01 February 2011
Greentech Media Research recently released a report entitled Smart Grid HAN Strategy Report 2011: Technologies, Market Forecast and Leading Players.
The report describes the Home Area Network (HAN) market as now linked with the Home Energy Management market through smart grid applications. It forecasts that this market will grow 90% from $400 million in 2011 to over $750 million in 2015.The growth is due in part by the need for utilities to provide consumer energy services along with their projected $16.7 billion smart meter rollout over the next five year.
The 200-page report describes technology and standards and includes industry forecasts and vendor profiles.
“The HAN market that began with Wi-Fi routers is now emerging as the value proposition of the consumer’s smart grid,” said Chet Geschickter, report author and Senior Analyst at GTM Research. “Utilities need to deploy digital and networking technology to engage customers in the home. Utilities that install smart meters without addressing consumer-oriented features and benefits do so at their own peril.”
Prominent utilities that have learned painful lessons about the limitations of smart meters include PG&E, whose smart meter deployment in 2007 in Bakersfield, California resulted in a ratepayer lawsuit. Also Xcel Energy, which was in a battle with the city of Boulder, Colorado over the benefits of its SmartGridCity project.
“Consumer and utilities both need home technology to make the residential smart grid a success story,” said Geschckter.
The report investigates emerging technologies and standards including ZigBee, Z-Wave, USNAP, Wi-Fi and HomePlug. It profiles 44 Home Energy Management vendors including Tendril, Opower, Comverge, Control4, Digi, Microsoft Hohm and Google PowerMeter.
Visit the report website for more information.
