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.
By 2018, there will be 50 million smart homes and buildings enabled by wireless sensor network (WSN) technology worldwide, according to technology research firm ON World.
Direct Energy, one of North America’s largest energy and energy-related services providers, in partnership with Honeywell and Opower, has announced the launch of the Meridian smart thermostat in Texas, including an advanced mobile app that enables remote management of home energy use.
Although the market for smart thermostats has struggled to gain traction, recent developments — particularly the purchase of smart thermostat maker Nest Labs by Google for a reported $3.2 billion — indicate that growth is likely to accelerate, according to Navigant Research.
The Daikin ENVi Intelligent Thermostat is the newest addition to Daikin’s residential controls offering. The DC Ducted Concealed Unit is for small to large populated spaces in need of a concealed air conditioning system. Daikin’s VRV IV systems integrate advanced technology.
Google Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to buy Nest Labs Inc., manufacturer of the Nest Learning Thermostat, for $3.2 billion in cash.
Allure Energy Inc. has unveiled a new combination of iBeacon and NFC-enabled smart sensor technology called Aura™, and has been named an International CES Innovations 2014 Design and Engineering Awards honoree for EverSense™, a smart thermostat that automatically adjusts temperature based on a user’s GPS location.