Last year we launched an early preview of Nest Renew, a service for compatible Nest thermostats that makes it easy to support a clean energy future from home. We’re excited to announce that starting today, anyone in the continental U.S. with a compatible Nest thermostat can now join Nest Renew.

Support clean energy already on the grid

One of our primary goals during the development of Nest Renew was helping people make better use of clean energy that’s already on the grid. That’s the thinking behind powerful new features like Energy Shift, which helps you automatically prioritize your usage to times when your home’s electricity is cleaner or less expensive. Every five minutes, Energy Shift gathers local power grid emissions forecasts across the country. Then, using these forecasts, our algorithms look for opportunities where running a home’s heating or cooling slightly earlier or later would result in taking advantage of cleaner energy, and automatically adjust your thermostat accordingly. This is all done with very small changes from scheduled temperatures (generally less than one degree Fahrenheit). The changes are so subtle that you won’t notice and will stay just as comfortable, but of course, you are in control and can manually adjust your thermostat at any time.

And small actions through features like Energy Shift really do add up — we estimate that it’s already helped Nest Renew users in early preview collectively prioritize cleaner energy usage for over 20,000,000 hours.

Start making an impact today

Anyone in the continental U.S. with a 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat, the Nest Thermostat E or the newest Nest Thermostat connected to a Google account can now join Nest Renew for free and start making better use of clean energy in their area with Energy Shift. If you want to extend your impact even further, you can upgrade to Nest Renew Premium for only $10 a month, which matches the fossil fuel electricity used in your home with enough clean energy to cover the average U.S. household with high-quality renewable energy credits generated from projects within Google’s own clean energy portfolio.

Users can also access features like impact reports and the Energy Impact Program, which lets you help direct Nest Renew funds to nonprofit partners working toward an equitable sustainable future, to see your efforts in action. Because when we each do a little, it adds up to a lot.

As a lifelong thermostat-turner-upper, I distinctly remember a day in high school when I made a beeline to crank the heat in my family home. Instead of the quiet rumble of the heater turning on, it was silent. I bundled myself in blankets and waited to tell my parents the news: We were going to freeze. Clearly I was being dramatic, but I remember my parents' frustration nonetheless with the broken furnace. 

Not to date myself, but this was before smart thermostats existed. Our thermostat wasn’t tracking any minor issues that could become big ones, and it certainly couldn’t alert us about them. Fortunately, homes are getting smarter: Starting today we are testing a new Nest thermostat feature that can help alert you to some heating and cooling system (HVAC) issues. With this new feature, Nest is learning how to identify unusual patterns related to your HVAC system, and can alert you to a variety of potential issues. Most of us don’t have an HVAC pro on speed dial, so we're also testing out the ability to help customers connect with a professional who can help, starting in select cities.

Get HVAC alerts

Based on information like your thermostat’s historical data and current weather, Nest will learn to detect some unusual HVAC patterns that might indicate something is wrong. If it’s taking longer than normal to heat your home, for example, there might be a problem with your heating system—even if you haven’t noticed anything. 

If your thermostat notices a potential issue we are testing, we’ll send you an email alert telling you what your thermostat noticed and which system (heating or cooling) may be having a problem. There will be issues that your thermostat won’t catch—but over time and through your feedback, Nest thermostats will get smarter and better at detecting more and more possible problems.

Book a pro

If you receive an HVAC email alert, you may want to have a professional take a look at your system. If a Nest Pro installed your thermostat or previously serviced your system and you want to hire them again, you can often find their contact information on your Nest thermostat or in the Nest app.

As part of this feature test, we are also partnering with Handy, a platform that connects qualified professionals with customers who need their services, to make it easy to find and book an HVAC pro with set pricing. Booking through Handy will initially be available in over 20 metro areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego, and expand to additional regions throughout the testing period.

How do I get alerts?

Sign up to get your Nest Home Report, and you’ll automatically receive these new HVAC alert emails. You can also opt out of getting these HVAC alerts at any time. With this new thermostat feature, you now have more insight into your heating and cooling system, to help you look after your home.