Virtual Peaker, a cloud-based SaaS company that empowers modern utilities with the friendliest distributed energy resources platform on the planet, today announced Amazon Smart Thermostat will be available to its utility clients across the country. As a trusted industry partner, Virtual Peaker helped road test the ENERGY STAR certified thermostat with built-in demand response functionality and is the first distributed energy platform to fully integrate the new Amazon Smart Thermostat.
“After collaborating closely on testing for the Amazon Smart Thermostat, Virtual Peaker is excited to now deploy the new technology with our utility clients large and small,” said William (Bill) Burke, founder and CEO, Virtual Peaker. “We’re proud of our nimble and flexible development team for helping bring this energy-saving partnership to life, and together we’re building a more connected world and creating a clean energy future.”
Amazon Smart Thermostat customers can participate in utility-sponsored demand response programs without sacrificing comfort. Typically, the HVAC system is the largest household contributor to carbon emissions, but the Amazon Smart Thermostat uses Alexa’s intelligence to keep homes comfortable and energy-efficient all day. By tapping into consumers’ existing Amazon / Alexa home ecosystem, the device knows when the occupants leave the house or go to bed and automatically raises or lowers the temperature based on Amazon’s “Hunches” feature. The device is compatible with most existing 24V HVAC systems.
The Amazon Smart Thermostat sells for US $59.99, and many utilities likely will offer rebates to their customers as part of a new or existing Bring Your Own Thermostat (BYOT) program. For utilities that are already running a BYOT program, Virtual Peaker will upgrade to include the Amazon Smart Thermostat. The device enrollment process is simple and intuitive, and customers who purchase the smart device at retail are automatically prompted to enroll in their local utility’s program.
Virtual Peaker clients, including Northeastern REMC in Columbia City, Indiana, are already leveraging the Amazon Smart Thermostat to manage energy sustainably without sacrificing comfort.
“Northeastern REMC needed a way to reduce rapidly increasing capacity and transmission costs,” said Christopher Todd, director, marketing and communications, Northeastern REMC. “Thanks to Virtual Peaker and the Amazon Smart Thermostat, we’ve seen an increase in load shed and reduced costs during peak demand times due to homeowners’ participation in our Peak Thermostat Program.”
Virtual Peaker clients interested in learning more about the Amazon Smart Thermostat can reach out to [email protected] to discuss program setup, integration, or any other questions.
