Smart services for connecting smart homes and grids: drivers and barriers of consumers

As part of the European project Interconnect, in which 50 European entities are developing and demonstrating advanced solutions for connecting and converging digital homes and buildings within the electricity sector, six smart concept services are validated in an early design phase. The six smart concept services that have been designed are: Healthy Air, Smart Dishwasher, Green Charging of electric vehicles (EVs), Fresh Laundry, Smart Lock of the front door and the Smart Dryer. Each of them aims to (1) make the home environment (even) more pleasant, comfortable and/or safe for consumers and to (2) stimulate consumers to use energy when there is a large amount of sustainable energy (wind, solar) available, and less energy when there is a limited supply of energy. This enables the integration of sustainable energy into the grid. Based on the outcomes of this study the concept services will be improved in the design phase. After the completion of the design phase, the services will be implemented in apartments of the new building named Next, a large-scale test-site at Strijp S in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The goal of the current study is to gather insights about the needs and wishes of consumers by conducting interviews with people who have a similar housing situation and demographic characteristics as the target group for the Next building. This research will not only give an indication of the interest in the market, but also provides insights into the process and the train of thought that residents have about the designed services