not sure the 'smart' thermostat market will grow huge in a reasonable time frame. 'save' money by buying a 250-400$ (+ installation) thermostat when a normal one costs around 40$. This works for some people/situations, but I'd rather just turn the heat down before I go out the door. On top of it all, your thermostat can now be used against you in a court of law, and who knows what companies will do with this information.
Long-term, I imagine the market will largely be driven by new construction and from installation of new HVAC systems in existing buildings. It's much easier to upsell a $250 thermostat as part of a $BIGNUM package than it is to sell one standalone. Rationally the tradeoff is the same either way, but psychologically it works much better.
