One cannot modify a power meter on the outside of the house, but the PowerCost Monitor from Blue Line Innovations should allow one to get real time energy information from any meter into a home network.

The key to the device is the Smartenit (formerly known as SimpleHomeNet) ZBPCM bridging the PowerCost Monitor with wireless HA/SE ZigBee and INSTEON home area networks.

The combination allows true energy management-- providing not only energy monitoring, but also device control based on energy information, putting the power to save electricity into customers' hands. In other words, it turns any electric meter (old or new) into a broadcasting Smart Meter.

Using ZigBee and INSTEON protocols, it feeds demand (Kw) and consumption (Kw/hour) data in real time to available and upcoming house control systems. In turn, the user can customise parameters to allow automated energy saving responses.

Smartenit also manufactures ZigBee plugs and load controllers reporting energy usage-- providing customers with an even deeper layer of energy management capability. Customers can also track, monitor and control energy usage via web-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Go Smartenit and Blue Line Innovations Deliver First ZigBee and INSTEON Universal Energy Monitoring Interface

The global custom-designed and installed home automation system market is seeing a "fundamental shift" according to ABI Research-- the majority of installations is taking place as retrofits and renovations, rather than in new homes.

The analyst says new builds now represent around 40% of global mid- to high-end automation installations, down from approximately 90% before the recession.

The boost in retrofits comes due to 2 main factors-- the development of more reliable wireless technologies (primarily ZigBee and Z-Wave) and the collapse of residential construction in a number of key markets.

Custom installation vendors will also benefit from the entry of service providers (like home security companies) in the automation space. Service providers bring "vast marketing budgets," and with that greater exposure to the technology.

ABI predicts WW home automation service subscriptions (provided from home security companies) will increase from around 513000 in 2010 to over 10M by 2016.

Go ABI Research: 60% of Mid- to High-End Automation Installations are Retrofits

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) launches a smart grid committee to start the standardisation of the Modular Communications Interface (MCI)-- a move the CEA says will lead to more smart grid-ready products working in any service territory.

The MCI specification comes from the Universal Smart Network Access Port (USNAP) Alliance and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and enables manufacturers to build Smart-Grid ready products able to obtain energy information from all kinds of digital meters and energy system interfaces.

The USNAP Alliance will work with the CEA, creating certification and test programs, while EPRI will provide research, interoperability workshops and demand response programs.

A number of USNAP products are already available, while the Zonoff Z-Wave Bridge Platform uses both USNAP and EPRI standards to allow Z-Wave products to communicate with technologies such as ZigBee.

Go CEA Forms Smart Grid Interface Standards Committee

New electronic sensor and control technologies, software algorithms and personal devices will enable the vision of the classic "Jetsons"-style automated home over the next few years-- at least after overcoming a number of challenges.

According to Strategy Analytics, "companies must identify the applications that will drive consumer adoption of smart home solutions" while understanding customer attitudes on alternative solutions, price points and the channel itself.

As fuel costs soar, customers are increasingly aware of energy consumption-- driving demand for smart meters and consumption management tools. Vendors such as Deutsche Telekom, General Electric, Mielie and Panasonic are already marketing smart home systems and services as instrumental to business growth.

The analyst says “there are many opportunities for players across the emerging smart home value chain,” pointing out the future development of partnerships between utilities, service providers, vendors and enabling technology providers. Such partnerships will improve customer value and revenue opportunities-- while bringing the smart home vision to reality.

Go Connected Lifestyle and Energy Concerns Will Drive Widespread Smart Home Adoption (Strategy Analytics)

When iPod creators Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers left Apple to start their own company back in 2008, many thought the two would work on a next-gen music player. Instead, they reveal the Nest, an intelligent (and rather stylish!) thermostat.

The company says the thermostat will slash household heating and cooking bills by up to 10-35% by "learning" customer habits-- if the user turns the thermostat to the same temperature at the same time for a few days in a row, it will start turning up heaters to the same temperature at the same time automatically.

Meanwhile six far-field sensors detect human presence through temperature, ambient light, humidity and motion-- turning heating (or air conditioners) down if noone is around.

Temperature control comes through either the rotating outer ring or wifi connectivity (allowing one to adjust thermostat settings via internet-connected devices).

Finally, the company claims installing a Nest thermostat will take all of 20 minutes, and should start shipping from November.

Go Nest

Europe dominates the home automation and control market according to Markets and Markets-- taking over 36% of the global 2010 automation market.

The analyst forecasts automation in Europe will continue growing further from 2011 to 2016 with a CAGR of 13%.

The WW home automation and control market should reach to $16.9 billion in 2011, before growing to $35.6BN in 2016 with a CAGR of 16.1%, Markets and Markets says. Fuelling such growth is increasing customer demand for energy efficient solutions, improved security and demand for handy systems.

The entertainment control segment dominates the market taking over 22% of 2010 revenues-- but Markets and Markets expects the communications, standards and protocols and the outdoor control segments to grow faster, with a "relatively higher" CAGR for the 2011-2016 period of 25% and 23.7% respectively.

Asia will also be something of a surprise growth region for the period, with a CAGR of 19.9% for 2011-2016.

Go Markets and Markets Global Home Automation and Control systems Market 2011-2016