Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest

A study released this month by Parks Associates found only 18 percent of consumers would buy a smart thermostat at $250, but offering a $100 rebate more than doubled the pool of interested buyers.

"The market for smart thermostats is still in the early adopter phase," said Tom Kerber, director of internet of things strategy for Parks Associates, a Texas-based consumer technology research and consulting company. "To move beyond early adopters, they have to offer products at a lower price point."

Kerber said prices for the first-generation smart thermostats started at about $400 but have dropped to about $250 for Nest and other leading products. He said breaking through the $150 price point opens it up to a broader market.

From the article "Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest" by Robert Channick.

Previously In The News

How to Use Ambient Sensing in Smart Lighting for Energy Efficiency

Parks Associates says 6% of US households own smart lighting control systems. From the article, "How to Use Ambient Sensing in Smart Lighting for Energy Efficiency" by Mark Westlake

State of the Market: The Future of Intrusion & Smart Home

According to Parks Associates nearly 50 percent of the residential security market is now inclusive of some DIY or Ship-Self-Install product — a camera, doorbell, system or otherwise. From the arti...

Here’s a Tip to Companies: Beware of Promoting AI in Products

A separate new study from market-research firm Parks Associates that used different methods and included a much larger sample size came to similar conclusions about consumers’ reaction to AI in pr...

WWDC: Apple Unifies Operating Systems, Makes iPad More PC

Getting AI use cases right remains tricky, warned Kristen Hanich, an analyst with Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company specializing in consumer technology products in Dallas....