Energy Service Companies Explore Smart-Home' Technology as Means to Secure, Expand Services to Residential, Small Business Consumers; Special Workshop to Review Smart-Home' Automation for Energy Industry HOUSTON, TEXAS (10/30/01): Energy services firms, such as Reliant Resources Inc. and The New Power Company, have been exploring new home-automation systems to determine if these technologies will offer new ways to serve their retail customers. Both companies have launched pilot tests in states leading in energy deregulation, such as Texas and Pennsylvania. Home-automation (HA) promises to bring advancements to households the way networked servers and telecommunications have transformed office places. Through centralized controllers, wireless communications networks, broader bandwidth and even artificial intelligence, technology firms, such as Microsoft and IBM, are working to centralize and digitally automate the control of many household functions. "We've identified at least 14 areas where home-automation is in full development," said Bob Nimocks, president of Zeus Development Corporation and organizer of the workshop. "If successful, these companies will give home and business owners the means to improve the functionality of their environments in amazing ways while reducing their need for energy, water and other resources." Home automation (HA) is linking many household electronic systems, such as phone, computing, entertainment and sound systems, thermostats, lighting, security and irrigation into a centrally controlled network that can be managed remotely via the Internet or cell phone. These systems allow homeowners to more effectively manage their energy usage as well as improve their lifestyle. Allied Business Intelligence predicts this market will rise from US$267 million in 2000 to $7.1 billion in 2007. "I live in a home in the Woodlands that is kind of a pilot home. I can control my thermostat, turn on my lights and access my meter on the Internet from downtown Houston," said Joe Flynn, an e-business executive at Reliant Resources. "From virtually anywhere in the world, I can use my cell phone or PDA to turn on my lights, set my air conditioner or see what's going on in my home." "The Internet is being extended to everyday household appliances that we don't normally associate with computing," IBM's Michel Mayer told the NewsFactor Network in a recent interview. "The technology to enable this is available today but requires companies to come together to build end-to-end solutions." Microsoft Corporation has been working on intelligent software systems that will sense and automatically adjust household systems to the occupant's needs throughout the day. Likewise, IBM and National Semiconductor Corporation are partnering to help companies develop home networking software that will enable high-speed Internet connectivity throughout the home for computers, household appliances and electronics. "Energy is not going to be about wires and pipes anymore," Flynn predicted. "It's going to be about information. How you use your energy and when you use it will be as valuable as how many kilowatts you use, and the time-of-day pricing models will be set up that way." Home Automation Workshop Tuesday, Dec. 4, a workshop, entitled "Home Automation: The New Frontier for Retail Energy Services," will be held at the Houston George R. Brown Convention Center to review and demonstrate how home automation is changing the management of homes and small businesses as well as the service expectations of their owners. The workshop will be held in advance of the Interactive Energy conference and exhibition. Delegates will learn of the various types of HA innovations and where they apply to energy services. A large multi-city pilot implementation will be reviewed. Last, a panel of researchers will discuss what is on the horizon and reflect on what may further emerge. Companies participating in the workshop include IBM, Microsoft, Sargent Electric, EGT Technologies and others. For program details, see www.interactiveenergy.com. About Interactive Energy Interactive Energy will be held at Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, Dec. 4-7. The annual conference and exhibition covers information technology (IT) advancements in the energy industry and features numerous case studies of technology implementations, new software demonstrations, business plans and special workshops. Conference Sponsors of Interactive Energy 2001 already include Enermetrix (www.enermetrix.com), SAIC (www.saic.com), AT&T (www.att.com), Microsoft (www.microsoft.com), Luminant Worldwide (www.luminant.com), Oracle (www.oracle.com), Unisys (www.unisys.com), Conchango (www.conchango.com), Proclarity (www.proclarity.com) and Silicon Energy (www.siliconenergy.com). Supporters include PR Newswire, Energy Central, TIPRO, Techxans and the Houston Business Journal.
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Smart-Home Workshop