Daikin, one of the largest HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) vendors in the world, recently introduced the first full-featured smart thermostat to offer two-way communications with its popular climate control systems.
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The Daikin One+ smart thermostat unveiled at the CES 2019 in Las Vegas does everything you expect from this type of smart home appliance. It lets you adjust the temperature by swiping its touchscreen display or turning a hardware dial; set up a schedule for automated temperature adjustments; and activate an energy-savings mode, either manually or by geo-fencing (i.e. it kicks in when it senses that no one is home).
Additionally, the One+ can adjust humidity on Daikin systems that include humidity controls. It can also monitor air quality indoors (on systems with a Daikin One Home Air Monitor), also report on outdoor air quality and weather (when you’ve connected the One+ to the internet).
More importantly, the One+ can receive and respond to communications from Daikin HVAC systems, making adjustments based on this information. Most smart thermostats do not have this ability.
Daikin designed the One+ with several types of users in mind. The hardware dial makes temperature adjustments easy for non-techies, but turning it brings up the adjustment screen on the color LCD display for those who wish to swipe to a specific temperature. A motion sensor readies the thermostat for input as you approach, and tapping the hardware dial brings up the home screen on the display.
Homeowners can also access additional screens for the other settings (scheduled adjustments, away options, and air quality reports). Finally, the One+ has some screens with settings for home builders and HVAC installers and even has a bubble level to aid in installation.
The One+ connects to the internet via Wi-Fi. As with most web-connected smart thermostats, you can also access controls remotely, either via Daikin’s mobile apps (for Android or iOS) or major voice assistance systems (including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant).
A connected Daikin One+ also allows homeowners to cut energy costs by participating in peak load reduction programs offered by utilities. The thermostat supports the Open ADR 2.0 protocol utilities use for this purpose.
The one downside: You can only install the Daikin One+ with Daikin HVAC systems.
