Hottest Technologies Among Builders
Percentage of homes installed with energy management, lighting control, home automation and multiroom audio all doubled in past two years.
We see certain energy-related technologies are very, very hot among home builders.
The highest percentage of projects ever are now installing home automation, lighting control, multiroom audio and energy management systems.
According to the joint Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study, the percentage of builders installing energy management systems in new homes has risen 133 percent in two years (from 6 percent to 14 percent of new homes). Moreover, the percentage of builders actually offering energy management grew from just 40 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2011.
The percentage of new homes with multiroom audio has also more than doubled, while home automation and lighting control have also doubled. Here are the specific trends.
Energy Management
2009: 6% 2010: 10% 2011: 14%
Home Automation
2009: 5% 2010: 5% 2011: 10%
Lighting Control
2009: 6% 2010: 7% 2011: 12%
Multiroom Audio
2009: 11% 2010: 12% 2011: 23%
"The long-term trend is that technology is here to stay," says Chris Ely, manager of industry analysis for CEA. "The category of audio has seen a resurgence across the board."
The percentage of builders proactively marketing home technology is rising.