ecobee Launches Pilot Program with California Utility to Help Prevent Power Emergencies
September 09 2022 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
Innovative pilot aimed at conserving energy and
helping prevent power outages
ecobee, a subsidiary of Generac Power Systems (NYSE: GNRC),
today announced the launch of a pilot program with San Diego Gas
& Electric (SDG&E) designed to help prevent power outages
caused by extreme weather, sustained high heat, and natural
disasters. In the event of an emergency, eligible ecobee customers
in SDG&E’s service territory will receive a notification when
slight, temporary temperature adjustments are needed on their
ecobee smart thermostats to reduce demand and help avoid an outage.
Customers can help their community by remaining opted into the
program or they can skip the event if they’re unable to take
part.
“At ecobee, we remain committed to offering innovative smart
home solutions that address real problems customers are facing,
such as the rise of power outages due to the prevalence of extreme
weather brought on by climate change,” said Kari Binley, Senior
Manager, Energy Partnerships at ecobee. “We’re excited to launch
this new and innovative solution with SDG&E, which will allow
more ecobee Smart Owners in California to help their communities
and automatically conserve energy without sacrificing their
comfort, all while helping to create a more resilient power
grid.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the United States recorded 22 weather and climate
disasters in 2020, a nearly 40 percent increase from the year
before. As extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe due to
climate change, electricity experts and California officials have
warned that states may not have enough power to continue to
reliably meet demand.
The power grid is a challenging balancing act – extreme weather,
persistent heat waves and natural disasters cause increases in
demand and stress on the power grid, resulting in energy shortages.
Through participating in this pilot program during periods of
extreme vulnerability for the electrical grid, ecobee and SDG&E
customers can save energy and help prevent potential power outages
in their communities.
“Smart thermostats are another tool in our toolbox to empower
our customers to manage their energy usage in a way that benefits
them financially, while also helping to support grid reliability
for all Californians,” said SDG&E Director of Customer Programs
Hollie Bierman. “By partnering with smart thermostat makers on
pilot programs like this, we hope to make energy savings as easy as
possible.”
Customers who qualify for inclusion in the pilot program will
receive an email from ecobee announcing the details of the program.
When an energy emergency occurs, they will receive a notification
informing them of the energy supply shortage.
How it works:
- An energy emergency is called, indicating grid reliability
issues that could result in power outages for customers. These
events are typically only called a few times a year.
- Customers will receive a notification on their ecobee mobile
app and thermostat screens informing them of an upcoming slight
temperature adjustment and how long it will last. ecobee Smart
Owners can open the ecobee app to learn more and remain opted into
the program, or skip the event right from the app. The thermostat
will pre-cool the home before the temperature adjustment takes
place to help maintain comfort.
- Customers who choose to help their community will see a
temporary temperature adjustment of one to four degrees, lasting no
more than four hours to help stabilize the grid and avoid power
outages. Customers will always remain in control of their comfort
and can choose to stop saving energy mid-way through the energy
shortage, if desired.
“Over the years, ecobee has demonstrated its dedication to
energy efficiency and grid resiliency by improving everyday life
while creating a more sustainable world,” said Binley. “We’re proud
to expand those efforts even further today with this latest
collaboration with San Diego Gas & Electric.”
Since launching the world’s first smart thermostat in 2009,
ecobee has helped customers across North America save more than 25
TWh of energy, which is the equivalent of taking all the homes in
Los Angeles off the grid for a year.
To learn more about this pilot program, visit the FAQ page.
For more on ecobee’s suite of industry-leading energy efficient
products and solutions, visit ecobee.com.
About ecobee ecobee Inc. was founded in 2007 with a
mission to improve everyday life while creating a more sustainable
world. Since launching the world’s first smart thermostat in 2009,
ecobee has helped customers across North America save more than 25
TWh of energy, which is the equivalent of taking all the homes in
Los Angeles off the grid for a year. Today, ecobee continues to
innovate with smart home solutions that solve everyday problems
with comfort, security, and conservation in mind. With ecobee’s
products, including the SmartThermostat with voice control and
SmartCamera with voice control, and its Smart Security home
monitoring system, ecobee continues to encourage Smart Owners to
imagine what home could be. In 2021, ecobee joined Generac Holdings
Inc. (NYSE: GNRC), a leading global designer and manufacturer of
energy technology solutions, and other power products. Generac and
ecobee share a vision to deliver a cleaner and more sustainable
energy future for customers and communities. The Generac and ecobee
home of the future will be more comfortable, resilient, and
efficient. For more information, visit ecobee.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005397/en/
Fatima Reyes, Senior Communications Manager, ecobee
press@ecobee.com
Generac (NYSE:GNRC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Generac (NYSE:GNRC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024