HomeGrid Forum speaking at 2011 Smart Energy Summit, Austin TX

The HomeGrid Forum, speaking at today’s Smart Energy Summit in Austin, Texas, unveiled an exciting and ambitious roadmap towards the widespread adoption of G.hn as the de facto standard in wired home networking.

Speaking at the Summit, the Forum’s co-Chair of Marketing, Chano Gomez, said that first deployments of G.hn products will occur during 2011 and the organization’s Compliance & Interoperability (C&I) Roadmap outlines a range of practical steps for service providers and equipment manufacturers. This roadmap includes the appointment of accredited test houses, the first interoperability plugfests, and the first shipments of certified products.

There have been also key developments in G.hnem – the ITU-T standard for energy management – during 2011, enabling cost-effective SmartGrid applications such as smart meters, smart appliances and advanced re-charging systems for electric vehicles. While participating in a panel on home gateways, Gomez said that consent of G.hnem is expected during the first quarter of 2011 by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T).

At the Summit, Gomez also said: “This past year showed a remarkable growth in interest in G.hn and G.hnem, and looking back, 2010 will be remembered as the year that home networking took off. HomeGrid Forum membership more than doubled during the year: a clear indicator of the growth of home networking and the value the industry is placing on G.hn and G.hnem as the technologies of choice for the next generation of home networking and Smart Grid applications.”

Gomez is Director of Business Development at Lantiq North America and has more than 10 years of experience in home networking and SmartGrid applications semiconductor industry, with a special focus on powerline communications for voice, video and data transmission. Since 2008, Chano has been actively involved in the development of ITU-T standards G.9960 and G.9961 (G.hn). He currently serves as co-chair of HomeGrid Forum Marketing Working Group, and previously as chair of the HomeGrid Forum G.hn Contributions Working Group.

Panamax/Furman Becomes the Newest Smart Energy Summit Sponsor

Parks Associates wecomes Panamax/Furman as the newest sponsor of the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin, TX.

Panamax/Furman’s BlueBOLT® technology provides an integrated hardware/cloud-based software solution for power and energy management of home electronics. With BlueBOLT, users can monitor energy usage, define budgets and alerts, control power to electronics in real time, and schedule conservation to eliminate energy waste when electronics are not in use.

For more information, visit www.mybluebolt.com.

Motorola Mobility's 4Home Solution Becomes the Newest Smart Energy Summit Sponsor

Parks Associates would like to introduce the newest sponsor for the Smart Energy Summit 2011, Motorola Mobility's 4Home Solution.

Motorola Mobility now offers the 4Home software platform, an exciting new way to expand your service offerings for Home Control, Home and Health Monitoring and Energy Management. With 4Home, your customers can now simplify their lives efficiently and affordably by:
• Analyzing and optimizing energy consumption
• Monitoring and securing their residence
• Managing personal health
• Controlling climate systems, lighting and appliances

To learn more about the 4Home Solution, please click here.

DMN3 Becomes the Newest Smart Energy Summit 2011 Sponsor

Parks Associates welcome DMN3, a direct marketing firm and advertising agency that offers both offline and online marketing campaign services, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

For the first 10 years, the marketing agency focused on the financial market. Today, the DMN3 staff comes from the advertising agency, online, technology and direct marketing disciplines. Our service offerings moved from solely direct mail to integrated programs. The marketing firm has offices in Houston, TX and Dallas, TX. They also have a strategic partner in Westport, CT.

For more information about the company, visit www.dmn3.com

We thank you for your continued support!

Next Energy Becomes the Newest Sponsor for Smart Energy Summit 2011

Parks Associates welcomes Next Energy as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin, TX.

NextEnergy is a solar PV contractor with over 30 years experience demonstrating innovation in home energy management. Our goal is to scale cost effective energy management solutions and create partnerships that will enhance our sales and installation programs. We empower customers to take control of their energy use with a selection of products and services marketed under the PowerNab brand.

For more information about the company, visit www.nextenergy.com.

We thank you for your continued support!

