September 29, 2011

News for the automated homes and buildings industry

Home Systems

• Sigma Designs enables any meter to talk directly to Z-Wave ecosystem
  Sigma Designs, a worldwide leader in connected media platforms, and manufacturer of Z-Wave wireless technology, announced that all utility meters can now communicate with all Z-Wave home control technologies. This is made possible through the addition of the Z-Wave Universal Meter Bridge that was on display in the Sigma Designs booth at the Autovation Conference in Washington, DC this week. ElectricEnergyOnline.com (9/26)

• Home energy management gets real
  Want to save some bucks on your electricity and energy costs? The really good news is that fairly comprehensive home energy management systems are becoming much more available—and in several cases more affordable. There are several pretty good systems either here today or on the way that offer different levels of energy monitoring and control over the devices in your home. Electronic House (9/26)

• In-Stat: Blu-ray players on pace for 105 million shipped by 2015
  In-Stat forecasts that global shipments of Blu-ray disc players will reach 105 million by 2015, as the format crowds out sales of traditional DVD players. The market research firm also sees DVD recorders fading away in the next three years, to be replaced by Blu-ray recorders. Home Media Magazine (9/26)

• August smartphone shoppers flocked to Android
  Smartphone buyers were twice as likely to purchase an Android-based handset than an iPhone, according to Nielsen's August figures surveying the U.S. mobile software scene. The Google-owned operating system expanded its share to 43%, compared with 40% in July. Apple's market share remained at 28%, but Nielsen analysts predict the company will recover after its expected release of the iPhone 5 this quarter. eWeek.com (9/26)

• YouTube reportedly nears launch of scheduled video content
  YouTube is completing contracts for the early 2012 launch of channels that will have scheduled video content on topics including fashion and sports, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the development. The Google subsidiary declined to comment. Wall Street Journal (9/26)

• Gamers weigh in on 3-D effects
  Market research firm Interpret reports that 28% of Nintendo 3DS owners it surveyed said the 3-D effects detracted from the game-playing experience. An additional 22% said 3-D improved game playing on the handheld device. GameSpot (9/23)

• Crestron touts universal "WorldSearch" in patent filing
  Crestron Electronics has filed for a patent on technology that can search for content among multiple sources, such as home media servers, iTunes and Netflix. The so-called "universal search" technology, which the company brands as WorldSearch, is incorporated into Crestron's ADMS Intermedia Digital Media System. CEPro.com (9/26)

• Will Microsoft let Xbox users play games on smartphones?
  Microsoft is developing an online service that will allow Xbox 360 users to play video games on their smartphones as well as put the handsets to work as game controllers, according to a published report that predicts an early 2012 debut for the service. Total Telecom Magazine (9/26)

• Report: DLNA standard may promote Android as major media hub
  Android-based devices could become a force as in-home media hubs under an open standard emerging from the Digital Living Network Alliance, according to an IMS Research report that suggests consumer-electronics equipment makers are lining up to support the technology. IMS' mobile analysts predict that Android devices could become the backbone of in-home networks, a trend that may pose a threat to Apple's proprietary AirPlay platform. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (9/23)

• Blockbuster creates subscription service
  Blockbuster launched a $10-per-month subscription for DISH Network customers that provides streaming as well as DVD and video game rental. The service, $6 less than a similar offering from Netflix, will be expanded to non-DISH subscribers this year, Blockbuster said. Reuters (9/23)

• Crestron announces Integration Awards winners
  Crestron named its 2011 Integration Awards winners during a special ceremony at CEDIA EXPO 2011. In its seventh year, the Integration Awards acknowledge the most innovative and creative residential installations featuring Crestron technology. This year, Crestron received more than 170 entries from 21 states, Mexico and Canada. Top honors went to S3 Entertainment in North Salt Lake, UT and Osbee Industries in Harrison, NY in the Ultimate Connected Home categories. Crestron (9/22)

• Interview: Opening up the smart home
  For some time, smart homes have been seen as a “future” concept. According to Edmund Barrett, Product Manager at RWE SmartHome, there has been a long term vision, and much discussion of what is possible, but when it comes to pulling together a business case, a solution and making it happen, the results have been lacking. Metering.com (9/22)

• U.K firm uses KNX for home automation installation
  The latest installation by U.K firm Household Automation features KNX automation. As a KNX installer, Household Automation specified KNX because of its versatility. It installed KNX in a five bedroom house under renovation, and is in the process of introducing structured cabling. The KNX system is connected to all the lighting dimmers and relays (40 in all), to the heating control (both under floor and traditional radiators), and to blinds and automated internal doors. Build.co.uk (9/15)

