Perspectives
Rapid changes in consumer, business and industrial products and technologies, the proliferation of sensors and digital footprints and sophisticated data analytics are driving transformational shifts in many sectors. The energy sector has responded to this change with more energy efficient appliances, digital retail innovations and progressive smart grid investments, but this is modest relative to many others.
Key constraints to consumer interest in smarter energy solutions include the potential added complexity and inconvenience in their lives. Additionally, the challenge for an industry with little understanding of their audience is to communicate effectively with their consumers, which is key to driving changes in the consumption of electricity.
The buzz from the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) suggests this is about to change.