Evolve or Perish

This is a guest blog post written by Alfred Dilluvio. Having held conservation positions in both the Klamath and Daniel Boone National Forests, Alfred has a deep appreciation for the natural world. Joining Aqua Turf in 2014, his chief objectives are the introduction of smart irrigation controllers and the development of more sustainable business practices.

Alfred Dilluvio

Aqua Turf Irrigation Systems LLC





Evolve or perish has long been the overarching mandate for all living things. When an organism develops characteristics which enable its survival, usually as a result of environmental pressure, other species occupying similar ecological niches are forced to develop new traits. It is this constant changing, or adaptation, which often drives evolution and specialization. Companies and businesses are not all that different; especially when it comes to new technology or the introduction of new products. If something is introduced that works very well, other companies will often produce something with similar design and functionality. Sometimes, a product (or group of products) will reign at the top for many years before another one is engineered to challenge it. That is precisely what is happening in the irrigation industry, especially in the realm of system control. Wi-Fi based smart irrigation controllers and intuitive applications are challenging the biggest names in the Irrigation Industry. One small company from Colorado is leading the way, introducing features designed to save water, money, and time. Rachio has effectively engineered a device that I believe will become the benchmark for all subsequent irrigation controllers. Additionally, it is my hope that this innovation will kick start an industry that has long remained dormant, content to introduce so much of the “same old thing.”

The intent of this piece is not to slam the irrigation industry, as the methods for delivering water to landscapes have certainly been improved since the start of automated irrigation. On site soil and moisture sensors have long been used to save both water and money by interrupting regularly scheduled irrigation events. Additionally, different types of emitters have been both redesigned and enhanced to water more efficiently. It is really just the controllers that have been without significant improvement. And this lack of development has certainly not been limited to the controller’s functionality. I am most frustrated by the fact that they have remained, for the most part, an unnecessarily complex interface of dials and buttons. It should therefore come as no surprise that people don’t like touching their controllers, and usually avoid doing so at all costs. There is no reason, at this point in time, for someone to be intimidated by the technology keeping watch over their homes or properties. The interfaces pioneered by tech companies like Apple have set the standard for user friendliness and intuitiveness. Here is an opportunity for a technology company to introduce a new species of controller, and by doing so, hopefully spur a reaction by the entire industry, to evolve or perish.

Let’s take a moment to examine the ways in which new smart controllers will change the game. By providing friendly applications and remote scheduling from any web enabled device, users are empowered to get involved with their irrigation systems without spending an inordinate amount of time or money doing so. And why not get involved with your lawn sprinklers? Mismanagement can result in costly water bills or a dry, brown, lawn. The major players in the irrigation industry have never given users or contractors a controller that is “easy” to use. And no one has ever given people the ability to manage their systems from anywhere with a free application that is brilliantly designed. It is my sincere hope that the irrigation industry reacts to this new technology by making it the new standard and incorporating it in high profile system design. It is also my hope that traditional controllers lacking this technology be phased out, similar to the extinction of species no longer capable of survival.

If the convenience and user friendliness of this device is not enough to inspire a change from the status quo, let’s consider that it is specifically designed to save both water and money, both things we all could use a little more of. Traditional controllers know nothing about your landscape, and they leave irrigation totally up to the knowledge or guesswork of whoever is taking care of the lawn or plantings. New smart controllers have developed different ways to generate watering schedules based on landscape profiles which are created during configuration. They aim to put back only as much water is lost by the soil and plant life. Irrigation should be a sustainable practice, and one that doesn’t break your bank. If traditional irrigation timers, which require changes to be input at the controller site, were all replaced by this new breed of smart controllers, we would be saving water, fuel, and money, effectively putting the “green” back in the green industry.

Rachio and other companies coming out with similar technology realize that the best way to make automatic changes to irrigation schedules is to connect the device to local weather. By inputting a zip code during wifi configuration, the controller knows where it lives. This allows it to regularly suspend or vary irrigation schedules as needed according to the local weather. Also, the use of regular push notifications can alert property managers or homeowners when irrigation schedules have been altered. The peace of mind afforded by such a feature cannot be discounted. Once again, this new breed of controller communicates what is going on with your lawn/garden and presents you with an ability to manage it more effectively.

Everything costs more nowadays. Water is no longer cheap or abundant. Efforts for conservation and preservation are omnipresent. With issues like this effecting humanity on a global scale, we have to rely on the brightest minds and the best technology to give us the best products. I believe the Rachio Iro, and other controllers like it, are a monumental step in the right direction, and I hope they inspire a dramatic shift in thought. Evolve or perish; it’s as simple as that.

Sense of Water

I was traveling recently to a trade show for a large retail partner of Rachio’s and ran into several people asking about our company journey. I had one person come up and say “Congrats on the EPA WaterSense Certification. It’s a nice to have but it won’t do much for sales. Customers don’t get it.”

I was a little taken back by the remarks and I started wondering if maybe we made a mistake in pushing so hard for this program. It’s not a cheap process and as a startup we’re watching every penny and every hour.