• OG&E picks Energate's smart thermostats for next smart grid deployment step
  Buoyed by a successful pilot program, Oklahoma Gas & Electric is moving toward its goals of peak demand reduction and customer adoption with the installation of Energate's smart thermostats in up to 40,000 homes. SmartGridNews.com (9/27)

• Hulu reaches one million mark in paid customers
  Hulu has already surpassed its goal of reaching 1 million paying customers by the close of 2011, according to chief executive Jason Kilar. The video site will spend more than $375 million for content this year, Kilar said at an investor conference. Meanwhile, a potential $2 billion sale of Hulu by its owners -- News Corp., Walt Disney Co., Comcast's NBCUniversal and Providence Equity Partners -- is still being evaluated, said Chase Carey, chief operating officer of News Corp. Reuters (9/21)

• Opinion: The state of home energy management
  The connection between smart buildings and the smart grid will be one of the hot growth areas, predicts Jesse Berst, managing director of Global Smart Energy, and publisher of SmartGridNews.com, in his perspective on the home energy management market. Metering.com (9/26)

• Samsung, Planar get SM'ART
  Samsung Electronics said this week that it is exploring alternatives for artists to display their work electronically in homes and executive offices. In that spirit, the company is teaming up with commercial display resource Planar, which also owns high-end home theater resource Runco, to develop two prototype displays using Samsung's SM'ART Gallery Panels, to gauge potential demand. TWICE (9/28)

• Video: Apple's plan for the connected home
  Clearly there's a trend toward intelligent and connected appliances. In the near future, every major consumer electronics company, including Apple, will be offering devices that will empower a connected home ecosystem. Computerworld (9/13)

Large Building Automation

• ZigBee Alliance completes building automation standard
  The ZigBee® Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, recently announced it has completed development and ratified the ZigBee Building AutomationTM standard. It currently stands as the industry's only BACnet approved wireless mesh standard for commercial buildings. Sacramento Bee (9/27)

• Sprint signs new meters deal as it moves into smart grid
  Sprint Nextel has announced that it will begin supporting wireless smart meters from Neptune Technology Group over its 3G network. Market watchers say the move indicates that Sprint is looking to leverage its communications experience and machine-to-machine technology to position itself as a player in the expanding smart grid market. American City Business Journals/Kansas City, Mo. (9/26)

• Commercial solar-rooftop projects could soar as cost drops
  Overproduction of solar panels around the world has caused a glut, which has led to lower prices. Some companies plan to take advantage of this and lease their rooftop spaces to solar-energy operations. The number of commercial solar-rooftop projects increased 22% from the first quarter to the second quarter of this year, according to a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research. . Wall Street Journal (9/21)

• AT&T buys Superclick, provider of hotel Wi-Fi software
  AT&T agreed to acquire Montreal-based Superclick Networks, which makes the software that hotels use to manage Wi-Fi connections in guests' rooms, the seller disclosed Monday, saying that its shareholders still need to sign off on the $15 million deal. Superclick provides Web access tools to 550 hotels with its Linux-based gateway solution. AT&T owns a similar division that services multiroom institutions. ITWorldCanada.com (9/26)

• Testing the smart grid before we build it
  As we transition to the Smart Grid, how can we be sure it will all work correctly, and how can we quantify the benefits it will deliver? The answer, or at least part of the answer, lies in a computer model developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) called GridLAB-D. The sophisticated computer program provides a detailed, simultaneous simulation of the electric grid, including power flow, end-use loads, and market functions and interactions within a power grid. SmartGrid.gov (9/20)

• Building green: What are your options?
  When it comes to improving the energy efficiency of buildings, there are several different options for contractors, builders, and corporate owners. This includes improving HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), lighting control, and air infiltration, just to name a few. Technology can play a key role in helping manage these building systems more efficiently. Constructech (9/27)
  

• Interview: Jim Sinopoli talks smart building technologies basics
  The AV industry often sits at the crux of revolutions in building design and technology. IT network convergence, green technology and integrated project delivery (IPD) are changing the way people design, inhabit and use a building. AV professionals are now turning their attention to smart building technologies (SBT), a growing force within the design and construction industries that, once again, requires a strong AV industry presence. infoComm International (9/21)

• V200 water meter is first ZigBee certified digital water meter
  The V200 water meter jointly developed by Elster and Freestyle Technology has been certified by the ZigBee Alliance – the first digital water meter to be so certified, the companies have announced. Metering.com (9/23)

