EDINBURGH, Scotland, September 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

New Delta-ee research sheds light on the battle for the connected home in Europe 

The connected home prize is potentially huge - with energy emerging as a leading entry point into the home. Delta-ee's latest research shows that nearly 0.5 million smart thermostats have been installed in Europe over the last 2 years.

This is one of the findings revealed by Delta-ee this week as they launch the Connected Home Service, a new research service which analyses this fast moving space. "Today, most products are largely 'point solutions' and relatively simple in terms of functionalities", explains Arthur Jouannic, manager of the Delta-ee Connected Home Service. "We track over 50 offerings: an increasing number of these are starting to connect with other appliances in the home, and we expect the sophistication of these products to quickly improve."

The new service identifies a fascinating battleground for the different companies drawn to the opportunity. In addition to a whole host of new entrants, Delta-ee research identifies the main contenders coming from:

• Energy companies - motivated by developing deeper relationships with their customers, new revenue streams to offset challenges in their core business, and possibly demand response in the future. RWE,  with its platform and range of products in Germany; and British Gas, having shipped around 100,000 smart thermostats, are amongst the leaders.
• Telcos - opening up potential new revenue streams, as connected homes are already doing for telcos in the US. Deutsche Telecom is a key player with its Qivicon platform. Others have taken small steps into the market, such as Orange with their smart home product in the Polish market.
• Internet and electronic giants - Google (through NEST) and Apple (through HomeKit) are both striving to secure their position at the centre of the connected home. Samsung is working hard to join them and has global ambitions, but others such as Panasonic have yet to seriously enter the European market.
• The heating industry - trying to leverage their position in appliances and controls to create value from connectivity, but encumbered by traditional supply chains and distance from the customer. Bosch is one of the companies at the forefront, with Wifi connectivity already built into some of its boilers, and products targeting German installers and Dutch homeowners.

Delta-ee's research delves into the current and future market, dissecting the strategy of these companies. "It is important to understand the value creation and the motivation of all the different players to make sense of this fast moving space", said Arthur Jouannic. "It can be hard to entice customers to pay for products and services today, but there are some attractive upstream values to be exploited. It'll be interesting to see who will be the first to crack this market".  

Note for editors: 

• The Delta-ee Connected Home Service is a syndicated subscription service providing:
  • In-depth reports on key issues in the European market
  • Outlook and forecasts for the European connected home market
  • 50+ reviews of products in the market
  • An info-base on offerings across the European market
  • A secured seat at our invitation-only roundtable event
  • Enquiry service

About Delta-ee  

Delta-ee (http://www.delta-ee.com) is a specialist distributed energy and heat research and consulting company. Headquartered in Edinburgh and with offices in England and continental Europe, our clients comprise many of Europe's leading utilities; heating appliance manufacturers; controls companies; policy makers; and investors.  Delta-ee provides a range of subscription research services, consultancy and specialist Summits.

SOURCE Delta Energy & Environment