Many programmable thermostats have a terminal block dedicated to the C-wire. If you have a wire in the terminal labeled “C” you have a C-wire.
To confirm that the C-wire is powered use a voltmeter:
If there is no wire in the C terminal, there are two options to provide a powered C-wire to the device.
THESE OPTIONS REQUIRE THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE OF A PROFESSIONAL HVAC TECHNICIAN OR ELECTRICIAN.
Use an existing wire
Run a new wire to the desired location
To attach the Smart Commercial Control to the wall plate:
The Smart Commercial Control is powered when the bar in the top right corner of the screen is moving.
Note: It shifts position every 1-3s
If the bar is not moving after installing the Smart Commercial Control then the C-wire is not powered. Remove the Smart Commercial Control from the wall and confirm that the C-wire is powered use a voltmeter:
If no C-wire is available you will need to install a C-wire.
Installation is complete when the Smart Commercial Control successfully connects to a cellular network and receives a configuration. When this occurs the Default Home Screen will appear.
If you run into issues during the installation process, send an email to support@cognitioncontrols.com
The Cognition Dashboard should be used to set and adjust comfort preferences.
At the wall you can make temporary comfort adjustments:.
Adjustments made at the SCC are temporary. The system will revert to the Dashboard Comfort Preferences when the requested temperature is achieved, or after one hour.
Comfort is not a specific number, it is an experience. Managing your space with a range is more energy efficient and reduces unnecessary equipment wear and tear.
You can adjust your schedule in the Comfort tab of the Cognition Dashboard.
The Smart Commercial Control uses the information in the Comfort Tab to manage your HVAC equipment and create comfort.
Manage your space when it is in use. You can set a unified occupied schedule for the entire building or customize it by zone.
For enhanced comfort, create multiple comfort ranges for different times of the day (e.g., morning, lunch, afternoon, evening, overnight). These can also vary by day.
Manage your space when it is not in use.
This is the time when energy savings can be prioritized.
The default Unoccupied setting is: 60°F – 80°F.
Manage times or days when you want to deviate from your schedule, such as holidays.
A schedule exception is temporary and automatically expires.
Exceptions can be created:
Shoulder Seasons are a great time to review your schedules.
Cold Weather Tips:
Hot Weather Tips:
Temperatuer Variability Tips:
For spaces impacted by fluctuating outside temperatures (e.g., cold mornings, hot afternoons, or strong sun exposure), create multiple comfort ranges throughout the day to prioritize warmth in the morning without overheating ahead of warm afternoons.
Any override requested is automatically documented in the Dashboard - on the Overview Tab and in the data view on the Analyze Tab.
Cognition automatically expires overrides to ensure they do not cause unnecessary energy use. If there are repeated overrides occurring in a space it is an indication that the Comfort settings need to be adjusted in the Dashboard on the Comfort Tab.
They are a way to temporarily adjust your Comfort Settings. The exception is set for a specific time and day(s) and will only apply for that period. After that period has passed, Cognition will automatically return to the settings in your Comfort Calendar.
The Cognition Controls dashboard is built for quick, easy insights about your space:
Cognition Controls actively reviews your Climate data to provide insights, alerts, and reminders, including:
Cognition will send Users relevant alerts and reminders to get ahead of issues to avoid downtime and disruption to their business.
Our goal is to provide clear, actionable information to support data-driven Climate decisions. We categorize our communications to ensure clarity:
Your HVAC equipment runs to keep your space comfortable.
The difference between the outside temperature and the temperature inside your space is proportional to the amount of HVAC equipment runtime required to reach a requested temperature. A larger temperature difference leads to more runtime. A smaller difference leads to less runtime. When the temperature is equal, no runtime is required.
72°F is widely considered to be a reasonable balance between comfort and equipment use and as a result 72°F hold is how many programmable thermostats are configured.
To demonstrate savings, the Cognition Controls Dashboard provides a monthly report comparing your actual HVAC equipment runtime with the calculated runtime of managing your space with a 72°F hold.
The actual runtime is computed from the data logs Cognition tracks and collects on the amount of time the Cognition Smart Commercial Control ran the equipment in your space.
A 72°F hold is simulated, factoring in actual outside weather conditions during the period, as well as data about how your equipment operates at different temperatures.
For HVAC:
The Smart Commercial Control (SCC) loses power if your HVAC equipment loses power. When this happens, the SCC enters a safe power-down mode and reports the loss of power to the Dashboard.
Cognition Intelligence will notify you about power loss when it identifies:
When power is restored, the Smart Commercial Control will automatically resume managing your comfort.
For F/F:
The SCC loses power if the outlet it is connected to loses power. When this happens, the SCC enters a safe power-down mode and reports the loss of power to the Dashboard. The same power alert messages are sent as outlined above.
“Temporarily Unavailable” indicates that your SCC has temporarily lost network connectivity.
Most cellular connectivity issues are temporary and resolve themselves. Once the SCC regains connectivity it will automatically sync with the Dashboard to capture any updates to settings.
If there is a cellular outage in your area that will cause a prolonged period of no connectivity, Cognition will notify you.
For HVAC: The SCC is intelligent and always has your latest comfort settings saved to its memory. It will continue to manage your HVAC equipment even if cellular connectivity is lost.
If you have a question we haven’t answered in the FAQs, please email us at support@cognitioncontrols.com. If it’s urgent, we can give you a call.
At Cognition Controls we are proud of our network of preferred HVAC Pros. If you need a recommendation we’d be happy to put you in touch with one of these comfort heroes.
