Smart Home Device Unit Sales to Build to 36 Million by 2017, Parks Says

Sales of smart home devices will exceed 20 million units by the end of 2014 and increase to 36 million units by 2017, Parks Associates said in a report Wednesday to trumpet the agenda for its Smart Energy Summit Feb. 16-18 in Austin. "Product features can really impact adoption rates and sales," Parks said. Its surveys have found that more than 40 percent of U.S. broadband homes planning to buy a smart thermostat "prefer a more expensive advanced model with more features, and nearly two-thirds of these shoppers are likely to replace their existing unit before it is necessary," it said. "This finding highlights the potential of feature-rich models to speed up the upgrade cycle."