Advanced thermostats are programmable, Wi-Fi enabled thermostats that can be controlled remotely. They have hardware for sensing temperature and controlling HVAC units, communicate wirelessly, and have cloud-based software for easier control and data analysis. While still a small market, advanced thermostats could transform the industry by fulfilling original promises of energy savings, providing vast amounts of building performance data, and changing the role of maintenance staff through remote monitoring and control. However, barriers like installation challenges and contractors' unfamiliarity with network technologies must still be overcome.