PowerNet Seeks Tech-Savvy Invercargill Family for Innovative Smart Energy Home Project Fancy living rent-free for up to year in a smart energy home with free use of an electric vehicle?
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Southern electricity asset management company, PowerNet, is offering one lucky Invercargill family just that opportunity, as the company charts what an energy smart future might look like in Southland.
PowerNet has kitted out a standard two-bedroom Invercargill home with smart energy technologies and the company is now calling for applications from a tech-savvy family who’d like to live there.
During the year-long tenancy, PowerNet will follow the impact smart technologies have on the family’s energy use.
“We’re keen to let the house to a family that’s enthusiastic about new technologies that impact on energy use—that’s probably the most important thing,” says PowerNet project manager, Dyson Gentle.
The house’s smart technology fittings include solar panels, battery storage, energy smart appliances and hot water powered by a heat pump exchanger. Tenants will also have the use of an electric car and a vehicle charging station installed at the address.
“We’ll be gathering data on energy use and gain insights into savings opportunities. We want to understand how a family adapts to these emerging technologies and how their energy use changes over time,” says Dyson.
The project is also about understanding more about what works best in Southland’s climate.
For the tenants, it will be an opportunity to experience the technologies and to contribute their own insights.
“They’ll be able to live relatively cheaply for a year and it’s expected that will include reasonable electricity savings. The house’s electricity pricing plan also aims to incentivise the tenants to be smart about their energy use.”
The tenants will be required to participate in regular promotional activities.
The project is part of PowerNet’s drive to leverage emerging technologies and incorporate these to create better business efficiencies. The company already operates a fleet of electric vehicles.
“The smart energy home is the next step in understanding trends in future energy use and their impact.
The information we gather will help us create the best outcomes for our customers.
We’re really excited about what we’ll potentially learn,” says Dyson.
The project will run for a year and will start in the next few months when the tenants are found.
Interested in tenanting the smart energy house? Visit PowerNet’s website to learn more about the project and to download an application form.*