MountainLogic Wins Technology Innovation Grant from BPA

Source: MountainLogic Press Release, August 20, 2011. The Bonneville Power Administration has awarded a $255,500.00 grant to MountainLogic Inc., to support testing an innovative HVAC heating/cooling control system in the Northwest. Scott Elliott, CEO of MountainLogic, says, “We’re really excited about this grant and working with BPA to show how energy savings can be done with MountainLogic’s zone control system, effortlessly and inexpensively by the average homeowner.” The grant will cover a one-year trial of the zone control system, which saves energy by heating or cooling only occupied rooms. “It’s similar to turning a light-switch on or off in each room,” says CEO Scott Elliott, “but without the bother because the zone control system does it for you. You wouldn’t think of having only one light-switch in a house. Why do most homes have only one heating or cooling thermostat? If I’m in the kitchen, I don’t need all the bedrooms heated.”

The MountainLogic zone control system has a predictive component that analyzes and then anticipates occupancy, heating or cooling only those rooms. This innovation eliminates the constant reprogramming of room thermostats and failure of past systems to maintain room comfort levels. The MountainLogic zone control system is designed and priced for use in existing homes. It can be installed in a day and is wireless, eliminating the messy disruption of systems that require rewiring and construction. It has an affordable target price starting at $1,000 to retrofit the average home and is estimated to have a payback to the homeowner within two years. The integrated system could save the homeowner up to 50% of their HVAC energy costs, with an expected average savings of $500/year.

MountainLogic anticipates partnering with utilities to promote the system to customers, much like the way insulation and heat pumps have been driven into the market place. In comparison to alternative efficiency offerings MountainLogic delivers conservation to utilities for 0.5 to 1.2 cents per KWH. Utilities are heavily restricted by regulation and fuel costs from building new energy generating plants. Utilities in states such as California, Washington, and Oregon that are in green house gas regimens have strong financial and regulatory incentives to support efficiency programs.

How big is this as an environmental issue? Over 100 million US homes use forced air HVAC systems. Homes account for a fourth of US energy consumption and 4.6% of global greenhouse emissions. On average, a typical home will eliminate 1,800 pounds of CO2 emissions with MountainLogic’s zone control system. If all 100 million US homes used the system it could reduce US CO2 emissions by 90 million tons. For the homeowner, whose energy costs are growing at 10% per year, saving on their energy usage is one of the few remaining areas where they can make their dollars grow in a stagnant economy and feel good about doing their part to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

MountainLogic is a cleantech company that is based in the Northwest and, patent pending, has developed an innovative energy saving zone control system for residential home heating/cooling. The company was founded by CEO Scott Elliott, a native of Oregon and graduate of the Evergreen State College. The company’s goal is to provide heating/cooling products that address energy savings, greenhouse gas emissions and cost savings to consumers. Their current emphasis is on residential heating/cooling and then to enlarge their market to businesses.  For contact information, please see MountainLogic’s website or call MountainLogic at (425) 246-2083 and fax (425) 434-5880; write MountainLogic at PO Box 908 Issaquah, WA 98027.