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Dumb radiator? Netatmo wants to update it with smart knobs

IFA 2024
This story is part of our coverage of IFA Berlin 2024

It may be hard to believe, but winter is indeed coming. And in preparation for that cold reprieve from these high temperatures, smart home company Netatmo has unveiled their new Smart Radiator Valves, designed by Philippe Starck. These valves purport to help users cut down on their energy consumption (and electric bill) by up to 37 percent, while controlling each room’s heating remotely. By allowing users to set a heat schedule for every room of the house, the Smart Radiator Valves are bringing heating to the next level for this cold season.

Designed to replace your current radiator valves, Netatmo’s new product can be fitted to either individual or collective heating systems to regulate temperature on a rather granular level. The bathroom heating schedule can be set so that your morning shower will always be toasty, and your bedroom can be kept at a comfortable temperature when you return home for the day.

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“With the Smart Radiator Valves, Netatmo continues to provide consumers with innovative and practical heating solutions,” said Fred Potter, president and founder of Netatmo. “Using Smart Valves considerably reduces energy waste, which is expensive for users, while increasing comfort in the home.”

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The new-age radiator valves boast a number of smart features that allow for more accurate heating control, including open window detection, which lets Netatmo determine if a window is open and adjust temperatures accordingly to conserve energy. There’s also the Smart Valve’s smart regulation capability, which claims to “precisely analyze external elements in real time — the weather, insulation of the house, the number of people in the room, electrical appliances being used — and adjust the heating of the room to save as much energy as possible.”

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But of course, if none of these things are quite smart enough for you, Netatmo users can also add a Manual Boost and increase the temperature of any room at any time, either by manually adjusting the valve, or by using the Netatmo app.

The app also lets users control the temperature of any room from just about anywhere, and track energy consumption as well. The app can be accessed from your smartphone, tablet, or desktop, and better still, Netatmo’s integration with Apple HomeKit allows users to control their heating schedules with nothing more than their voice.

Available at the end of 2016, the Netatmo Smart Radiator Valves are set to retail at around $78. So if you’re looking to keep warm and connected this winter, you may want to check out Netatmo’s latest offerings.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
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