In this week’s SmartHome roundup, we’ll feature the first ever “Zero Home” in Utah, a smarthome company that’s gone public, as well as a smarthome security provider raising funds.  To top things off, we’ll discuss another hot-button topic that’s raising some important questions on the state of smarthome security.

Zero Home makes a whole lot of sense

When people talk about smartphones, they immediately think about a connected home where almost everything can be controlled by your smartphone or tablet through an app.  That’s cool and all, but all these smarthome solutions may or may not add up to higher charges on your electric bill, as additional energy consumption becomes a byproduct of our quest for efficiency.

But what if smart homes create energy, instead of just consuming it?  If you think that’s one for the sci-fi books, you are mistaken.  One such home has been “turned on” in Utah, just last week.

Dubbed the Zero Home, the residence was built by Garbett Homes with automation solutions provided by Vivint.  It comes with solar panels and energy management systems, including a smart thermostat and energy analytics, and provides more energy than it consumes.  It’s 4-car garage has a charging port for electric cars, and this 3-story home achieved a negative one rating on the House Energy Rating System (HERS), which is the Department of Energy’s scoring system for measuring residential energy performance.  Homes typically have a HERS rating of 10.

Setting new standards in home design

“There shouldn’t be any new homes not built this way,” Vivint CEO Todd Pedersen said. “Why not take advantage of current technology that provide ease of use, cost savings and change consumer habits? Why not have houses built like this?”

The home is priced at $400,000 –  a price tag that is not too expensive and is up to par with the prices of other non-Zero Homes.

“We’d like to change the home building industry,” added Rene Oehlerking, marketing manager for Garbett. “Our intent is to build market share. We can’t be the only builder. That’s why we’ve deconstructed the home and opened it up. We want this home to serve as a model for future way of building homes.”

Control4 debutes on NASDAQ

Control4 Corporation, provider of automation and control solutions for the connected home, debuted on NASDAQ under the ticker “CTRL” last friday.

Control4 has priced its shares at $16 per share, the midpoint of the company’s range of $15 to $17 per share, and is selling four million shares.  It aims to raise $64 million and has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 600,000 shares of common stock

Control4 provides smarthome automation solution such as light, blinds, security and climate control, streaming music, and many other solutions.

Dropcam secures $30M in funding

Dropcam is essentially a security provider that offers both cloud services and hardware devices.  It offers services for $149, which includes the Dropcam with 720p HD video quality, night vision and two-way audio, audio & motion detection, plus live viewing on the web or via your iOS or Android device.

It’s because of offering both a physical device and a cloud service that the company is gaining traction.  In June 2012 Dropcam raised $12 million in a round of funding led by Menlo Ventures and supported by Accel Partners and Bay Partners.  And just over a year later Dropcam reels in another $30 million in a round of funding led by led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP)  with the participation of Kliener Perkins, Accel Partners, and Menlo Ventures.

Something to think about : Smarthome hackers

Although having a smarthome sounds like a dream come true, it could also be your worst nightmare.

Trustwave Security Researcher Dan Crowley explained that “If you’re on the same network as one of these devices, it doesn’t require a username or password to connect to the unit from the local network.

“Almost all of these devices assume that anyone that is on your local network should have access to control these things.”

It was proven by Kashmir Hill who successfully infiltrated the ‘smart homes’ of eight total strangers in the US.  Hill was able to hack the Insteon wireless remote control system and accessed the home’s lights, garage doors, TV and security cameras which could be turned on and off at the flick of a switch.

So how can these automated smarthome solutions keep people’s minds at ease when they themselves can be easily hacked?  Like anything that involves the Internet, home automation and home security still has a long way to go before it becomes the ultimate security solution.  Until then, proceed with caution and check out these security-ready smarthome services.

Make sure you check out our collection of Smart Devices and Smart Gadgets on Springpad!