No Trouble With the Curve

Arizona-based Mandalay Homes introduced a set of smart energy features that includes a well-insulated building shell, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, and on-site solar with battery storage.

The iON Series optimizes energy collection, storage, and management to overcome the so-called “duck curve." The “duck curve” is an imbalance in supply and demand because daily peak demand occurs in the late afternoon and evening. But, peak energy production from solar electric panels occurs closer to midday. The electric grid has been unable to store the excess electricity from renewable sources for when it’s needed most. The iON Series counteracts this situation with its ability to store energy from peak periods onsite while still being integrated with the grid.

“Before we can go with solar and batteries, we need to optimize the home,” Geoff Ferrell tells the Zero Energy Project. Mandalay’s standard approach is based on climate-appropriate building science. Over the course of several years, Mandalay has evolved a long list of high-performance energy features culminating in the new iON Series with a HERS Index of 50 or less before the application of solar. This level of performance puts the home firmly in the zero energy ready category where affordable renewable energy can be added to supply all the energy needed by the home.

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