I started thinking, why wouldn’t people want to save money and save a natural resource like water? Do the big players in the industry know something we don’t? Are we too close to the water story and missing something here? No, it doesn’t add up.

As a father of two, my wife and I are always talking about the give and take between spending and saving. We search out deals and listen to friends and family on what they are doing to stretch their budgets. I’m not sure about yours, but mine are more than happy to share a great deal or a new product that they really love. Especially if the product is meaningfully contributing to the bigger picture.

I also know how important our outdoor living space is to our family. It’s where we play, cook, listen to music and hang with friends. So, we don’t want to buy things that can potentially make this space less desirable. We want to keep it looking its best. Sometimes this can be the perception with sustainably focused products and programs - that we have to give up something that we love.

At the end of the day, we of course want to save money if we can justify the spend to help us do so and if we’re not losing out on the things we love. To this point, the EPA WaterSense certification helps you do just that by easing the upfront cost of acquiring new, smart products that will save water and money, without drastically changing things we have come accustomed to. The biggest challenge with these types of programs in making sure homeowners 1) know about them and 2) know how to leverage them with their water provider to get new and exciting products that help them optimize water use.

Head on over to the EPA WaterSense product page to find out about products bearing the WaterSense certification label. You’ll also want to check with your local municipality to see if it supports the WaterSense program. And of course, if there’s anyway we can help you learn more about EPA WaterSense certified products or rebates in your area, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at rebates@rach.io. We’re here to help you.

Finally, pay it forward. Our water issues here in the west are real and affect the entire country. If we can do things to minimize water waste, we’ll be in a much better place. If you were able to leverage the EPA WaterSense certification program to get products that save water and add to sustainable future at a price that didn’t hurt your wallet, make sure to tell your friends and family how they can do the same.

Here’s to a great spring.

Cooking with Rachio and IFTTT

HI DAN

Our Channel

The world as we know it is changing at an incredibly rapid pace. What you are about to read will probably blow your mind, it did mine!

Imagine connecting hundreds of disparate applications and devices together like email, twitter, motion sensors, irrigation controllers, calendars, location services, etc. Any one of these is a powerful tool, but what if they could be seamlessly integrated together? That is where "If This Then That", or IFTTT comes in and provides the glue.

IFTTT enables anyone to create and share "Recipes" that follow the statement: "if this then that". A recipe consists of a trigger (the this part of a recipe) and an action (the that part of a recipe). An example recipe would be "if the temperature drops below freezing then stop any watering schedules". The combinations of recipes that can be built are endless, only limited by your imagination and ever growing list of useful channels (IFTTT building blocks which include triggers and actions).

Some fun recipes using the Iro include:

• If a motion sensor in your garden detects movement (pesky deer or children) then turn a zone on.
• Building your own Google spreadsheet to track all schedules and durations
• Some municipalities have very complex watering restrictions. These could easily be put onto a Google Calendar which triggers watering schedules to run at very specific times and dates.
• If freezing temperatures are detected, pulse zones to keep water flowing and stop from freezing.

As you can see, only your imagination limits the number of recipes that can be created.

Let's get in the kitchen and build our own recipe! The ingredients call for a pinch of Google Calendar and a dash of Iro goodness. Let's pretend we live where the watering restrictions are every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. This can easily be setup on a Google calendar and integrated with the Iro using IFTTT.

First step is to register for an account on IFTTT and create a recipe. Next, use the Google Calendar channel to add a trigger that will fire when any event with the keyword 'Iro Main Schedule' starts.

Create a recipe!

Google Calendar trigger

Now add an Iro action to run the watering time 'Main Schedule'. After the action has been added review the final recipe, hope we didn't use the wrong ingredients!

Iro start watering time action

Review the recipe

Notice the 'Iro Main Schedule' at the bottom of the calendar. Once the event starts, the watering schedule starts.

Google Calendar event

Google Calendar event started watering time

I hope now you can see the amazing things that can be built through integrating applications and devices. We look forward to seeing all the great mash ups and recipes that are created using the Iro!

The Science of ET

We've had a lot of customers ask how our "smart" features work. Questions like: Where do the recommended watering times come from? Why did the Iro suggest those numbers? How does Water Budgeting know what my new watering times should be? The answer to all of those questions is the same: through the magic of ET.

ET and the Water Cycle

Evapotranspiration, or ET, is a measure of how much water a group of plants (like your lawn or trees) loses in a given period. It's basically the combination of how much water evaporates from the soil itself, and how much water the plant transpires, or "breathes out". (That's where the word comes from.)

ET is part of the water cycle, which describes how water falls to the ground as precipitation like rain or snow, is absorbed by plants and the soil itself and then returns to the clouds. Understanding the water cycle is important for climate scientists, meteorologists, and agricultural scientists, and lots of people spend their whole lives studying it. Fortunately, we're really just interested in how it works in one area: your yard!

