Bennett Institute shares insights on smart homes at The Future of Energy 2026 conference
The Bennett Institute participated in The Future of Energy 2026 conference in Oslo last week, where researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers gathered to explore how digitalization and sustainability are reshaping energy systems.
This year’s theme “Frontiers of Energy: Sustainability and Digitalization, Research and Innovation” highlighted the growing importance of integrating digital tools into the transition to net zero.
Professor Benjamin Sovacool delivered the closing keynote, drawing on extensive research into the rise of smart home technologies (SHTs) across Europe. His talk, “Critically reviewing smart home technology applications and energy digitalization trends in Europe,” examined how connected devices are transforming household energy use and what this means for policy.
Key messages included;
- Smart home adoption is accelerating, with millions of systems already installed across Europe and rapid growth expected through 2030.
- Smart homes typically combine digital connectivity, automation, remote control, and learning capabilities, creating new ways for households to manage energy.
- Benefits include energy savings, convenience, financial savings, and improved health and safety, making SHTs attractive to consumers and energy providers alike.
- However, the research also highlights significant risks: privacy and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, technical failures, inequality in access, and the potential for misuse in domestic settings.
- Policy action is needed to ensure smart homes support a fair and sustainable energy transition, including stronger consumer protections, lowcarbon design standards, better interoperability, and targeted support for vulnerable groups.
Professor Sovacool also discussed emerging business models, from energy as a service to bundled whole home solutions, that are reshaping how energy services are delivered.
Why this matters
Smart home technologies are becoming central to Europe’s digital energy future. Yet their impacts depend heavily on governance, market design, and social context. The Bennett Institute’s work continues to inform how policymakers can harness digital innovation while safeguarding equity, security, and sustainability, and our participation in conference reflects our ongoing commitment to shaping evidence based policy solutions for a rapidly changing energy sector.
As digitalization continues to transform how energy is produced, managed, and consumed, the Institute remains at the forefront of research exploring how these shifts can support fair, sustainable, and resilient energy futures. The presentation built on findings from the following publications:
- Furszyfer Del Rio, D., Sovacool, B., Bergman, N., & Makuch, K. (2020). Critically reviewing smart home technology applications and business models in Europe. Energy Policy, 144. Link.
- Sovacool, B. K., & Furszyfer Del Rio, D. D. (2020). Smart home technologies in Europe: A critical review of concepts, benefits, risks and policies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 120, 109663. Link.
- Sovacool, B., Martiskainen, M. & Furszyfer, D.D. (2021). Knowledge, energy sustainability, and vulnerability in the demographics of smart home technology diffusion. Energy Policy 112196. Link.
- Sovacool, B. K., Furszyfer, D. D. & Griffiths, S. (2021). Policy mixes for more sustainable smart home technologies. Environmental Research Letters. Link.
- Furszyfer Del Rio, DD, BK Sovacool and M Martiskainen. (2021). Controllable, frightening, or fun? Exploring the gendered dynamics of smart home technology preferences in the United Kingdom. Energy Research & Social Science. Link.
Photo credit Christoffer Hals, UiO, used with permission.
