Bringing the Smart Grid to the Smart Home: It's Not Only About the Meter

[Commentary] The market for residential energy management is poised to grow dramatically due to increased consumer demand and new government and industry initiatives. Frequently, and for good reason, the discussions about this emerging market focus on the expansion of Smart Grids as these solutions enable electricity distribution systems to manage alternative energy sources (e.g., solar and wind), improve reliability, facilitate faster response rates to outages, and manage peak-load demands. The first step in implementing a Smart Grid is building an Advanced Metering Infrastructure ( AMI). A key component of AMI is the smart meter, which is a digital meter capable of processing and reporting usage data to providers and households via two-way communication with the utility offices. Smart Grids can be potent tools in helping consumers reduce their energy costs, but consumers have several concerns that could inhibit adoption. In order to maximize Smart Grids, utilities and suppliers of energy management solutions must first educate consumers about the benefits of these advanced systems and then package these solutions so that capabilities and advantages are obvious to consumers and easily integrated into their lifestyles.