The idea of Internet-connected appliances that can be controlled from one main dashboard has heretofore been more hype than reality. But increasingly, using the Internet to cut energy use is gaining traction. The home controls market is expected to grow fifty times its current size, according to the Home Automation and Security report.

When I first visited the offices of 4Home in Sunnyvale and saw their demo, I was fairly convinced that the company had great potential to play a key role in this industry. 4Home's partners can enable their end users to monitor and control devices in their homes using a mobile phone, TV or a display panel, from inside their homes or remotely.

The company's suite consists of home monitoring, media and entertainment, energy management and health services.

Brad Kayton, a serial entrepreneur, and the current COO of the company, predicts that energy management will become a vital part of the company's future growth as consumers will soon be demanding more information about the energy consumption of various appliances and devices in their homes.

Energy efficiency and conservation is the key to our energy future and 4Home has the right ingredients to enable the customers to make smart decisions about the energy usage in their homes.