Energy efficiency research supports grid-interactive townhome development
Under a collaborative research and development agreement with Southern Company, ORNL researchers have developed a home energy optimization platform for 46 townhomes in Atlanta’s first Smart Neighborhood. The platform optimizes each home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and water heating systems, in coordination with rooftop solar and batteries, to minimize costs and maintain comfort.
This is the second Smart Neighborhood project ORNL has provided research and development support for. The first, with Alabama Power and Southern Company, was completed in 2018 and features 62 state-of-the-art homes connected to a residential microgrid that houses battery and solar energy capabilities.
The Georgia neighborhood, which completed construction in late 2020, differs from the Alabama neighborhood in that each townhome is equipped with solar panels and a battery pack, rather than having those components located at a centralized microgrid. The Georgia homes are equipped with automatic transfer switches that allow essential loads in the homes (refrigerator, lighting, HVAC) to continue operating with battery and solar power in the event of a grid outage. The townhomes are also equipped with electric vehicle charging stations.