In the heyday of conglomerates, AVM had 15 divisions, making everything from auto parts and furniture to air-conditioning components.

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In exchange for a more substantial energy-bill savings (5-10% of the summer's air-conditioning tariff), participating customers agree to an "Auto-Tune" of their Nest, a three-week adjustment period where the algorithms plan a regime that routinely rejiggers air-conditioning use during the day.

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We also heard from Mike Mitternight, who installs air conditioning in Louisiana, and Ray Ciccolo, who owns a chain of auto dealerships in New England.

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