Designing and Testing a Home Energy Management System (Download)
Global electricity consumption is rising fast — up about 4% every year — driven by the surge in electric vehicle (EV) demand and the rapid expansion of power-hungry AI data centers. That growth is pushing existing grid capacity to its limits and further complicating the already slow, complex permitting process for adding new electrical infrastructure to the grid. Meeting these demands at the necessary pace will require substantial, coordinated investments in smarter energy solutions.
While many approaches have been developed to bring new energy resources online, one of the more promising is the home energy management system (HEMS). A HEMS is designed to intelligently coordinate energy among the electric grid, renewables, batteries, and loads such as EVs to improve resilience, reduce costs, and optimize electricity consumption. With bidirectional capabilities, HEMS can operate as distributed energy resources that actively stabilize the grid, while unlocking new value for homeowners and utilities.