Connected Devices Interest Group

The PLMA Connected Devices Interest Group seeks to examine the costs and benefits of all types of utility-sponsored programs that leverage connected devices to deliver demand response, energy efficiency, or other system benefits. A group goal is to identify the resources and partners that help articulate a comprehensive value assessment of the Demand Response and Energy Efficiency benefits associated with connected devices. The group does not focus on a specific technology or solution.

The Connected Devices Interest Group revised its name, mission, and focus in 2018. Our group’s mission is to encompass and focus on all connected devices beyond thermostats. While this interest group will continue to discuss topics related to connected thermostat technology, the group will explore a wider range of connected devices to reflect the changing landscape in our industry today. This change also allows for the potential expansion of the group participation and the broadening of topic areas covered during webinars and PLMA Conferences. Moreover, this change represents the overall interests of attendees who are keen to understand thermostat and other connected device program design, delivery and evaluation of these programs, as well as the original mission and objectives of the PLMA interest group. In addition to developing webinars and pre-conference workshops, the Group intends to collect and selectively share among Group members summaries, excerpts, and/or full text from published, as well as such as utility thermostat/other connected device pilot/program evaluations, along with reports and white papers authored by manufacturers, consultants and other third-party sources that cover technology evaluations, program design concepts, market assessments, savings potential, and more.

The Connected Devices Interest Group seeks to collaborate with the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Interest Group and potential new groups (EVs, etc.) in the future, as these groups strive to increase resiliency and reliability to the grid and there are direct collaboration opportunities with Connected Devices. For example, while the DER interest group will focus on integration of renewables, storage, and other technologies to increase DER penetration, the Connected Devices Interest Group will target the use of thermostats and other connected device technology to allow for customer participation in DR programs.

Group Leadership

PLMA Practitioner Perspectives™ Considers
Future of “Bring Your Own Thermostat” Programs

This thought leadership publication is a compendium of eight energy utility, manufacturer, and solution provider viewpoints. The report is now available for free and a free webcast featuring the report’s editors and co-authors is set for Monday, March 26 at 12:30pm Eastern.  Read the news release and register for the webinar HERE.

Upcoming Activities

Join us at the Connected Devices Interest Group Pre-Conference Meeting
to be presented Nov. 4, 2019 at the 40th PLMA Conference in St. Petersburg
All registered attendees for the Interest Group Activities are invited to attend the Connected Devices Interest Group Meeting.

Archived Activities

Connected Devices Interest Group Pre-Conference Meeting
presented May 13, 2019 at the 39th PLMA Conference in Minneapolis

Connected Devices Interest Group Pre-Conference Meeting
Presented November 12, 2018 38^th PLMA Conference in Austin, Tex. 
See 38^th PLMA Resources for presentation links

Working Together! A Joint Connected Devices/DER Integration Interest Group Discussion
Recording on October 25, 2018

Thermostat Interest Group Pre-Conference Meeting
Presented April 16, 2018 before the 37^th PLMA Conference in Coronado, CA 
See 37^th PLMA Resources for presentation links

Thermostat Interest Group Pre-Conference Meeting
Presented Nov. 13, 2017 before the 36^th PLMA Conference in Cambridge, Mass.
See 36^th PLMA Resources for presentation links

Women in DM & Thermostat Joint Discussion: Integrated DSM
Listen to the Recording
Presented October 26, 2017 with Jon Hilowitz, Orange & Rockland Utilities, and Tom Hines, Arizona Public Service; Moderated by Olivia Patterson, Opinion Dynamics, and Erika Diamond, EnergyHub. Join this one-hour interest group discussion and learn about new programs utilities are designing that integrate Energy Efficiency and Demand Response. Integrated Demand Side Management (IDSM) has been a buzz word in the industry for the last decade, but now programs and portfolios are executing to the vision.

Thermostat Interest Group Pre-Conference Meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
Presented April 3, 2017 before the 36th PLMA Conference in Cambridge, Mass.
See 35th PLMA Resources for presentation links

Thermostat Interest Group Pre-Conference Workshop
Presented, November 6, 2016 before the 34th PLMA Conference, Delray Beach, Fla.
The Dating Game plus dynamic presentations and discussions on relevant topics.
See 34th PLMA Resources for presentation links

Thermostat Interest Group Pre-Conference Workshop
Presented April 18, 2016, before the 17th PLMA Spring Conference, San Francisco, Cal.
See 17th Spring PLMA Resources for presentation links

Help us Play the Feud: Thermostats vs Switches
One of the workshop sessions is going to be a fun format for a real discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of different technologies. In the spirit of the Family Feud, we've come up with real survey questions to ask the teams, and we're looking for experts (that’s you!) to answer them for us. We would appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete the survey. The results will help make this more fun and more genuine. And the best part: this should take less than 5 minutes.

Thermostat Interest Group Discussion
presented October 13, 2015 (web discussion)
Listen to this Thermostat Interest Group Discussion about industry developments related to thermostats and a Charlotte workshop preview.
Listen to the recording

Thermostat Interest Group Meeting
Presented Monday, November 2, 2016 before the 16th PLMA Fall Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina
See 16th Fall PLMA Resources for presentation links

You Are Designing Thermostat Programs For The Future Today; We Can Help
During the last thermostat interest group meeting, we heard a variety of perspectives from utilities and vendors about their experiences with diverse program designs. This meeting on November 2, 2015, in Charlotte, NC, was designed to take the conversation one step further and focus on the future of thermostat program design. The thermostat market is catching fire and there is no shortage on ideas and designs to capture customers’ attention, but what is the right approach for you? This will be more workshop than meeting, and intended to help everyone leave with the tools and insight necessary to start designing the programs of the future today.

Thermostat Interest Group Meeting
Presented April 27, 2015 before the 16th PLMA Spring Conference, Tucson, Arizona
See 16th Spring PLMA Resources for presentation links

Thermostat Interest Group Meeting: Can Manufacturers and Utilities Implement Together?
The April 27 meeting of the PLMA Thermostat Interest Group Meeting will follow the format of the November 3, 2014 PLMA Thermostat Interest Group meeting held in Philadelphia. This format is intended to be more conversation and dynamic in nature to meet the needs of all attendees. The primary focus of this meeting will be program implementation. This will be an interactive meeting with two short presentations on the bring your own thermostat (BYOT) model implementations. Similarly, there will be two short presentations focused around utility provided devices. These presentations will be used to stimulate a roundtable style discussion comparing the challenges and benefits of the different type of programs that are being managed for thermostats. Please join us for a spirited discussion around the latest activities related to smart thermostats.

Industry Developments and Tucson Meeting Topics
April 15, 2015, web-based group discussion
Listen to the recording

Thermostat Interest Group Meeting
Presented Nov. 3, 2014 before the 15th PLMA Fall Conference, Philadelphia, Penn.
See 15th Fall PLMA Resources for presentation links

PLMA Interest Group membership is restricted to representatives from PLMA member organizations, but any organization is welcome to join PLMA. To add your name to this list and receive Group Communications, email [email protected].