A thermostat user interface for a network-connected thermostat is described. The thermostat includes a frustum-shaped shell body having a circular cross-section and a sidewall extending between first and second ends, the second end being user-facing when the thermostat is wall-mounted; a circular rotatable ring being user rotatable for adjusting a setting of the thermostat; and a circular cover including a clear circular center portion surrounded by a painted outer portion. The clear circular center portion permits a corresponding circular portion of a non-circular dot-matrix color display element to be visible through the circular cover and the painted outer portion masks a remaining portion of the non-circular dot-matrix color display element so as to create a circular graphical user interface.

Systems, methods, and related computer program products for using a distributed arrangement of wirelessly connected sensing microsystems are described. A plurality of wirelessly communicating sensing microsystems is provided, each sensing microsystem including a temperature sensor and a processor. The plurality of sensing microsystems is configured to jointly carry out at least one shared computational task. Each sensing microsystem may include a power management circuit configured to determine an amount of electrical power available for dedication to the at least one shared computational task or a heating effect generated in performing the shared computational task. The at least one shared computational task is apportioned among respective ones of the plurality of sensing microsystems according to the amount of electrical power determined to be available for dedication thereto at each respective sensing microsystem or the determined heating effect.

A system for managing the flow of fluids within a closed-loop system includes a pump controller and a variable-speed pump in communication with a conduit circuit including at least one one pressure-independent control valve (PICV). By using PICVs instead of conventional, two-way, two-way, pressure-dependent valves, the pump controller can monitor system needs and adjust the the speed of the variable-speed pump to more efficiently deliver pressure to the system without overshooting flow requirements, leading to less energy consumed and less cost incurred. A method method of variable-speed pumping including the use of PICVs is also disclosed.

A system for light commercial building solutions (LCBS). Solutions and other systems may incorporate lightweight alerting service, auto-adjustment of gateway poll rates based on the needs of various consuming applications, detecting loss of space comfort control in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, HVAC capacity loss alerting using relative degree days and accumulated stage run time with operational equivalency checks, and HVAC alerting for loss of heat or cool capacity using delta temperature and dependent system properties. Also, incorporated may be triggering s subset of analytics by automatically inferring HVAC equipment details from controller configuration details, ensuring reliability of analytics by retaining logical continuity of HVAC equipment operational data even when controllers and other parts of the system are replaced, and an LCBS gateway with workflow and mechanisms to associate to a contractor account.

An air conditioning system includes a plurality of indoor units installed in the same indoor space, an outdoor unit and a control device. The indoor units include respective usage-side heat exchangers capable of setting set temperatures individually. The outdoor unit includes a heat-source-side heat exchanger. The control device performs temperature control using a thermo-ON condition set in advance in accordance with the set temperatures, and relaxes the thermo-ON condition of thermo-OFF indoor units when the indoor units include both those that are thermo-ON and those that are thermo-OFF and a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition is that at least one of the plurality of indoor units continues to be thermo-ON for a first elapsed time or longer, and at least one of the plurality of indoor units continues to be thermo-OFF for a second elapsed time or longer.

An air conditioner to prevent fingers from being jammed therein during a closing operation of an opening and a method of controlling the same are provided. The air conditioner includes a housing in which an opening is formed, a door unit provided to be movable around the opening to open or close the opening, and at least one configured to control the door unit to stop at a position spaced a preset first distance from the opening during a closing operation of the door unit and control the closing operation of the door unit.

A vehicle air conditioning apparatus includes: a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a load side heat exchanger are connected by pipes; and a controller that performs switching between a heating operation in which refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit circulates and a defrosting operation of the heat source side heat exchanger in which the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit circulates in a direction opposite to a direction in the heating operation. The controller allows an airflow flowing from the load side heat exchanger into a cabin through a first air outlet in the heating operation, and an airflow flowing from the cabin into the load side heat exchanger through the first air outlet is produced in the defrosting operation of the heat source side heat exchanger.

An air conditioner that includes a control box accommodating a control board and having an open surface, and a base panel having an air inlet and an air outlet, the control box being mounted on the base panel by seating the open surface thereof on the base panel, wherein the base panel includes a first water-blocking rib surrounding an outer surface of a lower edge defining the open surface of the control box so as to prevent water from flowing into the control box.

A control method for a solar air conditioner comprises: a detection step, starting to detect the change situation of a DC voltage output by an inverter in the solar air conditioner when it is detected that the solar air conditioner enters an energy-saving control mode; and a judging step, adjusting an operating frequency of a compressor of the solar air conditioner according to the change situation of the DC voltage, so that the solar air conditioner uses a solar cell to supply power. Thus, solar energy can be used to the maximum degree, the problem that there is a need to supply power by a mains power supply because the power supplied for the solar energy is insufficient is avoided, and the cost is saved. Further disclosed are a control device for a solar air conditioner and a solar air conditioner.

A thermostat and related methods are described for controlling one or more functions, such as heating and cooling in an HVAC. According to some embodiments the thermostat includes a switching circuit for controlling an HVAC function, where closing the switching circuit activates the HVAC function. The thermostat may also include power harvesting circuitry adapted and arranged to harvest power from the HVAC system, where during times when the HVAC function is active the switching circuit opens for a time interval. The power harvesting circuitry may harvest power from the HVAC system during the time interval, and the time interval may be short enough that the HVAC function remains activated without interruption during the time interval.