The nest does this, but it's not very effective. We're getting the 'rush hour' stuff right now (it's 100-105 peak right now) and the Nest does the following:

* Sets the thermostat 2 degrees cooler (74) ~1 hr prior to the rush hour time (3:30-5:30)

* Sets the thermostat to 4 degrees warmer between rush hour timing.

Problem is, with the current heat my house cannot be cooled down to 74 1 hour prior, and even still... it floats up to 80 degrees by ~4:30-5PM anyways and the AC kicks back on. Then it takes until ~10PM or so to get BACK to the 76 set temperature. This is a relatively modern house (built in 2010s), so it has modern insulation, sealing, etc. It's just ACs aren't really sized for being able to wildly swing temperatures and maintain temp. When it's 100+ degrees outside, they're sized so they run basically constantly when the sun is out, so slipping temperature means you're playing catch up for the rest of the night.

It sounds like your AC might be of the wrong tonnage for your home. The Nest assumes your AC unit is sized correctly, although this is something the Nest should detect and plan accordingly.

> Isn't this exactly what they do? That what the Nest does when there's going to be a spike; it cools the house.

I don't have any experience with Nest, but the Ecobee seemed to just increase the cool set temp when there was demand. I didn't experience any proactive cooling.

Interestingly, in the Ecobee Community Energy Savings FAQ I linked above it says:

> [...] your thermostat may precool your home prior to the event to make sure you’re comfortable.

But I never experienced this. I wonder if its energy provider dependent.