"energy" articles
Utilities are in a unique position as their customers span multi-generations, income and education segments, renters, homeowners, and individuals, in addition to families. In traditional, non-retail markets, which represent the majority of households, their relationship is long-term. They are a trusted advisor in their communities even though many consumers only interact with their utility when moving to a new residence, paying a monthly bill or when an outage occurs. ...
Parks Associates recently announced The Peggy Smedley Show as a supporter of its events in 2022, including CONNECTIONS™ 2022. The Peggy Smedley Show is a weekly podcast with over 700 episodes, all hosted by award-winning journalist and widely recognized technology influencer, Peggy Smedley.
On a recent episode of the podcast, Tech Disruption: Forever Changed , Smedley and Parks Associates President, Elizabeth Parks , discussed the new ways in which technology is disrupting...
Technology is ubiquitous and the impact of the pandemic in all areas of consumer and business is still unfolding. Here are 10 key trends we see in the consumer technology space. Our research in 2022 will continue to be dedicated to understanding the growth and adoption of technology, as well as the business opportunities as a result.
Work and home continue to blur , resulting in new and ongoing investments in technology solutions.
Healthcare services...
Smart major appliances - refrigerators, clothes washers, microwaves, clothes dryers, dishwashers, ovens, water heaters, air conditioning units and range/cooktops - emerged in the US market in 2011. However, like smart home devices, adoption rates for different categories of smart appliances were fairly low. Adoption barriers such as high prices, perceived poor value proposition, slow replacement rates, and limited product availability have negatively impacted growth in these markets....
Parks Associates’ Connected Consumer Podcast just released a new episode where hosts Chris White and Rosey Ulpino dive into hot topics about IoT and Climate Change with guest speaker Rob Conant, VP of Software and Ecosystem for Infineon Technologies.
Throughout the episode, they covered the latest tech innovations happening in the sensor and energy efficiency space within the smart home, MDUs, transportation, and so much more:
Infineon’s stated mission is...
New announcements recently within the energy management industries continue to underscore the opportunities for new products and services to help reduce energy consumption.
Currently, only a modest percentage of broadband households report using renewable power, but Parks Associates research shows there is a widespread desire to use clean energy and a reasonably broad willingness to pay more for it. Over 40% of broadband households would prefer to live in a community-powered...
The smart home is a strong driver of residential energy efficiency. Smart thermostats and smart lighting are among the top adopted categories of smart home products, creating opportunities for utility energy efficiency and demand-response programs. New business models and technology provide opportunities to change the customer relationship and drive engagement and participation in energy management solutions leveraging connected devices in the home.
Once overlap is accounted for,...
The impact of COVID-19 on consumers’ lifestyles, work, schooling, and transportation patterns have been immense. Beyond the actual infections and deaths resulting from the virus, perhaps no impact has been greater than the resultant effects on the economy, employment, and ability for people to make ends meet.
29% of US consumers in households with broadband internet tell us they are “Very concerned” with their ability to pay the bills as of September 2020 – a percentage...
