Amid historic volatility in energy prices and heightened concern about energy security and climate change, energy management and energy efficiency are hot topics. Tens of millions of smart electric meters are slated for deployment in the next few years, in addition to a broad array of other smart grid enhancements. And consumer interest in energy issues is higher than it has been in decades. According to a new report from Pike Research, this groundswell from consumers, together with a strong push from electric utilities, will create a substantial market for home energy management systems and energy information displays (EIDs), which the firm forecasts will include 28.1 million users worldwide by 2015.

“Energy information displays are the face of the smart grid,” says managing director Clint Wheelock. “These systems will provide consumers with an unprecedented level of visibility into, and control over, the consumption of electricity within their homes, providing a significant opportunity for efficiency improvements and cost savings.” Wheelock adds that EIDs will provide important tools for utilities, as well, who will utilize them for more efficient management of power generation and distribution, including dynamic pricing and load control during periods of peak and off-peak demand.

Pike Research forecasts that in-home display devices will be the largest EID category, with 14.4 million units shipped by 2015. Web-based dashboards will also be a major category with 11.1 million users, followed by mobile phone energy applications with 2.6 million users.

The home energy management vendor landscape is increasingly crowded, and competition is fierce as a variety of industry players pursue the emerging EID opportunity. These include Google and Microsoft, both of which have recently launched web dashboards for energy management and are aggressively pursuing utility partnerships. Other key players include Control4, eMeter, Energate, Energy Inc., Green Energy Options, GridPoint, Onzo, OpenPeak, Silver Spring Networks, and Tendril Networks.

Pike Research’s report, “Home Energy Management”, offers an in-depth look at the global market for energy information displays including in-home display devices, web dashboards, and mobile energy management applications. It analyzes the drivers of supply and demand in the market, explores the principal technology issues, profiles the offerings and strategies of the leading vendors, and presents a forecast of the global market through 2015. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The company’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Clean Transportation, Clean Industry, Corporate Sustainability, and Building Efficiency sectors. For more information, visit www.pikeresearch.com or call +1.303.997.7609.