The Consumer Electronics Association and HGTV announced their partnership this week in unveiling just what you’d expect from a collaboration between leading organizations in the electronics and home improvement fields: a smart home project.
HGTV announced its Smart Home 2013 initiative/contest, in which a home in Jacksonville, Fla. was built under the guidelines set up recently in the CEA’s TechHome Rating System. The home will be given away to a lucky viewer.
"By partnering with HGTV, CEA can highlight the TechHome Rating System to the winning Smart Home family and the HGTV viewers," said Laura Hubbard, CEA senior manager of division and policy communications. "As emerging technologies continue to propel us toward an ever-connected lifestyle, a home designed with the proper technology infrastructure is critical for seamlessly integrating devices in the home."
CEA’s THRS, which you can read all about on its website, lists numerous goals, including the development of common standards, increasing awareness of energy efficiency benefits, promoting and rewarding programs or companies furthering smart home development and supporting the “Electronics Systems Professional Alliance (ESPA) entry-level training and Certified-Electronic Systems Professional (Certified-EST) certification program to increase the number of qualified workers entering the installed technology workplace,” according to the site.
The partners pledge to push these efforts with consumer education, outreach to contractors and with guidance for state and federal legislation.
HGTV is showing off the house at its smart home site, where, starting next week, visitors will be able to enter the contest to win the house.
The contest opens on at 9 a.m. EDT on April 11.
