Rocky Mountain Power, the Nest Thermostat and Solar

Understanding rebates can be a bit of a pain, but that pain is forgettable once you’ve leveraged their benefits. Rocky Mountain Power has a rebate program called Wattsmart, which is relevant to environmentally and financially conscientious homeowners.

Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart and Thermostat Rebates

Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart incentive program encourages energy conservation. Customers receive discounts or incentives for upgrading appliances or implementing energy-efficient practices.

How the Wattsmart Program Works

This program includes starter kits, weatherization, and energy reports. It also has discounts, incentives, and utility-run renewable programs. The best part about this program is customers receive incentives for making changes that decrease their energy bills, which compounds the potential savings. These savings compound even more once combined with Utah residential solar power savings.

Rocky Mountain Power’s Nest Rebate

In Utah, Rocky Mountain Power offers a rebate for approved smart thermostats. RMP’s qualified products list has a long lineup of smart thermostats. As of July 1, 2020, the Nest thermostat, now Google Nest, is still on this list. Customers who want to take advantage of this rebate need to make sure the brand and model of their smart thermostat are on RMP’s qualified products list at the time of purchase for incentive eligibility. To qualify for the rebate, customers need to send in a request for the incentive and a receipt or confirmation e-mail. They also need to live in the home to which they want to add the thermostat.

How the Nest Thermostat Works with Solar

Since both solar and Nest thermostats conserve energy, it makes sense to pair them.

Learning How the Nest Thermostat Works

Nest has two different smart thermostats, the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Nest Thermostat E. The Nest Learning Thermostat acclimates to the homeowner’s preferred settings. Once installed, the customer can adjust the settings to their liking throughout the day. After a week of adjusting the thermostat, the Nest will remember the changes in temperature.

Owners can control the thermostat from their phones for easy accessibility, and from anywhere there’s an internet connection. It can also determine when no one’s home through the app and go into “eco mode” to help save even more. The Nest can also show the home’s energy habits, which involve data that can be adjusted accordingly to conserve even more energy.

Functions of the Nest Thermostat E

The Nest Thermostat E, while cheaper, still has many of the Nest learning thermostat features. It allows Nest owners to monitor and adjust their temperature settings from anywhere. They can also have it set to turn temperatures down when the phone with the app leaves the house. Its e-savings feature allows customers to save even more, and notifies Nest owners of the energy-conserving temperatures for their homes via a green leaf icon. Unlike the Learning Nest, the Nest Thermostat E has fewer sensors and aesthetic options. The Nest Thermostat E also pairs with fewer heating and cooling systems.

How the Nest Thermostat Optimizes Solar for Utahans

If solar customers only purchased solar equipment, they would still save a lot of money over time. However, if they want to save more, a smart thermostat like the Nest just further compounds the savings, control, and energy independence of homeowners who use both technologies.

When Utahans combine residential solar with Nest thermostats, their potential savings increase. One of the main selling points of Utah residential solar is the savings and returns. Solar fist saves homeowners from utility rate increases, which will inevitably come with the increased scarcity of nonrenewable energy sources upon which most utility companies still rely, like coal. Once the solar array has been paid off, customers save even more. Typically, the smart thermostat saves 10 to 15 percent on heating and cooling expenses when analyzed separately from solar arrays.

Why We Encourage Solar-Powered Homeowners to Get a Smart Thermostat

In summary, Go Solar Group encourages Nest Thermostats because they compound Utah solar savings. They also work with most 24-volt heating and cooling systems, which makes them easier to install. We also believe any technology, whether our technology or the technology of another company is worth the investment if it saves you money. This is one of many reasons already outlined as to why Go Solar Group will install a Nest thermostat with the purchase of a solar array.