Until 2012, home energy management systems struggled to gain market traction, noted Navigant Research. More recently, however, non-utility stakeholders have moved into this segment, increasing awareness of new tools and helping to drive steady growth.

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, has approved research projects combining Maryland companies with state university researchers. Two of the projects are HVAC related.

The Building Performance Institute Inc. (BPI) has announced the launch of a national rating program to provide customers with an affordable, easy to understand rating of their home that can be combined with a comprehensive home energy audit.

EcoFactor, a provider of cloud-based home energy services, has announced the launch of its HVAC Performance Monitoring (HPM) service after completion of a successful HVAC trial evaluating thousands of homes. 

On Jan. 13, Google Inc. announced it had entered into an agreement to buy smart thermostat manufacturer Nest Labs, Inc. for $3.2 billion in cash. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the first major software update to its Home Energy Scoring Tool. DOE said the Home Energy Scoring Tool allows homebuyers to compare homes on an apples-to-apples basis and provides recommendations for energy efficiency improvements.

On Jan. 13, Google Inc. announced it had entered into an agreement to buy smart thermostat manufacturer Nest Labs Inc. for $3.2 billion in cash.