Team Ecovent was fortunate enough to showcase our intelligent home zoning system to members of Congress, key Capitol Hill staff members and top media at CES on the Hill 2015 in Washington, DC. The annual event was put on by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the same organization that puts on the Consumer Electronics Show every year in Las Vegas. CES on the Hill links the latest innovations in consumer technology with major technology policy issues, emphasizing the need for public policies that promote innovation and lead to job creation and economic growth. Other exhibitors included Dolby, Google, HTC, LG, Microsoft, Netflix, Samsung, Snapchat, Qualcomm, Withings and Yelp.
It was a tremendous honor just to meet some of the nation’s top policy makers, but what left us pumped and completely energized was how much they “got” Ecovent. Everyone we talked to understood the frustration of having rooms that are either too hot or too cold, regardless of the setting on their thermostat. It was a problem that many people simply accepted because they didn’t know there was a solution! But the more we discussed these problems, the more people got excited about Ecovent as a way to solve the problem of home comfort, both in existing homes and in new construction.
What was really awesome though was seeing how our nation’s top policy makers understood how this problem – expanded across the more than 200 million Americans in the U.S. with central air HVAC systems – represents a tremendous opportunity to drive significant energy savings. Congressmen like Mike Honda, who represents California’s 17th Congressional District (also known as Silicon Valley), understand the effect innovation can have on the marketplace. Some of the world’s most impactful home energy solutions were developed in his home district. Congressman Honda, and many of his colleagues, are committed to creating a policy environment that spurs home innovation and creates jobs.
The opportunity to have a deep and meaningful conversation with the congressman (pictured below with Dip and an unknown, yet handsome gentleman in the background) was truly an honor.
After CES on the Hill, we’re more committed to our cause than ever. Seeing the support from everyone we met at the event fuels our mission to empower every homeowner with the ability to gain complete control over his or her comfort, while reducing the amount of energy his or her HVAC wastes. Best of all, we didn’t need a Mr. Smith moment to convince Congress – they got it.
