Several Texas companies are participating in Parks Associates' fourth-annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging Consumers on February 25-27 at the Sheraton Gunter in San Antonio. Smart Energy Summit, hosted by the Dallas-based international research firm, is unique among energy-based conferences for its consumer-oriented focus and its exploration of partnership opportunities and new connected-home services in the home energy management market.

"The Texas energy market, having been restructured in 2002, offers perhaps the most progressive and innovative examples of how energy providers are seeking to engage and compete for energy subscribers," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "Texas's growing economy, warm climate, and Austin's particular focus on green living make it a bellwether for the future of home energy management policies, practices, and products."

Parks Associates research shows 36% of Texas broadband households have a home security system, higher than the national average of 26%. Only 44% of Texas security homes have 24/7 professional monitoring, versus 49% nationwide, while having comparable levels of sensors and detectors, so the Texas security market is oriented more toward self-monitoring solutions.

Temperature control is also an important feature for Texas households. Nationwide 34% of broadband households with a home control system can monitor or control their thermostat via the Internet, while 43% of Texas home-control households have this capability.

Smart Energy Summit hosts executives from utilities, service providers, OEMs, standards bodies, and the public sector in sessions that feature consumer research from Parks Associates, high-level panel discussions, and presentations. Texas-based companies speaking at the event include CPS Energy, Reliant Energy, Austin Energy, CenterPoint Energy, Wi-Fi Alliance, and Silicon Labs.

February 25 - Pre-show Research Workshop "Understanding Utilities and Consumers: Energy Management Markets"
3:45 p.m. - Solution Spotlight: Wi-Fi Alliance
Greg Ennis, Technical Director, Wi-Fi Alliance

February 26
11:00 a.m. - "The Role of Energy Providers in Home Energy Management"
Wayne Callender, Manager, Market Intelligence, CPS Energy
Bill Harmon, VP, Mass Markets & Product Innovation, Reliant Energy
1:30 p.m. - "Utility Partnerships: Strategies and Implications"
Jarrett Simon, Director, Energy Efficiency, CenterPoint Energy
2:30 p.m. - "Demand Response: Creating a Value Proposition for Energy Savings"
Deborah Kimberly, VP, Distributed Energy Services, Austin Energy

February 27
2:00 p.m. - "Device Interoperability: A Progress Report"
Greg Fyke, Director, Marketing, Wireless Products, Silicon Laboratories

Sponsors for Smart Energy Summit include Alarm.com, ecobee, EcoFactor, GreenWave Reality, Hitachi, Lowe's, PlanetEcosystems, Qualcomm, Sigma Designs, AlertMe, IPSO Alliance, and Itron. CONNECTIONS™: The Premier Connected Home Conference hosts the VIP Dinner January 26 at the County Line BBQ.

From the article, "Smart Energy Summit Showcases Texas Companies Focused on Home Energy Market."

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