‘What commercial opportunities do Smart Connected Homes and Buildings offer?’ was the question being addressed at the second meeting of the Smart Connected Homes and Buildings Group that took place on July 20, 2016 in Kenilworth Warwickshire. The group brings together members from across the Energy and Utilities Alliances’ (EUA) six divisions that all have a commercial interest in the development of Smart Homes and Buildings, Smart Grids and the Internet of Things.
Stewart Clements, director, of the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC), a division of EUA, said: “We have received a lot of interest in this group, it is proving to be immensely popular among our wider membership, which, given the increased interest in smart technologies, is of little surprise.
“We have seen apps that allow homeowners to remotely control their heating move from niche markets into the mainstream and our members are reporting an increase in demand from end users for smart technologies. However, innovation must not be done in isolation, products and appliances that can interface with each other and wider technologies need to be developed- interoperability is the key.
“The Smart Meter roll out will help address home energy efficiency. As homeowners adopt smart technology, the industry needs to be ready to capitalise commercially on opportunities as they appear. To do this we will need to work together – hence the popularity of the group.”
The next group meeting will review different software platforms and consider likely regulation. The Energy Savings Trust will also join the meeting to share its experiences of consumer demand for smart technologies whether to drive down costs or reduce carbon.