On June 5, 2009, CenterPoint Energy hosted the ZigBee Texas Smart Energy Forum at which representatives from several companies gave brief presentations on Home Area Network (HAN) products and solutions.  

A HAN is a network within a home that connects a person’s digital devices, from multiple computers and their peripheral devices to telephones, VCRs, televisions, video games, home security systems, "smart" appliances, fax machines and other digital devices that are wired into the network. Smart meters will allow consumers to create HANs with an in-home display to help them monitor and manage their energy use as well as remotely monitor and control thermostats and other electric appliances.

The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard.

Click on the links below to see videos of the HAN vendor presentations (times are shown in minutes: seconds).

• Tendril (9:15)
• Comverge (9:53)
• Ember (4:13)
• Landis+Gyr (6:27)

Other appliance manufacturers have announced that they are adding HAN capabilities to smart appliances. CenterPoint Energy is testing HAN devices, and we expect HAN technology and related products to grow fairly quickly as smart meters are deployed in large numbers.

Ask your retail electric provider about their HAN-enabled service offerings, and look for more information on Home Area Networks as smart meters are deployed across Houston in the next several years.