CHATSWORTH, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 10, 2013) - Venstar®, a leading thermostat and energy management systems supplier, today announced that it has added "Home" and "Away" buttons to its ColorTouch® touchscreen programmable thermostats, giving users access to easy, one-touch programming.

"Venstar's new 'Home' and 'Away' buttons make it easy for users to instantly set their ColorTouch thermostats with just one touch," said Steve Dushane, Venstar's CEO. "One-touch buttons make the ColorTouch programmable thermostat even easier to use and control, which helps users save on their utility bills."

Users simply press the "Home" button when they arrive home, and the ColorTouch instantly goes to the pre-set occupied, comfort settings. Users press the "Away" button when they leave, and the thermostat will instantly go to the pre-set unoccupied status.

Venstar is also pleased to announce the new Supply Air Alert feature, which sends an email alert to the designated user when the supply air temperature (the air coming from the HVAC equipment) is not adequate. The user or installer can set temperature thresholds for both heating and cooling. If the HVAC equipment fails to meet one of these thresholds, it is a strong indicator that service is needed.

This new update comes standard with new ColorTouch residential thermostats (T5900 model). Previous ColorTouch models T5800 can be updated. Anytime a new update is available, a notification will appear on the thermostat screen along with simple prompts to help the user make the update.

Venstar also recently (6/13/13) announced the new Skyport™ firmware upgrade button, which allows users to remotely update the firmware for their ColorTouch thermostats anywhere in the world using the Skyport Cloud Services online. This applies to any Wi-Fi update.

Venstar also offers a free ColorTouch mobile application, which allows users to remotely monitor and control their ColorTouch residential or commercial thermostats. Compatible with Apple iPhone®, iTouch®, iPad®, BlackBerry® and Android™ devices, the ColorTouch thermostat with Skyport Wi-Fi Key is priced under $250 (estimated end-user cost).

About ColorTouch Residential Thermostat (Models T5800 and T5900)

The ColorTouch thermostat has won top awards for ease of programmability, its color touch screen and the ability to post up to 100 photos or graphics on the screen. Its multi-functional, simple-to-use, richly featured, programmable touch screen thermostat has customizable backgrounds, which may include the users' own photos as well as more than a dozen pre-set themes, including holiday themes. The ColorTouch residential model T5900 is now available with humidity control.

It also includes a free mobile app for Android, BlackBerry and iOS mobile devices so contractors or homeowners can remotely access and control their ColorTouch thermostats via their Venstar Skyport Cloud online accounts. Compatible with virtually every type of heating and air conditioning system, ColorTouch can be configured to display one of three languages: English, French or Spanish. ColorTouch is the thermostat that thinks it's a digital picture frame!

Once a free Venstar Skyport Cloud account is created online, residential users can use Venstar's free mobile app on their Android, BlackBerry and iOS mobile devices or directly from the Web to:

• View a display of the current weather and weather forecast for all thermostat locations;
• Monitor thermostat information, including system run time and current energy usage;
• Change security settings, such as changing passwords or temperature setpoint limits;
• Program thermostat features, such as backlight dimming, holiday schedule, fan usage, supply air monitoring and much more;
• View incoming alerts based on pre-configured notifications, such as important updates on the health of the system or simply if the home's inside temperature has gone above or below pre-set limits; and
• Send text messages from a mobile device or desktop to the thermostat display, such as reminders and notes to family members.

For more information on updating ColorTouch firmware, visit: Update the ColorTouch Firmware

For more information on ColorTouch, visit http://www.venstar.com/Thermostats/.

For product videos, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8reHhhLdMQ.

About Venstar Inc.

Founded in 1992, Venstar Inc. is a leading thermostat and energy management system (EMS) supplier, known for providing value to its customers via ease of use and installation, proven cost savings, improved energy efficiency, quality and reliability. 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 25 percent of their energy costs, which translates to tens of millions of dollars in savings each year and dramatic reductions in C0₂ emissions. Surveyor currently controls the energy usage of more than 15,000 retail locations across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada.

Visit Venstar: www.venstar.com
Email: sales@venstar.com
Telephone: 818-812-9930