Smart Grid News

Parks reported that 80 percent of U.S. smartphone and tablet users who own at least one smart home device have downloaded mobile apps for these devices, but how is that population of users engaging with the app experience? That question can be answered by analyzing the content and sentiment of consumer app reviews.

From the article "Beyond The Statistics: What Smart Home Users Really Think" by Makenna Breitenfeld.

According to Parks Associates research, 80 percent of U.S. smartphone and tablet users who own at least one smart home device have downloaded mobile apps for these devices.

"The growing interest in the smart home space has prompted a large number of players to enter the smart home ecosystem with their own devices, platforms, and solutions," said Harry Wang, senior research director, Parks Associates. "This rapid expansion has resulted in a highly fragmented marketplace, and ...read more

This year's first episode of the Surge Series, the official podcast of the Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF), delved into these questions from the perspective of the everyday consumer. Hosts Clare Butterfield and Uzma Noormohamed talked with Parks Associates' Eddie Accomando, an expert in applied anthropology, market research, and technology adoption whose recent report provides a comprehensive analysis of the trends that are contributing to adoption of h ...read more

"Individual device penetration in Canada largely mirrors the U.S. market, where security-related devices and thermostats have greater adoption compared with other products like appliances, blinds, and fans," said Tom Kerber, director of Research, Home Controls, and Energy at Parks Associates. "The transition to interactive services and home controls is now mainstream and attracting first-time subscribers to the security market."

From the article "Smart Home Devices Double In ...read more

"Residential customers today see energy as a necessary expense, and while 62 percent of U.S. broadband households strongly believe that saving energy and lowering utility bills are important, getting them to pay for these benefits has proven difficult," said Eddie Accomando, research analyst, Parks Associates. "Electricity does not currently drive customer action, but as the process of energy production changes through DR, solar, and storage innovations, energy management will b ...read more

While that may not sound like a lot, further Parks Associates' research shows close to half of consumers' interest in energy storage has piqued.

"Consumers are interested in taking an active role in the energy grid -- 40 percent of U.S. broadband households are very interested in the ability to store unused power and sell it back to the grid," said Tom Kerber, director of research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. "As rooftop solar reaches retail parity across the U ...read more

Nearly 30 percent of U.S. broadband households value control of their smart home energy devices over cost savings, but approximately one-half of product owners or those who intend to purchase would permit utility control of their smart appliances -- for a price, according to new research from Parks Associates.

From the article "Leveraging Smart Home Devices In Energy Programs (It Comes With A Price)" by Barbara Vergetis Lundin.

Nearly two-thirds of broadband customers in the United States are willing to pay for a smart energy management service, but a lack of information and knowledge is hindering progress, according to Parks Associates. The group delivered their results during their Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer in Austin, Texas.

"Interest in smart energy solutions is strong, but in drilling down, no single offering is driving demand," said Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Control ...read more