Parks Associates: 11% of US Broadband Households Own a Smart Light Bulb and 9% Own a Smart Plug

By AIT News Desk On Feb 4, 2021

Twelfth annual Smart Energy Summit addresses impact of COVID-19 on utility and smart home market, featuring visionary speakers from Bidgely, Schneider Electric, and Uplight

Parks Associates announced the agenda and visionary speakers for the 12^th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, sponsored by Austin Energy, Bidgely, and FLO. The first virtual sessions, February 23-24, focus on new consumer behaviors and spending, successful business strategies, and innovative solutions in energy management. New research from the firm finds energy solutions expanding their presence within the connected home ecosystem—11% of US broadband households own at least one smart light bulb, up from 8% in 2018, and 9% own a smart plug/adapter module, up from 6% in 2018.

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer features virtual sessions and networking events on February 23-24, April 28, August 4, and October 27 focused on energy management programs, new opportunities to drive consumer engagement, and the evolution of the consumer utility market, including connected devices, energy management, utility services and programs, and home control platforms and services.

“COVID-19, along with a growing focus on green energy solutions, has added new drivers to adoption of energy management products at home, as well as new interest in solar, electric-vehicle, and other solutions that will help households save energy and become more self-sufficient,” said Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. “At Smart Energy Summit, we will present our latest consumer research showing the impact of COVID-19 on attitudes and usage regarding energy at home, as well as the extension of SMB needs into the residential sector and the impact on the grid of new technologies, from 5G to AI.”

The agenda features visionary speakers, interactive panel discussions, and research analyst presentations. Visionary speakers:

Abhay Gupta, Founder and CEO, Bidgely
Manish Pant, EVP, Home and Distribution, Schneider Electric
Emilie Tullis, VP, Product & GM, Demand Management Solutions, Uplight

Sessions:

Tuesday and Wednesday, February 23-24
Impact of COVID-19: Consumer Behavior and Energy Management
Home Services: Rethinking Utility Revenue Models
Energy Management Platforms: Accelerating Growth
DERMS: Solar, Storage and Microgrids

Wednesday, April 28
MDUs: Leveraging Proptech for Smart Energy Management

Wednesday, August 4
Next Stages of the EV Evolution

Wednesday, October 27
Partnerships and Tech Advancements
Shifting Customer Behavior: Energy Efficiency and Demand Response

At Smart Energy Summit, industry leaders from utilities, service providers, manufacturers, and technology companies will participate in virtual panel discussions about the impact of direct consumer participation in energy markets and strategies to increase consumer engagement. The firm is currently accepting speaker submissions to participate.