CONNECTIONS™ to examine strategies for in-home energy monitoring and control systems

Home monitoring and controls companies will need to take alternate, more indirect routes to reach mass-market status, according to international research firm Parks Associates.

The firm, which will host CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference and Showcase on June 8-10 in Santa Clara, recommends these companies, to overcome the difficult U.S. economic climate and cost-conscious consumers, should align with individual applications that are gaining widespread interest, such as energy management.

“Almost 50% of U.S. households are very interested in an energy-monitoring device, with nearly 80% willing to pay $100 provided it saves 10-30% on their electricity bill,” said Parks Associates. “Energy applications are popular now because of the need for cost savings, but in the end, all home systems will need to be interconnected. By embedding their technologies into energy-related appliances and systems, controls and monitoring companies can get a foothold in the home and start to build traction on a mass scale with consumers.”

Controls and monitoring companies can form strategic partnerships with system manufacturers, service providers, and utilities to build these inroads. Many utilities have smart grid programs, which have partnership opportunities, but the popularity of energy solutions has attracted new, nontraditional players. For example, Intel recently announced a sensor that monitors power usage throughout a home and shows the homeowner the amount of power used by different appliances and systems.

The Home Systems & Controls track at CONNECTIONS™ includes the following panels:

  • Residential Energy Management
  • Getting Consumers to Care about Home Controls
  • Business Models for Energy Management
  • Home Area Network: Architectures and Implications
  • Energy Management as a Key Application for Home Controls


The panels will feature speakers from 4Home, Best Buy, Cisco, Control4, Direct Energy, GridWise Architecture Council (U.S. Department of Energy), HomePNA Alliance, Ingersoll Rand, Intamac Systems, Powerhouse Dynamics, SimpleHomeNet, and Wi-Fi Alliance.

Other CONNECTIONS™ Session Topics:

  • New Media and Digital Content
  • Consumer Electronics
  • Entertainment Platforms & Value-Added Services


For more information, visit www.connectionsus.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.

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