Comments for Clean Energy Wonk

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by Tom

Tom — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:13:39 +0000

I think you are right about what you need, although I can’t say if you need the whole mhk1 kit or just the mifh1. Not that I think you can buy the mifh1 separately.

As for batteries, it’s only the mrch1 remote controller that needs batteries- the mifh1 wireless receiver is powered by the air handler unit.

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by mjw

mjw — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:50:28 +0000

I have 2 Mr Slim split systems:
1) PKAA36FA wall mounted air handler + PUZA36NHA condensor
2) MSZA17NA wall mounted air handler + MUZA17NA condensor

I would like to be able to control these from my iPad.
Tom – Which parts would I need to buy to achieve this? Do I only need
to connect 1 MIFH1 to each air handler as well as a single Honeywell redLINK internet gateway available?

Also, I hope I am wrong, but is the MIFH1 battery powered (so you have to regularly change batteries). This link mentions batteries:
http://usa.mylinkdrive.com/uploads/documents/2398/document/MIFH1_Receiver_MRC1_Cable_Submital.pdf

Thanks!

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by mjw

mjw — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:02:31 +0000

IR blaster solutions are uni-directional. You could perhaps turn the air conditioner on and off, but you wouldn’t be able to get info back from the air conditioner such as
- current temperature
- target temperature
- current mode (hearing, cooling, etc)

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by Tom

Tom — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:50:52 +0000

I don’t know about the limits on connecting the splits to the gateway… I only have four, and have only installed 3 MRK1′s so far, and decided I did not need the portable central controller (MCCH1); the Iphone app seems to have this covered.

I did notice today that the internet/iphone app and the MRK1 thermostat do not support dehumidification mode – you have to use the remote control that came with the mini split for this.

When I set it up, I connected each MRK1 directly to the internet gateway… even if you can connect all your splits to the central controller, I doubt the internet and iphone app are designed to communicate with the mcch1, since in my application they work fine without it. I also don’t know if the central controller would connect to the gateway at all- I don’t see any reason they would have built in this functionality.

Hope that helps.
On the bright side, you can get the gateways for $80 or so each. The MCCH1 costs $160, so three gateways will cost you the same as you would have paid for the MCCH1 and a gateway. Assuming you have a smartphone, that is.

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by Tommy

Tommy — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:09 +0000

I am about to install several Mitsubishi mini splits in a 1980 second home in the mountains of North Carolina. Ducted is just not possible. Replacing baseboard heat and need AC. The efficiency is a positive. So is the dehumidification. Have been told that the new MHK1 will connect directly to the Honeywell Internet gateway but it will only support 4. Two gateways would do 8. I need 10. Do you know how the MCCH1 works? Could I install 10 MHK1s and an MCCH1 and then connect the MCCH1 to the gateway and control all 10 units from say the Honeywell iPad app? Would love to know about your experiences with the mini splits and particularly remote control of them.

Comment on Predicting the Electric Vehicle Adoption Curve by Bullish Article on Electric Transportation | 2GreenEnergy.com

Bullish Article on Electric Transportation | 2GreenEnergy.com — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:30:49 +0000

[...] an article on electric transportation I just put on Clean Energy Wonk, in which I express my continuing bullishness on the [...]

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by Tom

Tom — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:48:33 +0000

There actually is a central thermostat for these, but it requires that you install individual thermostats first…. The central controller is MCCH1. There are apparently a number of devices which work with Honeywell’s “RedLINK” network… but all of these require the installation of the wireless receiver and cable (MIFH1 – part of the MRK1 kit) which I describe how to connect above.

There is a redLINK internet gateway available.
http://www.forwardthinking.honeywell.com/products/wireless/wireless_products.html

My complaint is that the mrk1 should be included with the units, rather than the remote control.

I’m personally planning on installing the outdoor air sensor as well as the portable central controller, an perhaps the internet gateway if I find one cheaply.

