MIPS Project Detail:

Whisker Labs

Verification of EN Remote Energy Audits

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Company

Whisker Labs

Germantown

Montgomery

County

, Maryland

Founded:

2017

Website:

https://www.whiskerlabs.com/

Company Description:

Whisker Labs has built an energy management platform, Connected SavingsSM, which is an intelligent demand side management (IDSM) system that ties homes with utilities, big weather data and analytics to save energy—for customers, utilities and retail energy providers. The solution combines connected thermostats with proprietary weather information and thermodynamic models, developed in part with the University of Maryland, that predict how homes will respond to changing weather conditions, thus correlating energy usage to weather. Homes can then be intelligently precooled and setback, keeping customers comfortable while shifting loads for utilities during peak load events (DR events).

MIPS Project

Verification of EN Remote Energy Audits

Project #

5310.26

|

MIPS Round

56 |

Starting Date:

Aug 2015

MIPS Project Challenge:
Earth Networks (the former parent company of Whisker Labs) owns the largest network of weather stations in the world, and originally sought to utilize the data collected through this network to intelligently control the climate in peoples’ homes. The first MIPS project (and two that followed) sought to create and improve upon thermodynamic models for DR. Whisker Labs continues this work today, utilizing the same weather data from Earth Networks, and offers a suite of energy products derived from the core technology.

Project Scope:
Whisker Labs improved Connected Savings by working with Kim, as well as his former graduate student Michael Siemann (Ph.D., mechanical engineering, ’13). Together, they developed thermodynamic models over the span of three MIPS projects, from 2012-2016. The technology developed through MIPS was licensed by Earth Networks, and currently by Whisker Labs, from the University of Maryland.

We are fortunate to work with a great mechanical engineering group at the University of Maryland. MIPS funding allowed us to get into the market offering a novel approach to demand response challenges. Now that we have data certified by utilities and consumers like us, we are expecting to grow the program into a much larger initiative that will result in more skilled and well-paying jobs here in Maryland. MIPS funding was critical in taking the Connected Savings program from concept to reality.

Christopher Sloop, Chief Technology Officer, Whisker Labs

Results:

Over several years and several studies, the Connected Savings solution has outperformed similar, competing energy demand-response products by 15-20 percent. Additionally, homes have seen a 10 percent average HVAC energy saving for participating homes through thermostat efficiency adjustments, often over $100 in savings. Recently, Whisker Labs was ranked as the #2 residential demand response provider in the prestigious Navigant Research Leaderboard: Residential Demand Response report.

Currently, over 100,000 customers across the U.S. are using Whisker Labs’ home energy system, while approximately 20 utility partners are using Connected Savings in Texas, California, New England, and Maryland.

Siemann joined Whisker Labs after graduating, as have an additional four previous UMD engineering graduate students. In addition, the Whisker Labs Connected Savings team has grown from four employees prior to the MIPS grant, to nearly 30 here in Maryland.

Starting in January, 2017, Whisker Labs commenced a new MIPS project with mechanical engineering Professor Steven Gabriel, to study the potential economic benefits of DR for retail energy providers through the use of the Connected Savings solution and advanced setpoint scheduling. The research team also still works closely with Professor Kim on advancing its HVAC Fault Detection and Diagnostics technology.

In addition, Whisker Labs has developed a new product that sits on breaker panels in homes, installs in minutes, can tell what appliances are running based upon their electronic signatures, and provides detailed insights about a home’s energy usage. The company anticipates that with this new technology, combined with connected thermostats, connected homes, proprietary weather data, home energy score cards and thermodynamic analytics developed with the University of Maryland in the Connected Savings solution, it will become the leading provider of demand-response energy savings in the nation.