• Call for entries: SBIC 2011 High-Performance Building Awards
  The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) is proud to announce the 2011 Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building Awards. This unique program recognizes buildings, initiatives and products that shape, inform and catalyze the high-performance building market. The winners of the Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building Awards will be invited to present their projects on Capitol Hill as part of an educational briefing for lawmakers and the public. Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) (9/22)

• Texas Instruments closes the acquisition of National Semiconductor
  Texas Instruments (TI) just completed the acquisition of National Semiconductor that was initially announced back in April. The combined analog IC operations will impact many markets but none more so than LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL), where both companies are dominant players. National Semiconductor will be integrated as a unit of Texas Instruments' analog business and the combination establishes a clear leader in the LED-driver-IC segment. LEDs Magazine (9/27)

• KNX is now on LinkedIn
  LinkedIn is the ultimate portal where more than 100 million professionals come together to exchange information, ideas and opportunities. To provide LinkedIn users with all necesary information about the KNX world, a new LinkedIn company profile page of KNX Association has been created. KNX (9/21)

• Energy software integration posing huge problem for users
  Energy management software is creating a massive integration challenge for its users, with companies buying up to eight different applications to meet 12 different usage scenarios, according to research from Verdantix. Environmental Leader (9/28)

• ISA announces standards initiative for building automation
  The International Society of Automation (ISA) is extending its standards reach with the creation of a committee on building automation: ISA111, Unified Automation for Buildings. The committee will develop standards and guidelines to communicate the necessary information to enable building subsystems to be managed and to interact so that an individual building, a local collection of buildings such as a campus, or a geographically diverse collection of buildings appear to a user to be a single, coordinated, cohesive building automation system. Control Engineering Asia (9/27)

• Toronto wins bid to host Greenbuild International
  Toronto has won a contract to host 'green' building event Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, marking the first time that the US Green Building Council (USGBC) has held its expo outside the U.S. The three-day event, which will take place between 4 and 7 October at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and will include workshops and a large exhibitions space, is expected to attract 22,000 delegates and contribute $58m to the local economy. C&IT (9/27)

• Ecologic Analytics and Landis+Gyr to pre-integrate smart metering solutions
  Leading smart grid solutions providers, Ecologic Analytics and Landis+Gyr announced that the companies are strengthening their already market-leading collaboration by moving to pre-integrate the Gridstream™ solution portfolio with the Ecologic Meter Data Management System (MDMS), using the next generation of the International Electrotechnical Commission – Common Information Model (IEC-CIM) 61968-9 (2nd Edition). BusinessWire (9/27)

• Report: Smart city initiatives improves living standards, reduce carbon emissions
  According to a recent report from Pike Research, "smart" information and communication technologies that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of urban systems and services will not only help mitigate the environmental effects of mass urbanization, but also improve the lives of the people who inhabit the world's burgeoning cities. MarketWatch (9/29)
  

Member Press Releases

• Encelium Technologies to Exhibit at Greenbuild 2011 in Toronto and Conduct Rogers Centre Tour
  Encelium Technologies will showcase its innovative energy management and lighting control systems at Greenbuild 2011 International Conference and Expo, Booth #6132S, from Tuesday, October 4 through Thursday, October 6, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in West Toronto, Canada. The event serves as the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) first Greenbuild outside of the United States. At the Expo, attendees will get an insider's look at Encelium's new Polaris 3DTM, its next generation of lighting control software for the company's Energy Control SystemTM (ECS).

• Other Items

Bedrock Learning Launches New Business Support CDs for Professional Integrators
CMMS and EAM Software Provider Unveils New Brand and Marketing Launch
Encelium Technologies Expands Product Offering with New Line of Occupancy Sensors
The Future of "Green" Addressable Lighting Systems Looks Bright for Encelium Technologies
Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Software Developer Opens European Office
AMX Forms Network Media Group
Tridium Announces Appointment of Chief Technology Officer
Schneider Electric to Deliver Transformational Energy Management Capability with Cisco
EMerge Alliance Adds New Members to its DC Power Standards Movement

CABA members can post their media releases by logging into the CABA Web site.

CABA Research Spotlight

• Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings
  This report from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) provides guidelines for saving energy in new and retrofit small office buildings (up to 20,000 square feet). The goal is to achieve a 30% improvement over minimum code requirements while enhancing the work environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Recommendations cover the building envelope and windows, lighting systems (including daylighting), heating, cooling and ventilation, building automation, water heating, external façade lighting, and electrical loads. Examples are presented. Read the full report as published in CABA's Public Research Library. Paid CABA membership provides you access to the world's largest collection of connected home and intelligent building research: CABA Member Research Library.

