Stuart Lombard, President & CEO at ecobee Inc., offers insight into the barriers and opportunities currently impacting energy management:

What are the biggest opportunities for the smart home industry to work with the electricity industry?

The smart home industry is undergoing significant growth as the technology begins to move into the mainstream market. With products like Wi-Fi connected thermostats, customers are now experiencing more control over their home’s HVAC systems and are becoming much more aware of their energy usage.

In addition to numerous customer benefits, smart thermostats also provide unique opportunities for energy companies. With more customer awareness and control over their home’s energy usage, utility companies have a significant opportunity to engage with customers in a meaningful way on a regular basis. 

Perhaps one of the most significant advantages and opportunities for energy companies is to leverage smart thermostats for Demand Response and Energy Efficiency initiatives. ecobee's integration tools including Open API's, Open ADR and our easy-to-use Utility Web Portal, make it easy for utilities to access the valuable data they need for accurate reporting, and insight into customer behavior.

By leveraging products like ecobee smart thermostats, customers begin to regard their energy providers as being forward-thinking and responsive to their needs—and with energy insights like ecobee’ s Home IQ, customers are taking better control of their home’s energy use and are making smarter energy decisions without impacting their home’s comfort.

What impact will smart products and smart home services have on consumer adoption of energy solutions?

ecobee smart thermostats raise customers’ awareness of their home’s energy use, while also empowering them to make smarter energy decisions. In fact, ecobee customers save an average of 23% on their energy bills (see ecobee.com/savings for more details).

In addition, with ecobee’s Home IQ report, homeowners receive details around their home’s energy use and empower them to reach their savings/conservations goals without compromising their lifestyle or comfort. Home IQ takes the raw data from the home’s HVAC system and turns that information into insights that enable customers to optimize heating and cooling. A great example of how smart home products are helping make homeowners make smart decisions.

Stuart Lombard will be speaking at “Fireside Chat Keynote: Channel Strategies for Consumer Engagement” at 2:00 PM during Smart Energy Summit in Austin, TX, February 17, 2015. He will be joined by a representative from SmartThings.

For more information on Smart Energy Summit speakers, sessions, or topics, visit www.ses2015.com. Register to attend today!

Next: Sensus Analytics: Customer Portals Are Such an Important Add-On to a Smart Grid Infrastructure
Previous: Insights from EcoFactor’s CEO: Demonstrating Clearly the Value of Our Services Can Drive Adoption

Be the first to leave a comment.

Have a comment? Login or create an account to start a discussion.