Ingersoll Rand Becomes the Newest Sponsor for Smart Energy Summit 2011

Parks Associates welcome Ingersoll Rand, a company that has recently transformed itself into a multi-brand commercial products manufacturer serving customers in diverse global markets, and away from the capital-intense, heavy-machinery profile of its past, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

Ingersoll Rand is a global diversified industrial firm providing products, services and solutions to enhance the quality and comfort in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties, and enhance industrial productivity and efficiency,

For more information about the company, visit www.ingersollrand.com

We thank you for your continued support!

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.

ecobee sponsors Smart Energy Summit 2011

Parks Associates is proud to welcome ecobee as a 2011 sponsor for the Smart Energy Summit in Austin, Texas from January 24-26, 2011.

ecobee helps homeowners conserve energy, save money and reduce their environmental impact. The green automation platform sits at the convergence of energy conservation, green technology, the networked home and consumer electronics. Their products automate energy conservation making it easier to save on energy costs without sacrificing comfort.

ecobee is part of an international ground swell empowered by the realization that we need to take action on the environment, and the time to take that action is now. Their products and services are developed with care, innovation and attention to detail. They have a real and meaningful impact on our customers and the communities they live in.

For more information about ecobee, visit: http://www.ecobee.com/

HomePlug Powerline Alliance Becomes The Newest Sponsor Of The Smart Energy Summit 2011

Parks Associates welcome HomePlug Powerline Alliance, a company that enables and promotes rapid availability, adoption and implementation of cost effective, interoperable and standards-based home powerline networks and products, as the newest sponsor for the 2011 Smart Energy Summit in Austin.

Founded in 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led initiative with 70 member companies that creates specifications and certification logo programs for using the power lines for reliable home networking and Smart Grid applications.

The Alliance accelerates worldwide adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards organizations such as the IEEE and through market development and user education programs. Sponsor members include Atheros Communications (ATHR); Cisco (CSCO); Comcast (CMCSK); Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK); GE Energy, an affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Gigle Networks; Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723); SPiDCOM Technologies; and STMicroelectronics (STM). Contributor members include Arkados (OTCBB: AKDS) and Corporate Systems Engineering.

For more information, visit www.homeplug.org.

We thank you for your continued support!

GreenWave Reality sponsors Smart Energy Summit 2011

Parks Associates welcomes GreenWave Reality as a new 2011 event sponsor for the Smart Energy Summit.

GreenWave Reality is a global innovator in the emerging Home Energy Management market. GreenWave Reality provides an affordable, easy-to-use, standards-based platform that allows utilities enhance their relationship with consumers and better balance energy on the grid while consumers can conserve energy with a minimal impact to their lifestyle by easily monitoring and controlling their appliances and adding intelligent LED lighting.

Visit GreenWave Reality at www.greenwavereality.com.

Thank you GreenWave Reality for your support!

Empowering people to save money by going green

People Power announces “Unplug for Earth Day 2010” campaign on Facebook

People Power Company, an energy efficiency company providing residential monitoring and control systems and services, announces its “Unplug for Earth Day 2010” campaign on Facebook at the SMART Energy Summit.

http://apps.facebook.com/unplugit

People Power is on a mission to "Unplug for Earth Day 2010" and asks everyone to reduce their personal CO2 emissions on April 22, 2010, and invite friends to join now on this great mission. Unplugging appliances in the home is easy and significantly reduces carbon pollution. Unplugging is important because many appliances continue to draw power even in the standby/off position.

The Unplug application on Facebook features the GreenX™ Calculator, which calculates carbon pollution reduction and helps users see their positive impact in terms of taking cars off the road and/or miles not driven by simply unplugging appliances. Users can then invite friends, view their plugs unplugged, and track their collective commitment to reducing carbon emissions. Leveraging Facebook, the GreenX™ Calculator empowers people to band together and make a substantial and positive impact on the environment.

To help celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2010, People Power is proud to introduce its very own “People Power Band” and announces its music debut single, “Happy Birthday Mother Earth.” Free downloads of the song are available on their website at www.peoplepowerco.com/press.

