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The Gold award in the HVAC Residential Controls category goes to the ADC-T40K-HD Smart Thermostat HD by Building36. The Smart Thermostat HD is a near-universal 24 V smart thermostat that can wirelessly communicate with HVAC systems and control air quality products and accessories. The Smart Thermostat HD was designed to help busy HVAC contractors overcome common smart thermostat installation issues so they can get to the next job faster.

“As equipment gets more and more complicated you start adding more peripherals you need … and the complexity of installing these controls gets exponentially more difficult,” said Dan Goodman, president and founder of Building36. “So we said, ‘How can we off load some of that for them and leverage our technology in a way that makes things far more simple for the contractor?’”

The installation of the Smart Thermostat HD is made easy with its on-screen setup wizard and automatic wire detection and configuration. In addition, its flexible two-part design provides a labor-saving solution when there is either no C-wire or not enough wires available. Rather than pull a new wire or add one, the touchscreen display of the Smart Thermostat HD can be mounted in the living area and the thermostat unit separately installed near the HVAC equipment — and wireless communication does the rest. During the Display Sync installations, the Touchscreen Display and Thermostat units automatically pair and communicate wirelessly. When the system needs to be replaced, it notifies both contractor and customer to let them know that a new heating or cooling system is needed. The product not only simplifies smart thermostat installation, but also establishes and maintains a long-term relationship with the homeowner.

“This is part of a larger connected home offering in that it’s not just a thermostat that we actually tie in, we’ve also got a cellular based solution. So you don’t have to worry about anybody’s Wi-Fi. But it can also tie in the rest of the smart home. So not only do we monitor furnaces and air conditioners, we can monitor water heaters, sump pumps, condensate pans, and give customers the kind of the ‘fun’ and ‘wow’ factor of controlling everything from a branded app for the contractor,” Goodman said.

Stephen Birch, general manager at Aiello Home Services, has used every version of the Building36 Thermostats.

“This HD one is the best of the bunch. It’s sleek, easy to install, very user-friendly … and it gives us proactive updates, so we can monitor what’s going on and react quicker than sometimes even the homeowner,” said Birch.

The product is simplified for technicians, as it can control ERV/HRVs as well as humidifiers and dehumidifiers so there is no need to wire in multiple controls; it’s all part of the initial install. It also gives contractors the ability to adjust the settings of the smart thermostat remotely.

“It’s unique how it’s almost self-installing. All we have to do it touch it and attach it to the wall and it pretty much configures itself,” said Birch. “But the proactive measures, the information, is probably one of the neatest features. When you have the systems in place to be able to monitor and maintain the information that it’s sending, you can proactively solve a lot of problems.”

The product can be used on just about any manufacturer’s system.

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