past few decades, and will likely last many more with only an occasional cleaning.
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For some people they may only opportunistically (perhaps they have excess PV production at that moment) run their AC or temporarily turn it off when they temporarily have other power demands at that moment (eg running dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, kettle, etc) and don’t want to pay for grid energy while doing so.
“HVAC” is essentially not a thing in houses in South Africa likely due to having a mild climate, this also makes insulation in houses optional and mostly not done.
So most people with AC here are probably using it as a luxury and will happily have it be off a little if it meaningfully reduces energy usage while still making their house noticeably more comfortable.
Isn’t this is only true with central air though? Most other types of ac are not full climate solutions to leave running all the time and need some manual control.
At least that’s how I use the mini split in my garage. I have to remember to give it 15-20 minutes headstart before I use the garage or will be really hot.
If you have same schedule every week, don't go on vacation, your kids don't have breaks, don't have seasons, then 'set and forget' dumb thermostat will work for you without any problems. For the rest of us we need some 'smartness' in our thermostats.