The Department of Energy is using a new “smart neighborhood” in Atlanta as a living laboratory to evaluate how homeowners are using energy in a real-world, smart home environment. The “Altus at The Quarter” development consists of 46 smart townhomes.
The neighborhood will be “instrumental to understanding how emerging smart technologies and distributed energy resources can impact energy efficiency, energy management, and resiliency,” according to DOE. The homes have been outfitted with photovoltaic panels; batteries; and grid-connective, energy-efficient building components and appliances such as heat pump water heaters.
The components will be managed and optimized by a grid-interactive control system.
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