Climate Curve

Primary Project Category:

Project Summary / Description:

This is the second phase of an earlier project (see attached Final Report: BEC Solar-Plus-Storage Demonstration Project ) to demonstrate the practical feasibility, economic value, and an implementation path for premises solar-plus-storage (S+S) systems, primarily in the residential environment. This new phase is to follow up on what was learned and to adapt 1) the control system element, and 2) battery storage integration. The new focus will be on the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) electricity user. C&I users and their systems will play a key role in enabling Boulder to reach its core climate and sustainability goals.

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

The project will support economic and gender diversity by freeing access to electricity from its historical dependence on capital-intensive, expensive, an institutionalized structure. It will help the transition from capital-intensive centralized corporate technology to distributed, community-based consumer commodity market technology (e.g., solar panels, batteries, premises controls, efficiency, etc.).

In terms of diffusion of the technology, the project will help stimulate a dispersed open source and entrepreneurial community and economy free of limitations to all races and genders

Mission Statement:

The mission of Smarthome Laboratories is to develop advanced hardware, software, and technical standards for home and building control systems that can enable the de-carbonization, decentralization, and democratization of electric power. This mission seeks to effectively address technical aspects of our society‚ greatest problems (i.e., climate change, environmental quality, sustainability, community resilience, and democratic governance).

The company approaches this mission primarily by facilitating on-premises integration and coordination of solar PV, inverters, batteries, and smart appliances (e.g., HVAC, refrigeration, water heaters, thermostats, electric vehicle chargers, etc.), and by sharing or balancing of electricity with other buildings on the local distribution grid by utilizing high-speed Internet access networks, including municipal fiber.

Link: Facebook:

The company has no website or other on-line presence. This is because it is not selling a product or service and does not promote itself beyond specific projects or goals. Dr. Schoechle does policy research for the National Institute for Science Law and Public Policy <https://natinstsciencelaw.org/> and his various policy and technology papers are posted at <https://www.gettingsmarteraboutthesmartgrid.org>. Dr. Schoechle has a LinkeIn page.