Parks Associates, host of Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, today announced new energy research showing nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households are very interested in a thermostat capable of automatically detecting an unoccupied house and adjusting the temperature to save money. The research firm notes that consumer interest in automated energy management overall is increasing.
The fourth-annual Smart Energy Summit, February 25-27 in San Antonio, features analysts and energy market executives analyzing opportunities emerging from growing adoption of energy management capabilities. The session "Engaging Consumers: Case Studies and Success Stories" features speakers from Salt River Project, Southern California Edison, Opower, and GreenWave Reality on 9:30 a.m., February 26.
Consumers' energy-saving activities remained the same from 2011 to 2012, but their energy consciousness is still low compared to the peak in 2010. Consumers appreciate the benefits of smart technologies, but they don’t want to constantly monitor their home’s energy consumption. Minimally invasive energy management is preferred, and the top-rated smart thermostat features reduce consumption through automatic adjustments. At Smart Energy Summit, Parks Associates will discuss strategies to engage this new mentality, where automated features resonate with consumers.