The Search Is On for the Best Smart Home Products
February 10, 2022
With smart home products and whole-home connectivity gaining in importance and popularity in the residential community, the search for the best integrated home products has begun.
The annual CEE Integrated Home Competition rewards market leaders whose connected home solutions not only provide energy savings and load management capability, but also deliver upon consumer expectations for interoperability, reliability, and simplicity. Plus, the winners gain added recognition through endorsement and promotion from the competition’s sponsors.
The Residential portion of the 2022 Competition spans electric and natural gas equipment, including heating and cooling equipment, thermostats, water heaters, pool pumps, plug load controls, window attachments, lighting and lighting controls, ceiling fans, EV supply equipment, home appliances, and other connected home devices that deliver a positive consumer experience, energy management, and load management capabilities.
Why You Should Enter
The Integrated Home Competition rewards manufacturers of solutions that advance the CEE Integrated Home vision. Award winners receive credible third-party promotion and recognition through webinars, press releases to both consumer and trade publications, the Integrated Home Competition website, presence at key industry events, and additional promotion by competition sponsors. In addition, CEE member efficiency program administrators may choose to recommend winning entries to their customers and contractors or consider pilot programs. Unlike many competitions, one of the benefits of the Integrated Home Competition is that all entrants receive insight and direction from the judges on future utility needs.
How It Works
Products are evaluated through a two-phase process: 1) screening by the competition sponsors, and 2) a live assessment of the finalists by a Judging Panel comprised of individuals with expertise in usability, interoperability, IDSM program administration, product or system installation, specific technology performance, and promotion. Entries are judged against the following criteria:
- Energy Savings and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction
- Functionality
- Load Management
- Data Sharing
- Interoperability
- Reliability
- Consumer Value Proposition
- Ease of Installation, Set Up, and Use
- Cybersecurity
- Quality of Design and Engineering
- Innovation
In addition, the Judging Panel may reward entries that exhibit other desirable characteristics such as relevance for underserved audiences (assisting in achieving energy equity objectives), accessible design, future proofing, niche applications, and field serviceability.
For complete guidelines and information on how to enter, click here , join the webinar on February 24 on how to enter, or contact competition@cee1.org.
