Control4, NV Energy to begin EMS rollout in June

The first real-world smart grid rollout of home energy management systems will take place this year in Nevada, according to home control company Control4.

Control4 will provide Nevada’s NV Energy with 20,000 of its EMS 100 energy management systems, which consist of a 5-inch EC-100 touchscreen display and a WT-100 wireless thermostat. The rollouts will begin in June 2011, likely in southern Nevada, and continue through 2012.

NV Energy customers voluntarily participating in NV Energy’s programs will be able to access and use the data collected by smart meters to wisely manage energy in their homes. The EC-100 energy controller’s color touchscreen interface will provide up-to-the-minute feedback on their electricity consumption and costs. The system will analyze their electricity usage and accommodate additional energy management applications and load controllers on their home area network.

According to Control4, the EMS 100 can also directly control some lights, such as turning off outdoor lighting. The system contains radios to connect to the two-way smart meter, a ZigBee-based radio to communicate with smart appliances, and a Wi-Fi radio for the home network. Plug-in modules and other devices will allow control of a variety of home systems.

For the complete article, please click here.

The Residential Energy Management Ecosystem

Numerous firms are developing solutions for both utilities and consumers to monitor, manage, and control their electricity consumption. Companies developing solutions for the residential market represent only one group within the rapidly expanding universe of participants in the residential energy management ecosystem.

The basic structure of the ecosystem has three primary levels:

-- Technology Enablers: firms developing the building blocks of solutions from control communication technologies to software platforms on which communication service providers can provide applications over the top of their current offerings.

-- Products and Systems: companies integrating these building blocks with their own technologies to offer solutions designed to take advantage of the smart grid capabilities.

-- Distribution Channels: organizations that touch the consumer, or perhaps more specifically, have a billing relationship with the consumer.

To read more about the The Residential Energy Management Ecosystem, subscribe to Parks Associates' Home Systems and Home Controls Newsletter.

Click here to subscribe to other Parks Associates complimentary newsletters.

Sigma Designs sponsors Smart Energy Summit 2011

Parks Associate is proud to welcome Sigma Designs as a Premier sponsor for the upcoming Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

Sigma Designs is a leading fabless provider of highly integrated SoC solutions that are used to deliver multimedia entertainment throughout the home. Sigma’s SoC solutions include media processors, home control and communication devices which combine semiconductors and software as critical components of high-growth consumer applications including IPTV-based settop boxes, gateways, Blu-ray players, HDTVs, entertainment connectivity devices, and RFbased home control devices.

Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., Sigma Designs also has design centers or sales representatives in Canada, China, Denmark, France, Israel, Japan, Korea (third party), Singapore, and Taiwan.

For more information, please visit www.sigmadesigns.com.

Cavet Technologies launches LumiSmart

Cavet Technologies Inc. launched the LumiSmart ILC - Intelligent Lighting Controller - a purpose-built solution that dramatically reduces power consumed by fluorescent lighting systems with no impact on occupant comfort. The solution is designed for industrial, commercial and institutional properties and can be installed within minutes, providing minimal disruption to daily business activities.

LumiSmart ILC is the first of a new class of Smart Grid-enabled lighting controllers that provide microprocessor-driven adaptive control of lighting circuits to reduce power consumption while providing an instant 30 per cent or more power reduction without replacing any existing lamps, ballasts or fixtures.

Cavet's LumiSmart ILC also helps reduce carbon emissions by actively reducing energy consumption at the source, and therefore minimizes strain on the electrical grid. This decrease in carbon footprint results in a reduction in greenhouses gases released into the atmosphere.

Consumers growing more aware of Energy Consumption

One key finding from Parks Associates energy research is that consumers are growing more aware about their energy consumption. Eighty percent of U.S. households are interested in learning more about how to cut their energy costs (although this interest does not equal a desire or need to learn about smart grids, which will be discussed later). Over one-half already have a programmable thermostat, meaning the majority of U.S. households have at least one energy-saving device in their home.

If current utility plans come to full fruition, U.S. households will soon have many more energy-saving options through AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) deployments. Utilities have deployed over 13 million smart meters, with plans to install 50 million more over the next five years. Predictably, other firms are eyeing this space for new market opportunities, hoping to build off this new bedrock technology and create more avenues for service and product opportunities in the home.

Click here to sign up to read Parks Associates Home Systems Newsletter.

U.S. Electronic Systems Contractors optimistic about business prospects in 2010

On average, U.S. home systems integrators, who have had revenues fall for the past two years, expect sales to pick up by more than 9% in 2010 over 2009, according to Home Systems: Channel and Consumer Monitor.

This report includes results of a fourth-quarter 2009 survey of integrators installing home controls, entertainment systems, and energy management solutions, conducted as a joint effort from international research firm Parks Associates and the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA).

Home Systems: Channel and Consumer Monitor reports that integrators continue to generate two-thirds of their revenue from A/V systems but many integrators plan to diversity in 2010 by adding lighting controls and solar panels to their 2010 offerings. Approximately 40% of integrators plan to begin installing photovoltaic solar panels, and another 38% are seeking more information on this product category to determine its viability. In addition, the trend toward more retrofit projects, which accounted for 63% of 2009 revenues, will continue.

Visit www.parksassociates.com for more information on Home Systems: Channel and Consumer Monitor.

Control 4 Supports SES 2010

Parks Associates welcomes Control4 as a Smart Energy Summit sponsor in 2010.

Control4, a leading provider of the operating system for the smart home, delivers intelligent control of consumer electronics products, appliances and networking systems through an easy-to-use and intuitive software interface. Founded in 2003, the company delivers affordable automation and control of lighting, music, video, HVAC, security, and energy management systems to the broad market through more than 1,600 custom integrators, retail outlets, and distributors in over 40 countries. Control4 is the platform of choice for major consumer electronics companies, hotels, businesses and utilities that require an intelligent, open and affordable control solution.

For more information about Control4, please visit http://www.control4.com/.

Intamac sponsors SMART Energy Summit 2010

Parks Associates welcome Intamac as a sponsor for Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy on January 25-27.

Intamac Systems offers a unique service platform through which consumers can manage and control devices in their home or business (SOHO) using a range of different devices from mobile phones to picture frames.

Together with device manufacturers Intamacoffers a range of innovative and exciting new services for the home including Security, Video, Smart Energy, Care and Control. These services allow their partners to exploit their core capabilities to generate strong new revenue streams. They now have platforms deployed to support the rollout of these new services on three continents; Europe, North America and Australia.

For more information about Intamac, please click here.