A first comparison-period specifier specifies a first to-be-compared period in a pre-implementation period before implementation of an energy saving control. A second comparison-period specifier specifies as a second to-be-compared period a to-be-compared candidate period having the highest similarity level between: parameters in a first parameter comparison period including a first comparison period and a first period immediately before or after the first comparison period, and parameters in a second parameter comparison period including a to-be-compared candidate period and a second period immediately before or after the to-be-compared candidate period. An energy saving diagnoser diagnoses the level of energy saving derived from the implementation of an energy saving control based on a power consumption amount in the first to-be-compared period and a power consumption amount in the second to-be-compared period.

An air-conditioning apparatus includes an internal heat exchanger in which refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant pipe between an outdoor heat exchanger and an expansion device and refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant pipe between the expansion device and an indoor heat exchanger exchange heat, a pressure sensor, a first temperature sensor that detects temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the expansion device in the cooling operation, and a control unit configured to control the opening degree of the expansion device based on results of detection by the pressure sensor and the first temperature sensor in the cooling operation.

A device for pulsing the control lines of an HVAC system in order for a user to discover which outside unit is associated with a particular inside unit. Lead wires from the device connect to the control contacts on the thermostat of an HVAC unit. The device is an electrical or electromechanical circuit that can use the power contained within the thermostat or can be battery powered. Once the device is connected, it pulses the control line for the reversing valve, in the case of a heat pump system, or pulses the control line for the compressor, for a cooling-only system. This pulsing creates a loud clicking sound in either case that allows the repair technician to decipher the correct outside unit corresponding to the inside unit without use of a helper.

A wall mountable connector may be secured to a wall in order to provide mechanical and electrical connections to a thermostat. In some cases, the wall mountable connector and the thermostat may, in combination, be configured to permit the thermostat to attach to the wall mountable connector only when the thermostat is in a particular orientation relative to the wall mountable connector. In some cases, the wall mountable connector includes a plurality of pin terminals that are configured to accommodate a plurality of pins extending from the thermostat. The interaction between the pins and the pin terminals may provide a lock and key arrangement between the wall mountable connector and the thermostat.

A wall mountable connector configured to facilitate a user in removing a first thermostat from the wall mountable connector and installing a new, different second thermostat on the wall mountable connector without having to do any wiring work. The field wires remain coupled to the wall mountable connector, and the wall mountable connector provides the appropriate electrical connections between the field wires and the first and second thermostats. In some cases, the wall mountable connector may include a memory for storing data communicated by a first thermostat, and to communicate the stored data to a subsequently installed second thermostat. In some instances, the first and second thermostats may be selected from a line of compatible thermostats.

A wall covering plate may be used in combination with a wall mountable connector and a thermostat that is designed to mate with the wall mountable connector. The wall covering plate may be configured to fit around the wall mountable connector and behind the thermostat. In some cases, for example, the wall covering plate may be configured such that the wall covering plate may be used with a wall mountable connector that is already installed and remains installed while the wall covering plate is installed.

A thermostat that is configured to be releasably secured to a wall mountable connector, wherein the wall mountable connector includes a jumper switch that permits an installer or other professional to easily form an electrical connection between different wiring terminals of the wall mountable connector in accordance with how particular field wires are connected to the wiring terminals of the wall mountable connector. The thermostat is further configured to automatically determine the position of the jumper switch of the wall mountable connector, and in some cases, change the control of at least some functionality of the thermostat and/or HVAC equipment depending on the position of the jumper switch.

Methods and devices for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system by a thermostat are provided. Input can be received from a user via a thermostat, the input being indicative of an adjustment of an HVAC-related setting. On a real-time basis, the HVAC-related setting that is being adjusted can be compared against a feedback criterion designed to indicate a circumstance under which feedback is to be presented to the user. The circumstance can be indicative of an achievement of a HVAC-related setting of a predetermined responsibility level with respect to an energy usage of the HVAC system. Upon a real-time determination that the feedback criterion is satisfied, visual feedback can be caused to be presented to the user in real-time. The real-time feedback can include a visual icon having a visual appeal corresponding to a desirability of the satisfaction of the feedback criterion.

Incremental dehumidification of a volume of air in an indirect evaporative cooler. Dehumidification processes are incorporated with the cooling processes, such that within each circuit a volume of air follows through the indirect evaporative cooler and includes dehumidification as well as cooling of the volume of air. Subsequent circuits of the volume of air, which commence at a lower starting temperature than the prior circuit, result in further dehumidification of the air.

A fan characterization and control system includes a chassis housing a plurality of components and a fan system. A controller system is coupled to the components and the fan system and configured to detect fan devices in the fan system that are connected to the controller system via respective fan connectors. The controller system determines fan performance categories of each of the fan devices based on signals communicated by each of the fan devices through at least one pin on the respective fan connectors. The controller system accesses a fan performance database that stores different fan performance categories and respective fan performance characteristics for each of the different fan performance categories. The controller system uses fan performance information that is associated in the fan performance database with each of the fan performance categories determined for the fan devices to configure the components and the fan system for operation.