Industry Leaders Converge at Parks Associates’ Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer

Parks Associates will host over 150 executives from leading utilities and companies active in energy management and smart infrastructure at next week’s Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer. The executive conference, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy, will take place January 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency, Austin, Tex., and will focus on the consumer, distribution channels, and the opportunities and challenges in residential energy technologies.

Event sponsors include Cisco, Control4, Direct Energy, Exceptional Innovation, HAI Smartgrid Solutions, HomeGrid Forum, HomePlug Forum, iControl Networks, INSTEON, Intamac Systems, ista, Lockheed Martin, OpenPeak Inc., People Power, RCS, Watteco, and Xanboo.

Keynote speakers at the conference are Andres Carvallo, CIO, Austin Energy; Dr. George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce; and Bob Heffron, Utility Market Manager, Verizon.

The conference features research from Parks Associates’ Residential Energy Management service, including data on consumer readiness to adopt new technologies and current usage of energy management tools.

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2010.com.

People Power sponsors SES 2010

Parks Associates welcomes People Power as a new SMART Energy Summit sponsor for 2010.

People Power gives people the power to save money on their electric bills while going green. We empower our customers to control energy consumption at the appliance level and compare their usage with others while reducing their carbon footprint. People Power is a “greentech” company that enables residential consumer energy efficiency and conservation. We give people the power to save money by comparing electricity consumption to an energy budget, controlling home energy usage, and allowing them to compare their success within their social network and beyond.

For more information about People Power, please visit www.peoplepowerco.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.

Parks Associates welcomes Smart Energy Summit Sponsors

Direct Energy, Exceptional Innovation, HAI, iControl Networks, INSTEON, and OpenPeak support industry event

Parks Associates today announced the early sponsors for Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy on January 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency, Austin, Tex. The conference focuses on the opportunities and challenges in residential energy technologies and identifies business strategies for in-home energy monitoring and management systems.

Direct Energy, Exceptional Innovation, HAI, iControl Networks, INSTEON, and OpenPeak are all early sponsors of the event.

Direct Energy is one of North America’s largest providers of energy and energy-related services. The company has over five million residential and commercial customer relationships, providing choice and support in managing their energy costs through innovative products and services.

Exceptional Innovation manufactures Life|ware®, enterprise software solutions designed to seamlessly connect data and devices for integrated automation and control. Life|ware’s Energy Management Solution provides an efficient, elegant approach to complete residential management, benefiting both energy consumers and utility providers alike.

HAI (Home Automation, Inc.) manufactures integrated automation and security products for residential and commercial use. Its solutions allow utilities to implement time-of-use rating structures, manage demand response during peak demand events, and send custom messages to customers.

iControl Networks, a leader in broadband home management, recently announced its ConnectedLife Energy Management solution enabling utilities and service providers to offer customers the ability to monitor, control and automate their energy usage via the web, mobile phone or touchscreen.

INSTEON is an award-winning home area networking (HAN) technology, currently in trials with four of the top 10 U.S. utilities. Its unique dual-band, mesh, wireless network makes it ultra-reliable and cost effective for energy management, demand response and load-shedding.

OpenPeak Inc. creates, designs, and develops innovative systems and devices that enable simple control of home energy usage, VoIP telephony, digital media, Internet content, and consumer electronics on a single touchscreen device.

Other supporters include AltEnergyMag, CABA, CEDIA, Energy Priorities, Home Toys, Mercom Capital Group, Smart Grid Today, VB/Research, and WinSmartGrid.

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2010.com.

INSTEON sponsors SMART Energy Summit 2010

Parks Associates and the SMART Energy Summit welcomes INSTEON as a new 2010 sponsor.

INSTEON is a proven, award-winning home area networking (HAN) technology that is currently in trials with 4 of the top 10 U.S. utilities, serving over 10 million customers. INSTEON has been used in homes since 2005 and has a record of over 28 billion successful messages. Its unique dual-band (radio frequency and powerline), mesh, wireless network makes it ultra-reliable. Its innovative simulcast design allows it to be the most cost-effective HAN available. INSTEON enables energy management, demand response, scheduled load-shedding, real-time email reporting and alerts, daylight harvesting and automated control or response. With over 100 INSTEON products selling in the marketplace – all of which are completely backwards and forwards compatible - INSTEON is the proven HAN solution.

