NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Logical Buildings, an AI technology solutions leader in sustainability, smart building and virtual power plant software, today announced the impact of its GridRewards™ platform during 2022. Using the free app to track and lower their energy use when requested, more than 9,000 Con Edison, Orange and Rockland Utility customers in New York City, Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counties, NY received cash payments, lowered carbon emissions and provided measurable support to their local utility via demand response (DR) services.
During summer 2022, the peak utility season, a record-high number of residents, spanning both single and multifamily residences, enrolled and participated in GridRewards events. These participating customers now account for the majority of Con Edison’s residential demand response participants, a share that is anticipated to increase with enrollment for 2023 GridRewards season currently underway.
GridRewards users were prompted to adopt smarter energy use measures during Con Edison’s June-September peak energy period. When high energy demand was forecasted, GridRewards offered users opportunities to earn money by reducing energy use at peak times. This can be achieved through simple actions including waiting to perform energy-intensive tasks such as running dishwashers and charging electric vehicles (EVs) until designated off-peak periods.
On average, each 2022 GridRewards user in Westchester and New York City received a direct cash payment of $80 from Logical Buildings, with the top participants earning well over $500. The company delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars in total rewards to a record-high number of participating customers during the summer peak season.
GridRewards users are also helping to create a more stable and decarbonized energy grid for their entire region. During the 2022 peak season, collective changes to user energy usage reduced the energy load on the local grid by a collective 30MW, effectively creating a distributed virtual power plant (VPP) and reducing the need for an expensive, polluting, fossil-fuel-powered peaker plant.
“Users are not just earning money and reducing their energy bills, they’re mitigating utility infrastructure costs by reducing the need for expensive peaker plants to support the grid during periods of high demand. Our team and customers will continue to emphasize these impacts as we ramp up GridRewards enrollment efforts for the 2023 season,” said Jeff Hendler, CEO of Logical Buildings. “With GridRewards, we’re creating a network of community climate leaders ready to take control of their energy use for the betterment of the environment.”
In Westchester County, Logical Buildings has partnered with non-profit sustainability consortium, Sustainable Westchester for both a single family home and commercial business pilot program that utilizes GridRewards, solar and residential energy storage. During summer 2022, users in the Sustainable Westchester program had a combined load reduction of 7MW, up from an estimated 3.5-4MW in 2021, enough electricity to instantaneously power 25,000 homes. Municipalities also participated in GridRewards, by enrolling their Village Halls, Recreation Centers, Libraries and Fire Department and by encouraging their residents to get involved.
“Together, Logical Buildings and Sustainable Westchester have seen another year of impactful results driven by Westchester County residents using Grid Rewards," said Jim Kuster, Interim Executive Director at Sustainable Westchester. “The growth in users, their commitment to engaging with the platform and taking action when prompted proves that they believe in our shared goal of reducing carbon emissions which also provides valuable grid services.”
In addition to GridRewards for individual residential customers, Logical Buildings is engaged with multifamily real estate companies across greater NYC including UDR and AvalonBay Using the SmartKit AI™ platform, which draws on data from existing AMI meters, building controls and IoT networks, building operators can engage in similar energy-saving and revenue-generating opportunities at their properties. User growth, engagement and data acquisition across both GridRewards and SmartKit AI will only become more essential as many building operators seek to improve building efficiency and lower emissions to comply with upcoming regulations, including Local Law 97, which sets strict emissions limits for multifamily buildings starting in January 2024.
The enrollment deadline for residential users looking to receive the full benefits of participation in 2023 GridRewards is April 1, 2023. The app is free to download and there’s no cost to enroll or participate. You can find additional information on the GridRewards website.
About GridRewards
GridRewards was developed in 2019 by Logical Buildings, an AI technology solutions leader in sustainability, smart building and virtual power plant software and a solutions provider for the built world. The firm’s revolutionary technologies combat climate change by empowering residential, commercial, and industrial energy users to earn money, enhance building health and reduce carbon footprints through user-friendly, award-winning mobile apps. GridRewards was initially introduced as a digital program in 2019. It was launched as a free app in spring 2021 and is downloadable via the Apple Store and Google Play. Logical Buildings, which was founded in 2012 as a smart building technology software developer, IoT and DER systems integrator, and smart building services provider, currently operates in major national urban markets, including New York, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Camden, Chicago, and Miami, and more. To learn more, visit logicalbuildings.com and follow Logical Buildings on LinkedIn.
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