According to the newly released “2019 Energy-Efficient Home Design Trends Report," published by Fixr, a remodeling cost information firm, homeowners are becoming more motivated to introduce more energy efficiency technologies and systems in their homes. The report notes that, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, homes and residential buildings consume the most energy of any sector, including industrial and transportation.

Among the report's key findings, which come from 25 of the nation's leading experts on residential energy efficiency, as well as a comprehensive look at what homeowners are looking for in new homes related to energy efficiency:

1. The majority of homeowners are personally motivated to save energy to also save money.
2. Homeowners also have a significant environmental awareness, which drives some decisions.
3. Solar power remains the most common way to utilize renewable energy in the home.
4. Heat pumps are the most popular method to heat an energy-efficient home.
5. Tankless heaters are the most efficient way to heat water.

While energy efficiency is growing, however, it is not likely to continue to be rolled out and adopted in the same ways that is has been in recent years. According to Navigant Research, the residential energy paradigm is shifting as homeowners invest in emerging smart home technologies and distributed energy resources.

"The single-family home, for example, is no longer simply a metered source of energy demand, but instead has become a source of energy supply and demand management potential and even a focal point for tackling climate change," Navigant states.

Navigant further notes that one thing driving the shift is the fact that a technology-enabled experience, which is made possible by new business models, is creating a pathway to a new "platform" model, which is built around an IT and communications infrastructure, software analytics, hardware and services.

The report also notes that the new platform offerings will succeed as more providers focus on offering open systems that strive for interoperability; harnessing the broad appeal of the smart home; and building partnerships and capabilities designed to employ domain knowledge, channels and services.