Abstract
Experts expect existing energy production will fail to meet demand without new power plants, driving energy stakeholders including policymakers, corporations and consumers worldwide to seek energy efficient solutions and better energy management. Dramatic improvements in both will be key to reducing the need for more power plants and ZigBee will play a key role to enabling that change.

ZigBee is an open global standard used to connect consumers and commercial devices to the electric grid in support of energy management and efficiency programs prompted by governments and electricity providers around the world. These programs use ZigBee to create two-way communication and control of ZigBee devices inside of homes and buildings, giving electricity providers a “last foot/meter” wireless connection. ZigBee links devices starting with the electric meter and reaches thermostats, household appliances, heating/cooling, lighting systems and other household appliances. For electricity providers, ZigBee enables a standards-based approach for load management and more efficient use of energy through interconnected building systems. These new energy management capabilities directly benefit everyone.

ZigBee is being selected around the world as a key technology required for energy management and efficiency. Policymakers are including it as a key component in energy legislation and electricity providers are expecting it to play a critical role in energy efficiency programs by connecting the supplier to their consumers devices through the ZigBee enabled building command and control systems.

Bob Heile from ZigBee Alliance will discuss:

• The impact of present and future energy policy on corporations and consumers
• ZigBee’s role in addressing energy management and efficiency programs for electric companies
• How an open global standard like ZigBee can be the catalyst for change

Speaker Biography
Bob is a 25 plus year veteran in the field of data communications and wireless data and is widely known for his many articles and presentations on the topic. He is the Chairman, CEO and founding member of the ZigBee Alliance, Chair and founding member of the IEEE 802.15 Working Group on WPANs, and is a founding member of 802.11. Before assuming the leadership of the ZigBee Alliance, Bob was doing Wireless Communications Consulting for several high profile companies. Before that Bob was with GTE/BBN responsible for Wireless Opportunity Business Development, with the mission of commercializing wireless mesh networking, wireless PAN technologies and public 802.11 data services. In 1990 he was a co-founder of Windata, Inc., an early developer of WLANs. From 1980-1990, Bob was with Motorola Codex, as VP/GM of the company’s modem business. Bob holds a BA from Oberlin College, and an MA and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University.<Back>