In-Home Display Units: An Evolving Market, Part 1

This Energy Insights report is the first in a two-part series that examines in-home energy display products that are currently available or soon to enter commercialization. Most residential energy users have little notion of how they use energy beyond the monthly consumption figure that appears in their utility bill. However, energy display products could begin to change that, and various studies have shown a conservation effect of 4?15% through the use of these in-home displays (IHDs). This report discusses commercially available IHDs that provide real-time energy feedback but are not integrated with utility metering systems or home automation networks (HANs). Part 2 examines a new generation of devices that incorporate the capability to communicate with smart meters and/or HANs to provide dynamic rate information, appliance control, and other advanced features.

"Feedback is critical to improving performance in any endeavor, and energy use behavior is no exception," says Jan Borstein, research manager for Energy Insights. "The products described in this report provide real-time information to help consumers better understand how and when they use energy. Whether these relatively simple devices can compete against their more sophisticated cousins, which are just now entering the market, remains to be seen. But a utility seeking to offer its customers an option for tracking energy use, perhaps as part of an energy efficiency program, can take advantage of these devices now and need not wait to implement energy display technology as part of an AMI or larger technology rollout."