ET and Your Yard

All of the science boils down to this: your yard gains moisture from precipitation, and loses moisture from ET. If you lose more than you gain, you get dry soil and brown foliage. That's what irrigation is for--but it's tricky. Irrigate too little, and you're just delaying your yard's demise. Irrigate too much, and you're wasting water, eroding your topsoil, and sending all kinds of junk into your storm drains (and thus our rivers and streams).

Figuring out just the right amount can be hard, and that's where ET comes in. A lot of smart people have researched how much ET occurs when you take all kinds of things into account: soil type, plant type, average temperatures, wind speed, humidity levels, latitude, average sun exposure, you name it. Figure out which equations to use, feed in the right variables, and you can decide exactly how much water your lawn needs in a given week. Know the watering rates of your sprinklers, and you can calculate just how long to water.

We Think Hard, So You Don't Have To

Fortunately, you don't have to be a climate scientist to figure it out. Our software uses your zone details, location, climate data, and weather to run the numbers and recommend the best watering schedule for your lawn. And, as conditions change, Water Budgeting changes your schedule to match. It's not perfect - there are a lot of different types of sprinklers out there, for example - but we're working every day to collect more data to make our system smarter. We're not going to be happy until everybody has a great yard, that never wastes a drop of water!

The Secret Life of Bees

When I was a kid I liked to imagine what the world looked like to a bee. I had read or heard somewhere that bees are able to see ultraviolet light. In the secret world of bees, flowers that look the same to you and I may look very different to the bee. Some flowers, for example, have brightly colored ultraviolet pedals that direct the bees to pollen and nectar, like little bee runways. Most biologists think the bees and flowers co-evolved this special relationship. So what do bees and flowers have to do with Rachio?

When I first heard about Rachio, I was excited about the possibility of having a convenient way to manage my sprinklers using my smartphone. I’ve been in my house for almost 15 years and have pretty much left my sprinkler settings where I found them when I moved in. With an Iro, I thought, I can easily adjust my watering schedule and run my sprinklers from anywhere. And that’s about as far as I let my imagination go until I finally received a working Iro and installed it at my house. Even though I had worked on creating the Rachio iOS app for several months, nothing really prepared me for the experience of using it with an actual Iro and Rachio’s cloud services to manage my sprinklers. The first time I set up my zones and created a watering schedule I realized that I have been completely unaware of the secret world that is my yard.

Over the past few months, because of my Iro and Rachio’s intelligent software, my relationship with my yard has evolved. For the first time in 15 years I am beginning to understand my yard and its needs. Where before we were strangers at best, and enemies at worse, now my yard and I are becoming friends and partners. I am becoming much more sensitive to my yard’s needs and my yard is thanking me by looking beautiful and healthy (and drinking a lot less water). Who knows, maybe some day I might actually experience what it feels like to be a bee.

Epilogue

When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), it’s easy to imagine smart devices taking over all aspects of our lives “freeing us” to focus on other things. When you think about it in those terms, the brave new IoT world seems like one that will leave us even more disconnected from nature and each other. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Here at Rachio, we are passionate about helping people enjoy their yards and, more importantly, get back in touch with that little bit of nature that’s right outside the door. While the Iro smart sprinkler controller definitely frees people from having to figure out and manage their irrigation system, I have discovered first hand that it does so in a way that actually creates a deeper connection with nature and the environment...while saving lots of water and money!

Rachio is Coming Soon to Home Depot

We are excited to announce that this June, Rachio’s WiFi connected, smart irrigation controller will be available in Home Depot stores throughout the US and on homedepot.com. Rachio’s smart irrigation controller, Iro, can be found in the irrigation section.

Home Depot is one of the largest home improvement stores in the world and we couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to create such a wonderful partnership.

The Home Depot has an amazing lawn and garden center with customers that truly value making their home and yards places of joy and relaxation with family and friends. We’re excited to have the chance to contribute to their enjoyment.

Designed and Made in Colorado

We have been building Rachio for the better part of 15 months now and have a set of driving values that are essential to our continued passion as a company and have helped guide the design of our first product.

We obviously have a strong focus on sustainability through the reduction of water waste in our own backyards. A little less obvious is our passion to heavily contribute to the state we call home.

It has been a goal for our team from the very start to design, manufacture and assemble our product right here in Colorado. And we are very proud to say that we have accomplished just that and have been accepted into the By Colorado state branding program.

From the very start, we designed Iro with water conscious, outdoor loving, land optimizing and beautifying, tech savvy Coloradans in mind. With their help, feedback and guidance we’ve created a product that we believe embodies these characteristics as an amazingly simple, smart sprinkler controller that will not only appeal to Coloradans, but to the much larger market as well.

We are grateful and lucky to have been able to partner with so many local companies to help us build everything from our messaging, to our apps, to our hardware, and soon, our packaging. 

Creating a physical product along with software hasn't been easy and there’s no way we could have done it without help from a few very special Colorado companies, none more important for us than Intertech Plastics.  We can’t thank the people of this company enough.

The resources we need to build amazing products are right here in our own backyard and we encourage everyone to find and use them. We’re proud to be a Colorado company and can’t wait to make Colorado proud of us.