Comment on Adding a Programmable Thermostat to Mitsubishi Mr. Slim Heat Pumps by Frank Touper

Frank Touper — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:25:31 +0000

I’ve looked into the wired option for my MXZ/MSZ setup. Thanks for the detailed write up. I agree with you on the limited programmability of these units. Why can’t someone make a centralized universal/learner remote control that is programmable with multi-room addressable wireless IR blasters. Problem solved! Heck even connect it to the internet for smartphone control. With the growing popularity of these high efficiency systems you would think someone would make these…. hello Logitech/Harmony, wink$wink$.

Comment on A Greener Way to Shorten by Jesse Stolberg

Jesse Stolberg — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:47:44 +0000

When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each
time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment.

Is there any way you can remove people from that service?

Thanks!

Comment on How a Storm Can Help Your Home’s Energy Efficiency by David Lane

David Lane — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 01:57:50 +0000

I seem to recall that this project will eventually include geothermal HVAC?

Comment on Greenwashing at KB Home by Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:13:30 +0000

Everyone should run from KB Home as their homes in my opinion are absolute garbage. The homebuilder is starting to get a lot of bad press in Florida and the story is about to go national. Homes have water intrusion and mold and they are crumbling after being just a few years old. So far there have been over 12 communities that have come forward.

Comment on Top Ten Technologies for an Alternative Energy Future by Muhammad Zubair

Muhammad Zubair — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:51:01 +0000

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Comment on High stakes decisions: Where to put your money, and mistakes to avoid by Tom

Tom — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:14:37 +0000

This is also a WordPress blog.

Comment on High stakes decisions: Where to put your money, and mistakes to avoid by Jodi

Jodi — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:12:52 +0000

Good day! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site?
I’m getting sick and tired of WordPress because I’ve had problems with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be fantastic if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

Comment on Predicting the Electric Vehicle Adoption Curve by EMBERCLEAR CORP : EmberClear Corp. Announces Amendment … | muscular development, how to build muscle, muscle building

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:44:44 +0000

[...] Clean Energy Wonk [...]

Comment on They do it with Mirrors: Concentrating Solar Power by The Next Trend: Integrating PV with Solar Thermal

The Next Trend: Integrating PV with Solar Thermal — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:00:41 +0000

[...] before I started writing about investing in clean energy in 2006, I've been fascinated by Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (CSP.) CSP held the promise of much cheaper energy than was then available from photovoltiac (PV) solar, [...]

Comment on They do it with Mirrors: Concentrating Solar Power by The Next Trend: Integrating PV with Solar Thermal « Green Business Review

The Next Trend: Integrating PV with Solar Thermal « Green Business Review — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:16:24 +0000

[...] before I started writing about investing in clean energy in 2006, I’ve been fascinated by Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (CSP.) CSP held the promise of much cheaper energy than was then available from photovoltiac (PV) [...]

Comment on They do it with Mirrors: Concentrating Solar Power by The Next Trend: Integrating PV with Solar Thermal - Forbes

The Next Trend: Integrating PV with Solar Thermal - Forbes — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:35:28 +0000

[...] since I first started writing about investing in clean energy, I’ve been fascinated by Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (CSP.) CSP held the promise of much cheaper energy than was then available from photovoltiac (PV) [...]

Comment on The Cost of Transmission by Storage: The Best Renewable Energy Integration Strategy?

Storage: The Best Renewable Energy Integration Strategy? — Mon, 07 May 2012 03:23:28 +0000

[...] UPDATE 12/29/09- I came across better numbers for the cost of transmission, and updated the graphs here. [...]

Comment on Pink Slime is Green by Dan Gordon

Dan Gordon — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:13:27 +0000

I agree that there is a sort of immediate ‘knee jerk reaction’ to this pink slime controversy. I feel that whenever there is a big controversy like this in the food industry it is automatically magnified. It is interesting how you compare this to foraging through trash. Great article though. thanks