ATLANTA, July 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power
and PulteGroup are celebrating the opening of Atlanta's first Smart
Neighborhood™. Leaders from Georgia Power,
PulteGroup, the Georgia Public Service Commission, U.S. Department
of Energy, City of Atlanta and the
project's technology partners joined together to officially open
the neighborhood today at PulteGroup's development in Atlanta's Upper West Side, one of the city's
most vibrant and popular areas.
"The Smart Neighborhood will allow Georgia Power to continue to
be at the forefront in offering innovative solutions that help our
customers more efficiently manage their energy usage,"
said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO for Georgia
Power. "The research, insights and learnings we receive from these
homes will help us better understand the interactions between
rooftop solar, in-home battery storage, energy efficiency measures
and our electric grid – maximizing the value of renewable energy
and shaping how we grow our smart home offerings for
customers."
The first 46 townhomes developed at Altus at the Quarter will be
a part of the Georgia Power Smart Neighborhood, where
each technology-enhanced home will be served by Georgia Power
and supplemented by rooftop solar installations and in-home battery
energy storage.
The homes will feature Pulte's Hutton and Summerford floor
plans. The four-story townhomes span 2,800+ sq. ft. and feature
three to four bedrooms and a two-car garage. They will be equipped
with the latest energy technologies such as optimal insulation for
maximum efficiency, advanced heating and cooling systems, LED
lighting, electric vehicle chargers, and home automation featuring
smart thermostats, smart locks, smart light switches, smart
outlets, outdoor cameras and voice control. With the additional
insulation and rooftop solar, the homes will have a home energy
rating system (HERS) score in the high 30s compared to the average
HERS score of high 70s for single family homes built in 2017.
"In developing Atlanta's first
Smart Neighborhood, we are further demonstrating our commitment to
product innovation and sustainable building practices," said
PulteGroup President and Chief Executive Officer Ryan Marshall. "This partnership with Georgia
Power provides us with a unique opportunity to introduce innovative
solutions that create lasting benefits for homeowners and the
environment."
Main features in the Georgia Power Smart Neighborhood home
include:
Energy Efficiency
- Mini Split, Lennox – This HVAC system
features high efficiency heating and cooling for the top level in
Smart Neighborhood homes.
- Puck, Flair – This smart thermostat
integrates with the mini split to easily adjust the temperature of
the top level of the homes.
- Water Heater, A. O. Smith - The
Voltex® heat pump water heater will be able to connect to the
homeowner's energy management platform to be used as a thermal
energy storage device.
Home Automation
- Home Control Panel, Vivint Smart
Home - The panel lets you control many of the
connected products in a Smart Neighborhood home, including arming
and disarming the security system, all from one convenient
touchscreen.
- ecobee4 Thermostat, ecobee – This smart
thermostat will ensure Smart Neighborhood residents are comfortable
in their homes. With room sensors, homeowners can manage hot or
cold spots, and with built-in Amazon Alexa Voice Service,
homeowners can even ask it to order groceries or read the
news.
- Video Doorbell, Vivint Smart
Home - The video doorbell alerts you to visitors
and lets you see and speak with anyone at your door from
anywhere.
- Smart Locks, Vivint Smart
Home – Smart locks can automatically
lock up at night or when you leave and let you give keyless access
to family and guests.
- Smart Shades, Lutron – Smart shades are located
throughout the entire second floor in the home and can be raised or
lowered via phone or voice control.
- Smart Outlets, Vivint Smart
Home - Smart outlets allow you to remotely control
and schedule your outlets from anywhere for added convenience and
energy savings.
Battery Storage
- Battery Energy Storage System, LG Chem - The
two in-home battery storage systems store electric energy for later
consumption, giving Smart Neighborhood homeowners additional peace
of mind with a reliable and safe source of backup power.
- Battery and Solar Controller, Delta
Electronics – The controller platform
will enable the LG Chem battery energy storage system by
forecasting and scheduling operations to automate energy bill
savings.
- Solar Panels, installed by Hannah Solar - The rooftop solar
panels will supplement the grid to power the homes. The panels will
produce approximately one-third of the homeowner's annual energy
usage.
For a full list of the Georgia Power Smart Neighborhood
technology and partners, visit
www.georgiapower.com/smartneighborhood.
Georgia Power is also collaborating with Southern Company
Research and Development (R&D) to better understand the
integration between rooftop solar, in-home battery storage and the
traditional electric grid as well as how homeowners interact with
their connected devices and high efficiency technologies. The
project's additional research partners include the U.S. Department
of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who developed the Smart
Neighborhood's home energy optimization platform to intelligently
schedule each homes' major appliances, in coordination with solar
and batteries, to minimize cost while optimizing each homeowner's
comfort. Additionally, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
is providing design guidance, data analysis and final reports for
the Smart Neighborhood project.
"I want to applaud Southern Company and Georgia Power, Pulte
Homes, and the many other individuals involved in making today
possible. This is the culmination of a lot of hard work and I know
that in many ways, it's also just the beginning. The Georgia Power
Smart Neighborhood at Altus at the Quarter is an example of the
future of American energy and innovation. This project leverages
the resources of the public sector with the ingenuity and
nimbleness of the private sector. It relies on cutting-edge
technology that enhances energy efficiency," said Under Secretary
of Energy Mark W. Menezes.
Georgia Power offers a full suite of smart-home options, which
includes easy access to products and services to help make
customers' homes more energy efficient and connected. The company
brings together popular products in the Smart Neighborhood,
including the latest in smart thermostats and smart home products
such as smart filters, lighting, door locks, light switches, vents,
smoke alarms and doorbells, to a single convenient online portal on
Georgia Power Marketplace.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest
electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's
premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and
Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6
million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159
counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and
affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia
Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes
nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar,
hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering
world-class service to its customers every day and the company is
consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry
leader in customer satisfaction. For more information,
visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company
on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter
(Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram
(Instagram.com/ga_power).
About PulteGroup
PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM), based
in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of
America's largest homebuilding companies with operations in more
than 40 markets throughout the country. Through its brand
portfolio that includes Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods and
American West, the company is one of the industry's most versatile
homebuilders able to meet the needs of multiple buyer groups and
respond to changing consumer demand. PulteGroup conducts
extensive research to provide homebuyers with innovative solutions
and consumer inspired homes and communities to make lives
better.
For more information about PulteGroup, Inc. and PulteGroup
brands, go to pultegroup.com; www.pulte.com; www.centex.com;
www.delwebb.com; www.divosta.com; www.jwhomes.com; and
www.americanwesthomes.com. Follow PulteGroup, Inc. on
Twitter: @PulteGroupNews.
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SOURCE Georgia Power