Smart Home Devices, Automation News and Articles

A Wood Mackenzie Business

GTM members benefits:

Unlimited access to our free news articles
Unlimited access to our free webinars, white papers, and videos
Special offers and discounts on Events and Squared
Updates on breaking news and current events

07.30.19 Research & Analysis 0

Smart meter penetration is poised to grow in developed and developing economies.

WoodMac: Smart Meter Installations to Surge Globally Over Next 5 Years

The rise of advanced metering infrastructure is granting utilities and customers unprecedented insight into power consumption.

by Francesco Menonna and Chloe Holden

07.29.19 Perspectives 1

The number of deals in the smart-building sector is accelerating.

Industry Perspective

Consolidation Takes Hold in Fragmented Smart Buildings Sector

An overdue wave of M&A opens an exit ramp for smart-building startups, and will simplify purchasing decisions for building owners and operators.

by Joseph Aamidor

07.23.19 Grid Edge 1

Google Nest and Leap are linking smart thermostats to California's energy markets.

Leap and Google Nest Launch Smart-Thermostat-to-Energy-Market Offering

In some ways, “This is the first time that single residential customers are providing flexibility in the wholesale market,” Leap CEO Thomas Folker says.

by Jeff St. John

07.17.19 Solar 7

Big investors are increasingly interested in distributed solar and storage assets.

GE and BlackRock Launch Distributed Solar and Storage Business

With BlackRock as a partner and a new focus on project ownership, GE’s under-the-radar solar business may be in for noisier days ahead.

by Jeff St. John

07.15.19 Grid Edge 1

Tendril had been on an acquisition spree since an investment by Rubicon Technology Partners.

Tendril Merges With Simple Energy to Form Uplight

With the backing of AES and Rubicon Technology Partners, Uplight seeks to become a one-stop shop for utilities’ customer-facing software needs.

by Jeff St. John

07.10.19 Grid Edge 0

How Distributed Energy Is Reshaping the Energy Landscape

Take a visual deep dive into how distributed energy resources are profoundly changing the way energy markets operate and how power is produced, stored and used across the grid.

by GTM Creative Strategies

06.25.19 Grid Edge 17

The pilot was conducted by EnergyHub, Rheem and New England utility United Illuminated.

Heat Pump Water Heaters Can be Demand Response Assets

A pilot project shows utilities can have the best of both worlds: the efficiency of heat pump water heaters along with grid flexibility.

by Jeff St. John

06.20.19 Grid Edge 2

Elta Kolo, research manager at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, on stage in San Diego.

The 2019 Grid Edge Investment Landscape

The latest investment trends for storage, electric vehicles, solar integration — and the software platforms to manage them.

by Jeff St. John

06.13.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 6

EcoFactor's energy diagnostics technology could tap a broader market under its new owner.

HVAC Giant Trane Acquires EcoFactor’s Home Energy Analytics Technology

EcoFactor, whose AI-based analytics platform can tell when AC units are failing or wasting energy, is already in hundreds of thousands of homes, CEO Shayan Habib tells GTM.

by Jeff St. John

05.17.19 Commercial & Industrial Energy 1

California remains the leading U.S. market for behind-the-meter storage, but opportunities are expanding in the Northeast.

Engie Acquires Genbright to Unlock More Value From Distributed Storage and Solar Portfolio

Genbright’s software matches distributed energy resources with multiple wholesale energy market opportunities. New England is a key growth target, Engie Storage CEO Chris Tilley tells GTM.

by Jeff St. John

05.15.19 Grid Edge 0

Tendril Acquires EnergySavvy to Enhance Utility Customer Data Analytics

The home energy data specialist’s second acquisition since December puts it in competition with Oracle’s Opower and Bidgely in the utility customer service field.

by Jeff St. John

05.14.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 0

UK Battery Startup Moixa Lands $11M From Honda and Itochu

Startup with megawatts of behind-the-meter batteries under management gets boost from current Japanese virtual power plant partner and soon-to-be European EV integration partner.

by Jeff St. John

05.13.19 Solar 14

Chinese Solar Inverters Hit by Latest US Trade Tariffs, but Impact Seen as Muted

The increasingly globalized solar supply chain has been preparing for the possibility of more U.S. tariffs on components made in China. But the cumulative impact of tariffs is building.

by Emma Foehringer Merchant

05.06.19 Solar 0

SolarEdge Hauls in Record Revenue Following Recent Non-Solar Acquisitions

Branching beyond its mainline solar operations, SolarEdge is spending money integrating recent acquisitions running from batteries to EV drivetrains.

by Jeff St. John

04.24.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 1

Recent deals suggest Germany's GreenCom may be emerging as a technology of choice for some of Europe’s major utilities.

European Home Energy M&A Alert: GreenCom Networks Buys Shine

Centrica-backed GreenCom’s acquisition of a startup founded by German utility Innogy underscores the dynamism of Europe’s home energy market.

by Jeff St. John

04.11.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 1

Google Expands Its Voice Control Support for Utilities

A growing number of U.S. utilities are engaging their customers through voice-activated devices. Google wants to make that easier.

by Jeff St. John

03.28.19 Energy Efficiency 3

The traditional lines are blurring between energy efficiency and demand response in California.

