Home energy management systems: A qualitative analysis and overview

Household energy consumption is largely inefficient. In recent years, development in residential energy-use optimisation has attracted a great deal of attention. Given that consumers comprise a significant part of total demand, there is an incentive to assist users to manage household demand. This paper provides an introduction to Home Energy Management (HEM). An overview of available Home Energy Management System (HEMS) solutions is given. A selection of these solutions are critically analysed and evaluated. The direction of future development is discussed and anticipated, based on solutions available at present.