From day one, I’ve envisioned my indoor comfort system as a pipeline of different systems that work together to create an optimal scenario. You’ve had a chance to watch that pipeline come together, in the form of advanced wall construction techniques, underfloor heating, and mechanical systems that are conducive to saving energy and keeping occupants comfortable.

The final piece of that indoor comfort system pipeline is the thermostat. A thermostat is a small but important piece of any comfort system, and it’s important to select one that corresponds with the requirements of your system. As I was saying last week, there is no better time to be a home builder than the digital age, because integrating different systems in your home is easier than ever before.

Compared to when I was growing up, the variety and technological advancement of products have come a long way. Everybody remembers the first programmable thermostats, with a menagerie of buttons on a front panel with a black and white display. It’s hard to believe that some of those types of products are now 20 years old, but the smartphone age shouldn’t leave any doubts that thermostats have changed. Take ecobee, for example - they’ve created a smart thermostat that mimics the functionality of a smartphone, so that using all of its features is intuitive and easy. It’s also wifi ready, which means you can control it from your smartphone. The benefits of this are obvious.

A smart thermostat should be easy to use, but not just from a convenience standpoint - if a thermostat isn’t intuitive and gets installed into a home or building, users may configure it to one setting that ends up wasting a lot of energy, defeating its whole purpose.

For any builder or home enthusiast, this week’s episode is packed with kernels of knowledge from my conversation with Jay Kress of ecobee, who I had the pleasure of having at the job site.

What is your favorite smart thermostat? Join the conversation and let us know!