Venstar® has announced that its Explorer® light-activated Wi-Fi® thermostats and Skyport® Cloud Services have helped Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company reduce its monthly energy costs by $12,000 annually. Headquartered in the City of Industry near Los Angeles, Utility Trailer is America’s oldest privately owned, family-operated trailer manufacturer.

“Venstar’s Explorer thermostats are light activated, so when the lights are on, so is the HVAC. When the lights are turned off, the HVAC goes back to unoccupied mode,” said Dan Morgan, facilities manager at Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company.

In addition to the cost-saving benefits of light activation, Morgan also remotely controls the Explorer thermostats using Venstar’s Skyport Cloud Services and free mobile app.

“Skyport enables me to remotely control our Explorer thermostats, which is especially useful when I am off-site,” Morgan said. “Having Skyport to remotely control my thermostats greatly improves my efficiency. It even lets me see what lights are on, indicating which areas are occupied.”

CHALLENGE: Remotely Manage and Control Energy Costs

To help reduce and manage energy usage Morgan was charged with choosing an energy solution that would help reduce and control energy costs for the 60,000-square-foot facility. Objectives included:

• Ensure that HVAC units are on only when the rooms are occupied
• Alert when temperatures go above pre-set temperatures
• Prevent thermostat tampering with setpoint limiting
• Remotely monitor and control across multiple buildings

SOLUTION: Venstar Explorer Light-Activated Wi-Fi Thermostats

Morgan chose Venstar’s light-activated Explorer Wi-Fi thermostats. Using Venstar’s Skyport Cloud Services on his desktop computer and free Skyport Mobile App, he monitors and controls his 32 Explorer thermostats from virtually anywhere.

Features include:

• Light activation, which ensures that HVAC units are only on when rooms are occupied
• Skyport’s light indication icon, providing a quick view to see where lights are on
• High temperature alerts for server rooms, enabling quick resolution of HVAC problems
• Global program adjustments, which enable concurrent changes across all thermostats
• Ability to name thermostats to provide a quick overview of location
• Detailed analytics that provide key insights about HVAC usage and savings
• Setpoint limiting to help ensure thermostat security while providing indoor comfort

RESULTS: Energy Costs Reduced by up to $12,000 Annually

Venstar’s Explorer light-activated thermostats with Skyport Cloud Services have enabled Utility Trailer to control and reduce its energy costs up to $1,000 per month.

Benefits include:

• Securing thermostats with setpoint limiting that eliminates tampering
• Remote thermostat management, saving time and energy
• HVAC usage only when the lights are on, saving energy
• Remote monitoring and control via desktop or mobile app
• Skyport, which provides remote access and control of thermostats
• Ensured indoor comfort with consistent temperatures

About Venstar Inc.

Venstar Inc. is a leading thermostat and energy management system (EMS) manufacturer, known for providing value to its customers via ease of use and installation, proven cost savings, improved energy efficiency, quality and reliability. Founded in 1992, Venstar is one of the largest thermostat suppliers in the world and designs and produces Venstar-branded products, as well as OEM thermostat products for the biggest names in HVAC.  Venstar’s Surveyor is a leading energy management system, typically saving small-box retailers 20–35 percent of their energy costs, which translates to tens of millions of dollars in savings each year and dramatic reductions in CO₂ emissions. Surveyor currently controls the energy usage of 30,000+ retail locations across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico.