CEE Integrated Home Competition
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Plug Load Controls

Category Scope:

The Competition is open to all plug load controls with primary applicability in the residential sector, or in residential-style applications such as hospitality and assisted living environments. Plug load controls must be available for sale by retailers serving the residential new construction and major renovation markets in the United States or Canada. If an entry is comprised of components from more than one manufacturer, the competition encourages collaboration in the submission of the entry. Categories include:

  • Plugs
  • Switches
  • Sockets
  • Outlets
  • Advanced Power Strips
  • Other Plug Load Controls

The Competition is intended to highlight residential plug load controls that are available for purchase in 2024. As such, products available or planned for introduction to the market between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 are eligible to enter the 2024 Competition.

If you are interested in submitting a product family, the Organizers recommend that you select a single product that is representative of the product family and note in the submission form that the single entry is part of a larger family. Manufacturers are also invited to submit images of other products within the family as well as marketing materials that show the product family.

If you are unsure whether your product falls within the category scope or have additional questions, please reach out to the Organizers at competition@cee1.org.

Desired Capabilities

The Integrated Home Competition is seeking connected plug load controls that help customers manage their energy use. It is not expected that entries will include all of the following, but some qualities and capabilities that are desired include:

  • Low wattage based on functionality provided.
  • Energy management, which encompasses features that reduce the product’s overall energy consumption levels either through core product functionality or influencing customer behavior.
    • Automatically reduce “phantom” or “vampire” loads from devices that continue to draw power when not in use by automatically switching off power to devices.
    • Energy consumption information for users, including remote access via an app, website, or home energy management system.
    • Programmable settings, such as vacation, away, or nighttime modes that reduce energy use.
    • Sensing capabilities to optimize plug load control operation.
    • Ongoing, active management of settings through features like automatic scheduling or learning-based schedule creation based on consumer preferences and habits.
  • Ability to receive and respond to a utility or third-party signal (i.e., pricing signal or curtailment signal).
  • Data sharing with consumers and consumer-authorized third parties, including operational status and energy consumption reporting.
  • Consumer customization, such as the ability to input preferences and parameters related to product operation and the ability to tailor notifications for events like device status, system failures, power surges, or planned device shutdowns.
  • Ability to operate seamlessly with other connected devices, systems, and platforms within the home.
  • Simplified device set up and use, including installation and account set up.
  • Intuitive consumer operation through multiple interfaces.

It is not expected that entries will include all the above capabilities; rather, products should include measures that save energy and provide a positive consumer experience. Additional capabilities beyond this list will also be considered in the judging process. Products with greater functionality generally receive more points.

(see the Judging Criteria for more information)

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Additional Questions?

Check out the FAQ or contact Competition Organizers at competition@cee1.org with any questions.