Pre-conference workshop at Smart Energy Summit to address opportunities for energy providers in the smart home

New energy research from Parks Associates finds 28% of U.S. broadband households are familiar with time-of-use rate programs, including 16% who are very familiar, but only 18% report their utility offers a TOU program. The research firm will host the pre-conference workshop, “Opportunities for Energy Providers in the Smart Home,” on February 18 at the Omni Austin Hotel, ahead of its 10th-annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer.

The tenth annual Smart Energy Summit, held February 18-20, will feature more than 250 executives in an intimate networking environment. Parks Associates analysts and key industry leaders will present detailed findings from Parks Associates' consumer and industry studies on the smart home, IoT, and energy management markets during the pre-event workshop and conference.

“Roughly 38% of U.S. broadband households with access to a TOU plan have signed up for it,” said Brad Russell, Director, Connected Home Research, Parks Associates. “Familiarity with these programs has not budged much since 2015, but smart home devices such as smart thermostats open a new line of communication with consumers to share the benefits of these programs, increase familiarity, and overcome consumers’ fears of loss of control, which is the top inhibitor preventing TOU enrollment.”

During the workshop session “Industry Insights: Driving Energy Efficiency Behaviors through Incentives,” 1:45 p.m. on Monday, February 18, executives from key utilities and energy providers will share details on their programs’ successes and strategies that actually affect change in consumer behavior and improve energy consumption in the households.

During the session “Industry Insights: Moving the Market Forward through Solar and DR Programs,” 3:45 p.m. on Monday, February 18, utility executives will share strategies for deploying solar technology and designing energy programs that keep consumers engaged and even excited about saving energy.

Executive speakers at the workshop:

• Brad Davids, Head, Demand Response Partnerships (Nest), Google
• Anne Arquit Niederberger, VP Market Development, Enervee
• Suzanne Russo, CEO, Pecan Street
• Louis Tremblay, President and CEO, AddÉnergie
• Mark Willingham, SVP, EFI
   

“As energy markets transform, consumers are faced with big-ticket, unfamiliar buying decisions,” said Anne Arquit Niederberger, VP Market Development, Enervee. “Our research shows that energy providers are generally trusted to provide objective advice on efficient products, EVs, and solar, but less than 20% think their utility is doing enough to help them with these complex decisions. Pioneering utilities that respond to this consumer call to action will reap big benefits from empowering consumers to shop energy smart.”

“Whether to save energy or reduce emissions, more customers than ever are turning to solar,” said Suzanne Russo, CEO, Pecan Street. “Maximizing solar’s potential — for customers and the climate — is among our greatest opportunities and challenges, and I look forward to contributing to a robust and insightful discussion at Smart Energy Summit.”

“A successful EV charging infrastructure deployment goes beyond offering a great charging experience to consumers; it also involves being able to help utilities accommodate the growing demand for electric vehicle charging, while finding ways to lower the cost of grid impacts for the utility and ratepayers,” said Louis Tremblay, President and CEO, AddÉnergie.

“Our partnerships with our utility clients are focused on ensuring that their customers make the most energy-efficient choice that fits their needs,” said Mark Willingham, SVP, EFI. “Incentives are a proven mechanism for this but only if they are easy, quick, and available to fit into the speed of customers lives. Getting the incentive to the customer at just the right moment is a technology challenge that is now solved.”

Confirmed keynotes for Smart Energy Summit include:

• Leah Barton, VP & GM, Home Protection, Direct Energy
• Aaron Berndt, Head of Central Region Energy Partnerships, Nest / Google
• Erika Diamond, VP of Utility and Market Services, EnergyHub
• Steve Hambric, VP Consumer Energy Management, Itron
• Adrian Tuck, CEO, Tendril
   

Conference sponsors include Bidgely, Tendril, Rapid Response Monitoring, Powerley, Trusource Labs, Alarm.com, ecobee, Austin Energy, GiftCard Partners, Intel, STRATIS, FLO, Grid4C, and Inspire.

About Smart Energy Summit

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer addresses the evolution of the consumer utility market, the impact of COVID-19 on energy management programs, and new opportunities to drive engagement in utility-sponsored programs. Virtual panels and networking sessions, featuring executive-level experts from multiple industries, address strategies for utilities, service providers, retailers, software providers, and manufacturers to expand and monetize energy management and other energy-focused offerings through consumer engagement, new business models, unique partnerships, and innovative technologies.

Smart Energy Summit features an in-person conference February 13-15 at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, with virtual sessions on June 15, August 17, and November 9. The summit agenda features leaders from utilities, state and national regulators, telecom and security companies, retailers, and OEMs. Follow the event on Twitter at @SmartEnergySmt and #SmartEnergy23. For information on speaking, sponsoring, or attending Smart Energy Summit, visit www.smartenergysmt.com.
 

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