Education & Training

• Webinar: Intelligent Buildings: Current and Emerging Trends
  The Continental Automated Buildings Association recently commissioned two market study and research projects titled “Intelligent Buildings Market Sizing North America” and the “Intelligent Buildings Roadmap.” In conjunction with CoR Advisors, CABA will conduct a webinar session on Friday, November 4, at 12:30pm that will review the key findings of this research and provide an overview of current and future trends in intelligent buildings. Konkana Khaund, from Frost & Sullivan, and Jeremy Towler, from BSRIA, and others, will define an intelligent building and its components, review the benefits of intelligent building solutions for all stakeholders, and present a summary of the business opportunities and market size for intelligent building solutions. You’ll learn about the influence of technology advances for building energy efficiency, automation, IT convergence, renewable energy solutions, and integration with the smart grid.
  
  
• Online event: CEProLIVE!
  Sign up for CEProLIVE!, the first industry-wide virtual event for custom electronics professionals, on October 27, 2011, 10am - 5pm EDT. Jointly produced by CE Pro and CEDIA, CEProLIVE! offers a compelling lineup of dealer education in the hottest new technology areas - with valuable information to help you stay on top of your game.
  
  
• Free audio presentations on connected devices
  Connected Content 2011 is offering two of its best sessions from the Smart TV USA conference held back in June. The first is a debate between Intel, Philips and Rovi about how content and technology players should work together. Secondly, there’s an honest examination of the potential of TV Apps with Samsung and Logitech which is well worth listening to, and it's completely free.
  

CABA News

• CABA Speakers Bureau now recruiting
  The CABA Speakers Bureau is a chance to have your voice heard in the industry. As a speaker, it also allows you to network with organizations and companies and form new business relationships. It also allows you the opportunity to highlight your organization. CABA receives numerous requests each year in regards to recommending CABA members that would be willing to speak at events on various topics regarding home and building automation. The CABA Speakers Bureau is now recruiting and there is no cost to CABA members to register. Register today!
  
  
• CABA seeks reviewers for its Information Council
  All research reports, case studies and white papers published in CABA's Research Libraries are peer reviewed by the CABA Information Council (CIC). The CIC is chaired by Dr. Ken Wacks, with assistance from Wayne Caswell, CIC Vice-Chair. Due to the ever increasing number of reports for CABA's Research Libraries requiring review, CABA is seeking qualified individuals to join the CIC. The CABA Research Library has the "world's largest collection of connected home and intelligent buildings" research. To join the CIC, please contact Ron Zimmer, CABA President & CEO at zimmer@caba.org.
  

• CBS Vision hosts CABA Digital Home Forum: October 26
  The event will bring together leading companies involved in the integration of consumer electronics and other cutting-edge technology throughout the home. Learn about current trends in the digital and connected home from a wide range of companies working in this space and explore future research opportunities. Here are just a few of our featured speakers: Kristen Bowring (Best Buy), Dave Poltrack (CBS Vision), Ron Zimmer (CABA), John Hall (CABA), David Ainslie (Carbon Café Consulting), Victor Berrios (Nomomoto Group), Duncan Bees (Home Gateway Initiative), Derek Phillips (Freescale Semiconductor), Cory Sorice (The Chamberlain Group), Konkana Khaund (Frost & Sullivan), Jerry Gouge (Ingersoll Rand), Sandy Bates (Innovation Partners), Michael Clay (Verizon Wireless), and Carole Wiedmeyer (Zanthus Corporation). More details are available here.
  
  The CABA Connected Home Council (CHC) breakfast meeting will be sponsored by Best Buy and all Digital Home Forum attendees are also invited to attend this complimentary meeting chaired by Michael Clay, from Verizon Wireless. The meeting is scheduled from 8:30 AM - 11 am on Thursday, October 27, in Las Vegas, NV. Seating is limited so please confirm your attendance at the CHC meeting with Tony Disipio at 613.686.1814 x228 or disipio@caba.org, when you register for the Digital Home Forum. Meeting agenda and details can be found here.
  
  For further information about CABA’s Digital Home Forum and CABA’s Connected Home Council (CHC) meeting, please contact George Grimes, CABA's Business Development Manager, at 888.798.CABA (2222) or 613.686.1814 x226 or grimes@caba.org.
  

SmartQuote

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