Defusing the hype in the smart home

Beginning with energy management technologies in the early 2000s, there has been an unprecedented amount of investment in smart home technologies – to the tune of $550 million. In fact, smart home was among the fastest growing venture segments, accounting for 21% of funding that flowed to startups in the building systems and energy efficiency space in the past decade. The “smart home” technologies have their roots in home energy management (HEM), a crowded space in both the U.S. and Europe. This space saw startups developing capabilities ranging from home energy dashboards, like eGauge, to intelligent and automated control systems – like Green Energy Options. Primarily these technologies were appealing to utilities, who continue to grapple with how to best acquire and engage with their residential customers – some, such as E.ON, have realized that customer services are the only viable path forward.

Read more: http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/43839/defusing-the-hype-in-the-smart-home-space/