New consumer experiences, including the impact of COVID-19 on working from home and needing to monitor loved ones, “will increase the value proposition of smart home tech among consumers,” said Parks Associates analyst Brad Russell. Though HVAC technology can’t filter out coronavirus, “people are thinking more about indoor air quality and how to create and maintain a healthy environment,” Russell said. Thirty-five percent of large-scale, single-family builders install a whole-home Wi-Fi network to pitch a “smart home-ready home,” and 29% install an interactive security system, Parks reported Wednesday. Connected products are rapidly replacing non-connected models as standard in the home, said Russell. Most of large-scale single-family home builders surveyed offer smart home technology to increase the appeal of the house, not to add to the sales price, said the report. Smart lights, thermostats, door locks, and garage door openers are typically offered as standard, while smart appliances and smart water devices are usually offered as upgrades, it said. “Low price points put Amazon and Google in a good position to expand further in the builder market as a control interface,” Russell said. Smart speakers’ low prices give builders an economical way to integrate smart technologies as a standard offering in their homes “to boost their value among home buyers,” he said. Builders including Lennar, KB Homes and Shea Homes have selected smart speakers as the “user interface of choice,” he said.

Ezlo Innovation joined the Zigbee Alliance, said the smart home solutions provider Tuesday. It's "an important step forward in our goal of having things work well together regardless of the underlying technology," said Ezlo CEO Mark Samuel.

Emerson developed a smart home technology called Sensi that alerts contractors and homeowners to energy usage and overall performance of their HVAC units, it said Monday. Installation could detect up to 80 percent of HVAC failures before they occur, said the company. Emerson cited the “significant skilled worker shortage heightened by seasonal service demand and an aging workforce,” saying Sensi Predict lets homeowners monitor the functioning of the HVAC system and alert them to issues vs. waiting for an on-site service check. Real-time visibility is provided by 10 sensors that monitor 32 system functions, it said. Sensi integrates with Emerson's Sensi smart thermostat and measureQuick and other mobile apps for contractors.

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart thermostat this year, joining the 13 percent that own one, said Parks Associates Tuesday. Consumers are showing more interest in automated energy programs, with 42 percent saying they would allow a utility to adjust their device to save energy.

Eleven percent of U.S. broadband homes participate in a time-of-use program, or 53 percent of households with access to such a service, said Parks Associates Monday. Consumer interest and awareness of utility and energy programs have increased over the past year, “and many are seeing the crossover opportunities with the connected devices in their homes,” said analyst Patrice Samuels.

Smart appliance adoption has been slow to take off but is expected to gain momentum, said Parks Associates Tuesday, reporting 11 percent U.S. broadband household penetration, up from 3 percent in 2014. Manufacturers including General Electric, LG and Maytag are adding advanced capabilities “with recognizable value propositions” in energy savings, convenience and enhanced safety, said President Elizabeth Parks. Smart plug sales will reach 5.7 million with annual sales revenue of $188 million by 2023, said Parks. Along with rising adoption of smart light bulbs and light switches, connected products create opportunities for utilities and energy providers to expand through partnerships and programs, she said.

Moen demoed a connected water faucet at the Sands during CES, showing how consumers can command a faucet by voice to fill a measuring cup or coffee pot to a preset level and temperature. The U by Moen faucet ran water until the preset 100-degree temperature was reached, then signaled it was time for the user to hold a measuring cup underneath. Water stopped at the prescribed 1 cup level. Maximum water temperature consumers can set is 120 degrees. The company’s nine U by Moen faucets cost just under $500, a couple of hundred dollars above similarly styled devices, a spokesperson told us. The Wi-Fi connected faucet runs on batteries with a rated battery life of two years and doesn’t require extra wiring; the do-it-yourself box mounts under the sink. The faucets, bowed at CES, are due in Home Depot stores next month. The faucet’s motion sensor triggers water to flow when a hand waved in front, allowing cooks with messy hands to run water without touching the handle. An app shows the faucet’s water consumption by day, week or month, along with data about other Moen water products including a connected smart shower and water leak detector.

A new connected deadbolt from Hampton Products gives homeowners the choice of unlocking the device by fingerprint, code, app or traditional key, said the company Sunday. The BenjiLock comes in two formats: a Wi-Fi model and a non-connected version for remote areas. The lock is powered by four AA batteries and can store up to 10 fingerprints and 25 user codes. The touch keypad, with a clearing code, was designed to randomize digits and minimize or remove use patterns, said the company. Prices start at $139.

Do-it-yourself systems offer safety and security at a low cost, a combination that will drive adoption over time “especially as self-monitored options become more commonplace,” blogged Parks Associates President Elizabeth Parks Friday, before the firm’s Connections Summit at CES. More affordable devices in the market will appeal to cost-conscious consumers, especially webcams, the leading device attached to a security system, she said. Among networked camera owners, 29 percent said price is an important consideration during purchase.

KB Home had a 44 percent uptick in smart appliance selections by home buyers last year, and more than 25 percent of its home buyers chose to install connected security devices, it emailed Friday. Smart locks and app-connected video security products are being incorporated into homes “in a way that makes sense for consumer’s lifestyles,” said the developer, whose smart home brands include Kwikset smart locks and Google Nest Hello video doorbells. In kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms, KB offers technology from partner companies Whirlpool and Moen. Using apps, consumers can set a “keep warm” setting on an oven, schedule washer cycles and control water temperature before getting into the shower, it said. Moen U users can turn on the shower and set temperature by voice using Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, it said.