Parks Associates: Over One-Half of Smart Energy Device Owners Report Interoperability Is Very Important

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Feb 16, 2015) - Parks Associates hosts the sixth-annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer this week, February 16-18, 2015, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. Over 250 industry leaders from utilities, service providers, retailers, manufacturers, and technology companies participate in panel discussions about the smart home, the impact of new business models, and strategies to drive consumer engagement in energy management. Media are invited.

"Energy is a significant component of smart home offerings," said Tom Kerber, Director of Home Controls and Energy Research, Parks Associates. "Over one-half of smart energy device owners report that interoperability is very important to them. It is crucial that industries work together to ensure these products can function with other devices as part of a broader smart home system."

Smart Energy Summit features keynotes from NRG and SunPower about successful ways these companies are engaging consumers through new business models and programs. A special fireside chat with ecobee and SmartThings addresses partnerships, business strategies, and consumer expectations for energy in the Internet of Things.

"There are major opportunities in the electricity industry, especially now that some of the more energy-hungry industries are adopting smart technologies," said Jacob Nielson, Business Development Leader, Emerson, and speaker on the session Building Energy Management Offerings through Smart Devices and Services. "For years, upgraded lighting and upgraded HVAC systems have been the answer. Now the great opportunity is to have smart monitoring and controls that know the precise homeowner needs at all times to optimize legacy products and equipment. Things like retrofit kits to HVAC systems can provide homeowners with new insights to take actions, specifically catered for their situation, and further reduce their energy consumption without harming their preferences."

What: Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer
When: February 16-18, 2015
Where: Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, TX 78701
Registration: http://www.parksassociates.com/events/smart-energy-summit/register
Press Passes: http://www.parksassociates.com/ses-presspass
Twitter: @SmartEnergySmt, #SES2015
Schedule: February 16 - Parks Associates preshow workshop: "Energy in IoT: Profitable Use Cases for the Smart Home"

February 17
Keynote: 10:00 a.m. -- "Love your power," Sicily Dickenson, CMO, NRG Energy
Fireside Chat: 2:00 p.m. -- "Channel strategies for consumer engagement," Stuart Lombard, CEO & President, ecobee, and Dan Lieberman, Head of Research & Standards, SmartThings

Sessions:

• Utility Perspectives: Market Impact of New Business Models
• Consumer Engagement Strategies: IoT and Energy Value Proposition
• Building Energy Management Offerings through Smart Devices and Services
• Energy Efficiency Programs: Strategies to Accelerate Innovation
• Integrating Demand Response into the Smart Home
  
  

February 18
Keynote: 9:45 a.m. - "Smart, Personal Energy," Ivo Steklac, VP & GM Residential & Commercial Energy Solutions, SunPower

Sessions:

• Value-added Services for Retail Energy Providers
• Smart Meters: Creating Value in Big Data and Analytics
• New Partnerships: Smart Devices in Retail Energy Markets
• Standards and Interoperability: The Foundation for a Consumer-focused Market
• Future of Smart Home Systems and Home Control Platforms
  
  

Smart Energy Summit sponsors are Smart Utility Systems, Lowe's, Alarm.com, ecobee, Emerson, NRG, PeoplePower, Planet Ecosystems, Southern California Edison, Tendril, Tyco, WeatherBug Home, WSI, the professional division of The Weather Company, Z-Wave, Ecofactor, and WattzOn.

Supporters are Antenna Systems & Technology, CleanTX, Engerati, FierceEnergy, Home Gateway Initiative, HomePlug Alliance, IoT Today, KNXtoday, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, OpenADR Alliance, OSGP Alliance, Remote Site & Equipment Management, SmartGridNews, U-SNAP Alliance, UPnP Forum, Utility Dive, Wi-Fi Alliance, and WSNBuzz.com.

To speak with an analyst or request specific research data, please contact Holly Sprague, 720-987-6614.

About Smart Energy Summit
Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer examines the expanding market for the smart home and the role of energy solutions within the Internet of Things, including connected devices, energy management, utility services, and home control platforms and services.

Smart Energy Summit addresses strategies for utilities, service providers, retailers, and manufacturers to expand and monetize their energy offerings by engaging consumers, developing new business models, and creating unique partnerships.

The summit agenda features thought leaders representing utilities, state and national regulators, telecom and security companies, retailers, and OEMs presenting on the state of the market and the emerging consumer and business opportunities.

The sixth-annual Smart Energy Summit will take place February 16-18, 2015, at the Four Seasons Resort in Austin, Texas.