The Big Untapped Opportunity in Power Markets Is the Humble Home

A short drive away from the gleaming glass skyscrapers of downtown Houston, in a leafy neighborhood known for good schools, biking trails and hipster bars, sits a home of the future, at least as far as energy is concerned.

Its roof is festooned with solar panels, its garage replete with lithium-ion batteries and bidirectional charging equipment, which can enable an electric vehicle to send power back into the house or the grid. It features the latest in energy-saving appliances, such as electric stovetops, front-loading washing machines and heat pumps. And at its center are the electronics and software that control it all, known as power management systems. ...