ZOME selected for DOE’s Advanced Building Technologies Program to Establish “Proving Grounds” for Smart Buildings.
San Francisco, CA – February 24, 2021. ZOME Energy Networks today announced its plans to deploy its technology strategically into the Austin energy market in an effort to help the recovery and “grid flexibility” re-building of the ERCOT and Texas energy grid.
ZOME in 2019 began its entry into the Texas market, and has contractual relationships with mid-sized and major property holding companies who are adopting ZOME’s energy management system that saves users money while also enabling the commercial building, the apartment unit, or home to become a grid responsive “market participant”. Last year, after being contacted by and vetted from Austin Energy, the companies applied for together and won one of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) multi-million dollar deployment grants.
According to the DOE, Projects funded through this program will enhance the energy efficiency of buildings and provide flexibility services to the electric grid. Many of these technologies can enable dynamic building interactions with the power grid that provide new value streams to commercial building owners.
“Testing, measurement, and verification of advanced building technologies in real-world conditions is a fundamental step in the research and development process,” said Alex Fitzsimmons, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency. “Through rigorous field validation, DOE can help de-risk and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies that improve the energy efficiency of America’s homes, businesses, and industries.”
The project in Austin, TX consists of Austin Energy as the local utility (and grant lead) partnering with ZOME, Resideo, and the New Buildings Institute to install and evaluate the performance of a custom mesh network of thermostats, HVAC systems, and water heater controls with two-way communication and tenant remote-access capabilities in up to 7 multifamily properties and approximately 1,400 tenant units, half or more being affordable rent or low-income properties. These technologies will allow these buildings to shift their energy loads with an affordable and scalable approach to enhance their demand flexibility. If these technologies work as planned, apartment residents could save up to $120 per year on their energy bills while simultaneously the buildings themselves can act as a support buffer for the energy grid when it is under stress.
About ZOME
ZOME manages and monetizes Smart Energy for building owners, their occupants, and energy providers. ZOME operates a cloud-based software solution for the residential and commercial energy sector with a business model allowing the company, when needed, to invest in IoT equipment for building energy control and energy wholesale market bidding of curtailment. ZOME works with building owners and property-owning entities to uniquely and viably monetize energy efficiency in a recurring revenue model that is a win for building owners, energy providers, and the environment.