Enersponse, a distributed energy resource (DER) management provider, has formed a partnership with Samsung SmartThings to provide users with access to a portfolio of utility integrations and grid service programs via SmartThings Energy, a service within the SmartThings app.
In addition, SmartThings users will be able to connect their utility account with Enersponse and automate their smart home devices, including thermostats, hot water heaters, and EV chargers, and throttle energy usage in response to real-time factors like grid emergencies, extreme weather, system outages, and energy pricing fluctuations.
Enersponse is focused on helping customers save money and meet environmental sustainability objectives by optimizing their energy usage, with the added benefit of helping power suppliers support grid stabilization and reduce reliance on fossil fuel-powered plants.
The partnership with SmartThings Energy extends Enersponse’s availability beyond its current B2B market footprint – which has been heavily focused on national retailers, office buildings, grocery stores, water districts and multifamily residential buildings—and into the B2C residential market, making Enersponse’s technology accessible to residential dwellings with smart-home enabled devices.
“Our team is focused on driving sustainability for a cleaner tomorrow and partnering with a forward-thinking and like-minded company like SmartThings is a massive step forward, enabling residential energy users to play a much more active role in the journey toward energy decarbonization,” said James McPhail, CEO and founder of Enersponse. “Supporting our mission of simplifying grid service program participation and making it accessible to all, SmartThings Energy enables homeowners to make smarter decisions about their energy consumption when it matters most.”
Historically, utilities issue flex alerts and expect end-users to manually power down if they want to save money. Using Enersponse’s intelligent automation platform allows users to program their response and take control of their power bill.
Users can pre-set their schedules with preferences for how much they are willing to shift their energy usage. These changes can be aggressive or nearly imperceptible – for example, reducing smart thermostat settings by two degrees when grid demand surges or delaying a dishwasher cycle until after peak hours or during increased time-of-use (TOU) rates.
The latest SmartThings Energy app, which was recently showcased at CES, allows users to link their utility account through the SmartThings Energy app by adding Enersponse as a “device” and subsequently automating their smart home settings to better control energy usage.
The app also enables an end-user to create automations to shift energy usage of appliances such as thermostats, air-conditioners, dishwashers, washer/dryers, refrigerators, or EV chargers when energy demand and prices are elevated and revert to normal settings when power grid demand events end. Users can then receive demand response notifications directly through the SmartThings app to adjust home energy usage behaviors beyond what’s been set up within the user’s customized pre-set automations. They can also access power consumption reports from their connected smart meter, helping to better understand their energy usage on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis.
“We are proud of Samsung SmartThings’ commitment to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency,” said Samantha Fein, vice president of business development and marketing, Samsung SmartThings. “Through strategic partnerships with organizations like Enersponse, SmartThings Energy will continue to expand to meet both consumer and utility needs in critical areas like demand response to help drive the future of home energy management.”
Related: How to Create a Zero-Energy Smart Home
