Both specifications are targeted for public release by the end of 2025

BERLIN: Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA), an organization dedicated to the development and promotion of secure interoperability and energy savings across long-life appliances, HVAC systems and TVs within the connected home ecosystem, today announced the upcoming HCA Energy Management Specification 2.0 and HCA Insurance Specification 1.0 at IFA 2025.

“I am pleased with the progress the Alliance has made in the past year. HCA remains focused on cross-industry collaboration and innovation to help consumers save time and money through connected solutions,” said Yoon Ho Choi, Home Connectivity Alliance President. “Our members share a common vision of responsibly and safely utilizing data insights from long-life appliances and HVAC systems to benefit consumers while ensuring their privacy. The HCA Energy Management Specification 2.0 and Insurance Specification will define better energy efficiency from long-life appliances and HVAC systems, cost savings, and additional protection and value for homeowners.”

“Over the past few months, HCA has made meaningful strides in advancing smarter, more sustainable connected homes,” said Marco Bulgheroni, HCA Board Member and Chief Digital Technology Officer at Electrolux. “With the launch of Energy Management Specification 2.0, we’re not only reinforcing the technical backbone for interoperability — we’re also equipping consumers with practical tools to plan, manage, and budget their household energy use more effectively. This is about translating innovation into everyday impact: empowering families to make informed decisions that drive both cost savings and a more sustainable future.”

In 2024, HCA announced the release of HCA Energy Management Interface Specification 1.0 at CES, establishing an industry standard for energy-efficient solutions within the connected home. With HCA Energy Management, key data from appliances that consume the most energy — including how much power they use and how to optimize it — becomes more accessible. Energy usage insights, powered by HCA technology, enable consumers to experience better energy efficiency and real-world cost savings. The 2.0 specification expands HCA Energy Management to include updated cybersecurity features, new configuration options for demand response, and added support for interactions between energy management systems and smart appliances.

“The HCA Energy Management Task Force looks forward to the release of version 2.0 of the Energy Management Specification,” said Michael Siemann, HCA Energy Management TF Chair and Director of Technology, Resideo Grid Services. “This update strengthens support for smart appliances in demand response, giving utilities and aggregators clearer tools to enroll, coordinate and manage devices. It also defines a practical framework for energy management systems to monitor and control appliance energy usage.”

The HCA Insurance Task Force was established with a clear mission to develop a data pipeline (API) between connected home equipment and the insurance industry that delivers value to all parties: consumers, connected equipment manufacturers, and the insurers. Rising costs of avoidable residential damages, rapidly increasing insurance premiums, significant consumer deductibles, and even potential scarcity of insurance, has made the intersection of insurance and connected home equipment more relevant to homeowners than ever before.

Publication of the Insurance API v1.0 — enabling a standardized method for HCA members to share relevant data with the insurance industry and therefore foster the development of unique insurance products to benefit smart appliance owners — is the first step in bringing the connected home manufacturing and insurance industries together.

“HSB is exploring and developing solutions that leverage the largely untapped value of IoT technology and data within the connected home ecosystem,” said John B. Riggs, HCA Board Member and CTO & SVP, Applied Technology Solutions & President, Meshify at HSB. “We look forward to ongoing collaboration with appliance manufacturers, insurance companies, and property owners to deliver data-enabled products and services that enhance loss mitigation while providing a practical realization of our Connect, Protect & Save vision.”

Additionally, HCA announced the formation of the Korea-SIG (Special Interest Group) dedicated to adoption of HCA specifications. New adopter members include Hyundai Development Company (HDC), HDC Labs, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Hyundai HT Co., S-1 Corporation, and Sqisoft Inc. HCA Korea-SIG will work closely with KASH (Korea Association of AI Smart Home) to leverage HCA specification for the various industries that are part of SIG.

“The benefit for HCA adopters is once they have integrated with one of our members, connecting to other members can be as simple as changing the URLs and security keys,” said John Hughes, HCA Technical WG Chair and Chief Engineer, Trane Technologies. “This scalability opens up business opportunities that might not exist for one-on-one partnerships. Plus, by working together, we are designing solutions that are better than any of us could design alone.”

To learn more about HCA membership benefits or to become a member, visit www.homeconnectivityalliance.org/membership.

Member Company Supporting Quotes

“At HCA, we are uniting industry leaders to define a common data model that enables true interoperability across brands and ecosystems. With the Energy Management and Insurance specifications, we’re not just creating standards — we’re building a foundation for smarter, safer, and more sustainable homes. Cloud-to-cloud integration is key to unlocking this potential at scale.”
~ Stefano Toppan, HCA Data Model TF Chair and Data Model Senior Engineer at Electrolux

“At HSB, we see clear opportunity in connected home solutions that help homeowners avoid costly losses. With the launch of the HCA Insurance API 1.0, data from connected appliances can now power smarter protections and services — matching consumers with insurers who reward their investment through meaningful savings, new products, and even enhanced safety and conveniences.”
~ Louis 'Jed' Usich III, HCA Insurance TF Chair and Senior Vice President Strategic Growth Solutions Portfolio Risk Solutions, HSB

“Vestel is proud to be a member of the Home Connectivity Alliance. Through this alliance, we strengthen our commitment to delivering a seamless smart home experience by working alongside the world’s leading manufacturers and service providers to ensure interoperability and shared value. In addition, HCA’s initiatives in areas such as energy management and insurance provide significant benefits for consumers, supporting both sustainability and safety within the ecosystem. Looking ahead, Vestel will continue to contribute actively under the HCA framework, focusing on delivering comprehensive, simple, and secure solutions for users. Our goal is to make smart home technologies more accessible while enabling a reliable and future-ready connected living experience for households worldwide.”
~ Direnc Demir, HCA Board Member and Deputy General Manager at Vestel

About Home Connectivity Alliance

The Home Connectivity Alliance is a member-driven organization comprised of 17 global brands dedicated to the development and promotion of safe and secure interoperability and energy savings across long-life appliances, HVAC systems and TVs within the connected home ecosystem. For more information, visit www.homeconnectivityalliance.org.

Fonte: Business Wire