IT market research firm IDC has suggested that ‘smart building’ systems, which monitor and control the energy consumption within buildings, may the first "killer app" of so-called Smart Grid infrastructure

"The Smart Grid, which has received significant attention, is – in the end – a platform," remarked IDC analyst Casey Talon in a new report on the technology. "The ‘smart building’ might turn out to be the first true ‘killer app’ of the new Smart Grid infrastructure."  

"Advances in energy efficiency and electricity demand management through smart building systems will transform the interaction between commercial buildings and the electricity grid," she said.

IDC predicts that the global market for smart building systems will grow at a rate of 26.6% a year to reach $10.2 billion in 2015, according to market research group IDC. Interestingly, it predicts the market will grow slightly faster in Western Europe (28.8% per year) than in the US (28.4%).

The report suggested that companies that property companies might be able to make their buildings more appealing to tenants using smart building systems. "An energy-efficient building that can promise lower energy bills is one method of drawing interest in a property," it said.