WF Senate is now supplying the new Nest Protect and Learning Thermostat products - and you can see and use them in the new training hub. WF Senate & Nest Labs

WF Senate is now supplying the new Nest Protect and Learning Thermostat products – and you can see and use them in the new training hub. WF Senate & Nest Labs

Following last year’s distribution agreement between WF Senate’s parent company Rexel and Nest Labs, with WF Senate acquiring the rights to supply the Google Nest Protect and Learning Thermostat products, Rexel has unveiled a brand new Nest demonstration and training area at BRE Innovation Park. By James Hunt:

Now that WF Senate is supplying the latest intelligent Wi-Fi devices for domestic energy saving and protection, its electrical contractor customers can forge ahead of their competition with the help of this new training centre.

Because these Nest products – which are part of the fast growing Internet of Things (IoT) – are very different from products that have gone before, Rexel, which owns WF, has deemed it necessary to open this new demonstration and training area in the Watford-based BRE Innovation Park.

Called ‘Sigma House’, this facility places sustainability at the very core, says Rexel, with each room highlighting the newest products that tackle energy efficiency and the smarter home concept. Room 5 in Rexel’s house will now be home to a dedicated Nest training area, showcasing the highly innovative Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.

Communicating with other alarms and devices in the system – including the boiler and Nest thermostats – even when Wi-Fi is unavailable, these products can also be controlled by homeowners while they are on the move or away. It is such high functionality and technical innovation that makes these products so different form the rest – and why proper training is needed to fully understand them.

Demos and interactivity

Using purpose-built training materials, visitors to the new training hub will be able to see demonstrations of Nest products, as well as having the opportunity to view interactive videos, interact with the products and see them working in situ.

Designed and made by California-based Nest Labs, the intuitive Nest Thermostat takes away the hassle of programming by learning the household schedule. By using a special combination of sensors and algorithms, this device creates a personalised temperature schedule, which eliminates the need for a separate programmer. Adapting immediately, the device creates a custom temperature, which will automatically turn down when the thermostat senses that the house is empty, dramatically saving energy.

In the training hub, Interactive demonstrations will illustrate how with built-in sensors, the thermostat even knows when no one is home, triggering the Auto-Away feature to automatically turn down the temperature and help save energy. There is the added bonus of being able to control the temperature from a smartphone, tablet or computer – which visitors to Sigma House will be able to try for themselves.

Guests will also be able to see the highly intelligent Nest Protect alarm in action. Nest Protect is an advanced smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm, which provides spoken alerts on what and where the problem is. Unlike traditional systems, it does much more than just sound a shrill alarm when there’s danger in the home; it actually speaks to the user with a human voice, telling them what and where the danger is. Furthermore, as hub visitors will see, it can even send alert a phone via the Nest app just in case the homeowner is out. Using this free app, users can easily retrieve information and control all Nest products whilst on the move – should they want to – from any smart phone or tablet.

Stay one step ahead

Commented Rexel UK Marketing Director, Alexandra Berger: “Working in co-operation with world-leading suppliers such as Nest, ensures that our customers can be one step ahead of the competition.

“This new demonstration area will allow customers to see and interact with the revolutionary Nest products, and witness first-hand the innovation and intelligent design that is behind the latest in home automation,” she said.

BRE Innovation Park was designed as a flagship training and demonstration facility for industry specialists to exhibit the latest innovations in construction practices, technologies and systems. The Nest demonstration and training area at Rexel’s Innovation Centre will be on show until 31st of August 2017.

Available in both mains powered and battery formats, the new Nest range, available from WF Senate, has been supported by a full advertising and marketing campaign, run by Nest Labs. Learn more by going to the link below.

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