New Programs Put California’s Pay-for-Performance Efficiency Paradigm to the Test

California’s utilities are rolling out the first tests measuring the real-world effectiveness of energy efficiency spending.

by Jeff St. John

03.22.19 Grid Optimization 0

Tiko was formed in 2012 as a joint venture between Swisscom and Repower.

Engie Backs Tiko for Distributed Virtual Power Plants

The Swiss startup, tapped by sonnen and others to aggregate DERs for grid services in Europe, now has a majority investor with eyes on the U.S. and Australian markets.

by Jeff St. John

03.08.19 Microgrids 13

A first-of-its-kind high-performance community and residential microgrid to learn how to better serve changing customer needs.

Welcome to Reynolds Landing: An Alabama Community Spearheading the Grid Edge Transition

Southern Company, Electric Power Research Institute and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have teamed up to design a “smart neighborhood.”

by Justin Gerdes

03.07.19 People 1

Terry Jester talks with Emily Kirsch for the Watt It Takes podcast series.

Watt It Takes: Terry Jester Reflects on Four Decades of Solar

This week on Watt It Takes, Solpad CEO Terry Jester brings 40 years of solar experience to startups.

by Stephen Lacey

03.06.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 5

The technology helps to improve energy efficiency and productivity.

Industry Perspective

How Indoor Space Sensing Makes Buildings Smart and More Efficient

Buildings expert Joe Aamidor profiles use cases for indoor space sensing technology.

by Joseph Aamidor

02.27.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 0

Blue Pillar’s work with the University of Hawaii was spurred by its partnership with Hawaii’s Elemental Excelerator.

Blue Pillar Enables an ‘Energy-Smart University’ Network in Hawaii

Energy data from substations and solar panels to building automation and submeters, all in a vendor-agnostic package.

by Jeff St. John

02.21.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 3

Centrica recently invested in two internet-of-things startups to broaden its portfolio.

Centrica Expands Smart Home Energy Management Offerings, Targets the US Market

The British company looks to help homeowners save on their energy bills with residential storage, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps and connected appliances.

by Jason Deign

01.30.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 2

Utilities could dramatically expand the reach of home demand response programs by including more types of energy devices.

Bidgely and EnergyHub Team Up to Combine Home Energy Data With Controls

It’s a step toward a world where all major home energy devices respond nimbly to grid needs.

by Julian Spector

01.24.19 Smart Homes/Smart Buildings 2

Tendril claims this creates the largest-scale non-intrusive load monitoring solution on the market.

Tendril Acquires EEme to Unlock Appliance-Level Energy Insights

The big home-energy management provider snaps up technology startup EEme to differentiate household loads and appliances using only meter data.

by Jeff St. John

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

What the Coming Wave of Distributed Energy Resources Means for the US Grid

Extreme Weather Keeps Maxing Out the Grid

A Wartime Plan for Electrifying America

An Island’s Path to 100% Renewables

Greentech Media Chronicled Clean Energy Before It Was Cool

Are Batteries at a Turning Point?

Vestas Ventures Makes First Investment With Stake in Wooden Tower Start-Up

Vestas Launches World’s Largest Turbines as 'Big 3' Competition Ramps Up

BP, RWE and EnBW Win Big in UK Offshore Wind Leasing Round

How Cheap and Abundant Can Clean Power Get?

Climate Fintech Startup Atmos Financial Puts Savings to Work for Clean Energy

Could Chile’s Auction Help Save CSP From Oblivion?

Smart Homes/Smart Buildings

WoodMac: Smart Meter Installations to Surge Globally Over Next 5 Years

Consolidation Takes Hold in Fragmented Smart Buildings Sector

Leap and Google Nest Launch Smart-Thermostat-to-Energy-Market Offering

GE and BlackRock Launch Distributed Solar and Storage Business

Tendril Merges With Simple Energy to Form Uplight

How Distributed Energy Is Reshaping the Energy Landscape

Heat Pump Water Heaters Can be Demand Response Assets

The 2019 Grid Edge Investment Landscape

HVAC Giant Trane Acquires EcoFactor’s Home Energy Analytics Technology

Engie Acquires Genbright to Unlock More Value From Distributed Storage and Solar Portfolio

Tendril Acquires EnergySavvy to Enhance Utility Customer Data Analytics

UK Battery Startup Moixa Lands $11M From Honda and Itochu

Chinese Solar Inverters Hit by Latest US Trade Tariffs, but Impact Seen as Muted

SolarEdge Hauls in Record Revenue Following Recent Non-Solar Acquisitions

European Home Energy M&A Alert: GreenCom Networks Buys Shine

Google Expands Its Voice Control Support for Utilities

New Programs Put California’s Pay-for-Performance Efficiency Paradigm to the Test

Engie Backs Tiko for Distributed Virtual Power Plants

Welcome to Reynolds Landing: An Alabama Community Spearheading the Grid Edge Transition

Watt It Takes: Terry Jester Reflects on Four Decades of Solar

How Indoor Space Sensing Makes Buildings Smart and More Efficient

Blue Pillar Enables an ‘Energy-Smart University’ Network in Hawaii

Centrica Expands Smart Home Energy Management Offerings, Targets the US Market

Bidgely and EnergyHub Team Up to Combine Home Energy Data With Controls

Tendril Acquires EEme to Unlock Appliance-Level Energy Insights