Connected Homes are the Future Date:   Tuesday , March 11, 2014 Established in 2011, Bidgely, a Sunnyvale, CA,based firm is a provider of an energy analytics platform designed to enable utilities to develop specific and actionable insights. Smart meters are rapidly replacing traditional electricity meters on buildings throughout the world, and by the year 2022, more than 1 billion smart meters are expected to be installed. The large-scale use of these intelligent meters results in vast amounts of data, which the electric utilities have to tackle. In the U.S., decoupled utilities have adopted programs to help customers reduce energy use in their homes, with the help of data from the smart meter. In the future, electric utilities would require increasingly sophisticated big data analysis from companies like Bidgely to help consumers make smart and cost-effectives choices regarding energy use. In the domestic energy sector, the imminent years would see intelligent use of data so that consumers would be able to control and automate all aspects of their homes, resulting in something called \'connected homes\'. Nowadays, consumers have control on their home thermostats and adjust security systems through phones. However, the future would see the entire home being monitored and controlled through mobile apps and web platforms, thereby enabling complete personalization of your homes. This scenario translates into a huge opportunity for companies like Bidgely to enable properly analyzed data needed to help consumers reduce domestic energy consumption and save money. Battling the Present-day Challenges The industry is evolving further, and many times has to encounter confusing situations, in the market. The Electric utilities sector is still searching for the perfect methods to reach their customers and enable energy-saving methods. The present market for the sector has turned out to be increasingly crowded with several opportunities arising to meet these requirements of energy cutback. In view of the situation, entrepreneurs in the home energy sector must break through the pack and grow market share in an industry that has been traditionally slow in terms of growth. (As told to Anitha)