For more information, visit www.insteonsmartgrid.com.

HAI sponsors SMART Energy Summit 2010

The SMART Energy Summit welcome HAI Smartgrid Solutions as its newest sponsor for the January 2010 event.

HAI (Home Automation, Inc.) is a privately held manufacturer of integrated automation and security products for residential and commercial use based in New Orleans, LA. Incorporated in 1985, HAI has developed a full line of Home Area Network (HAN) products for utility customers including Programmable Communicating Thermostats (PCT), In Home Displays (IHD), and Load Control Modules (LCM). The HAI HAN products allow utility customers to implement time of use rating structures, manage demand response by shedding load during peak demand events, and send common custom informational messages to the customer.

For more information, visit smartgrid.homeauto.com.

SMART Energy Summit - Speakers & Advisory Board Announced

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, hosted by Parks Associates has announced the preliminary list of speakers and Advisory Board members.

Confirmed speakers:

Susan Cashen, VP, Marketing, Control4
Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation
David Dollihite, VP, Direct Energy
David Friedman, Senior Director, Strategic Marketing, ZeroG Wireless, Inc.
Dan Gittleman, Chairman & CEO, OpenPeak
Vince Groff, Executive Director, Cox Communications
Jim Johnson, President & CEO, uControl
Thomas Pickral, Business Development, HAI

Current Smart Energy Summit Advisory Board participants:

Andres Carvallo, Chief Information Officer, Austin Energy
Steve Cashman, Chief Strategy Officer, Exceptional Innovation
Ken Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy
Brian Woods, CMO, OpenPeak

The event, January 25-27, 2010, in Austin, Tex., features a unique combination of market research, featuring results from Parks Associates' landmark Residential Energy Management service, and real-world expertise derived from Austin Energy's Smart Grid, the largest working Smart Grid in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2010.com.

Parks welcomes iControl Networks, 2010 Sponsor

Parks Associates welcomes iControl Networks as a new 2010 SMART Energy Summit Sponsor.

iControl Networks, a leader in broadband home management, recently announced its ConnectedLife Energy Management solution enabling broadband companies and other service providers to enhance interactive service offerings for a complete broadband home management experience. Additionally, it allows utilities to implement demand response and energy efficiency services to control peak energy usage, optimize existing infrastructure and minimize future investment.

An extension of iControl’s existing ConnectedLife broadband home management suite, iControl’s low-cost energy management solution provides enhanced functionality for its partners and enables consumers to monitor, control and automate their energy usage and maximize efficiency to meet their monthly expenditure and carbon footprint goals.

For more information, visit www.icontrol.com

Smart Energy Summit to focus on in-home energy management and control solutions U.S. Department of Commerce, Austin Energy to keynote conference

International research firm Parks Associates announced the preliminary agenda and current speakers, sponsors, and advisory board for the Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer. This conference, hosted in cooperation with Austin Energy on January 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Tex., focuses on opportunities in residential energy management and the challenges of bringing Smart Grid technologies to U.S. households.

Sessions include the latest consumer research from Parks Associates’ landmark Residential Energy Management service, which surveys both consumers and utilities on attitudes and trends in this growing industry. Early sponsors for Smart Energy Summit include Direct Energy, Exceptional Innovation, HAI, iControl Networks, and OpenPeak. Event supporters include AltEnergyMag, CABA, Energy Priorities, Home Toys, SmartGrid Today, VB/Research, and WinSmartGrid.

Andres Carvallo, CIO, Austin Energy, will present the keynote “A New Journey: Utility 2.0” on Tuesday, January 26 at 9:30 a.m. He will share his vision of the utility of the future, informed by his company’s experiences developing and deploying its Smart Grid.

Dr. George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, will also be a keynote speaker at the conference.

For more information, visit www.smartenergysummit2010.com.