Leading-edge microgrid will support 62 high-performance homes
Alabama Power’s Smart Neighborhood is near completion, bringing together
for the first time in the Southeast high-performance homes, energy
efficient systems and appliances, connected devices and a microgrid on a
community-wide scale.
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Smart Neighborhood is a future-focused, energy-efficient community with
homes that are rated 35 percent more efficient than standard Alabama
homes being built today. The homes, built by Signature Homes, provide a
glimpse into what residential construction may look like in 20 years,
and are equipped with cutting-edge systems and appliances that give
customers more control over their home’s features and energy use.
The microgid, located near the Smart Neighborhood at Reynolds Landing in
suburban Birmingham, is made up of solar panels, battery storage and a
backup natural gas generator. It is the first microgrid in the Southeast
to support an entire residential community. The neighborhood is also
tied to Alabama Power’s electric grid. The neighborhood’s intelligent
technology communicates with each home’s heating, air conditioning and
water-heating systems to determine the best way to provide energy.
“Smart Neighborhood systems can analyze and predict the entire
community’s future energy needs and ensure customers are served in the
most efficient ways possible,” said John Hudson, senior vice president
of Marketing and Business Development for Alabama Power.
Alabama Power is gathering data from the homes and the microgrid over
the next two years to provide insight into how neighborhoods of the
future could function. The information will help the company develop new
programs, services and advanced energy solutions to meet the evolving
needs of Alabama Power customers.
All the homes in the neighborhood have been sold, with about half now
occupied. The remaining homes under construction are expected to be
completed in late spring.
“With Alabama Power’s Smart Neighborhood, the future of residential
energy has arrived,” Hudson said. “Smart Neighborhood brings together
technologies and data in new ways that help families take control of
their energy use and live better today.”
Among the homes in the neighborhood is Alabama Power’s Smart
Neighborhood Idea House. A hub for the project’s research, the Smart
Neighborhood Idea House showcases the streamlined connectivity of the
advanced products, efficient equipment and enhanced building features.
Additional technologies the company is testing, such as smart glass, are
included in the home.
Alabama Power will use the Smart Neighborhood Idea House as a resource
for homebuilders, trade organizations and industry groups during the two
years of research and data collection on the project.
In addition to Signature Homes, Smart Neighborhood was made possible
through partnerships with researchers from Alabama Power’s parent
company, Southern Company, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, and the Electric Power Research Institute, as well
as technology vendors Carrier, Vivint and Rheem, among others. Learn
more about Smart Neighborhood at www.smartneighbor.com.
“Reynolds Landing has been a success with outstanding market acceptance
– we sold all of the 62 homes within six months of opening our model,”
said Dwight Sandlin, Signature Homes CEO. “We feel Smart Neighborhood is
a game changer and will have a strong impact on the housing market for
years to come.”
Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO),
is focused on providing innovative energy solutions to improve
customers’ lives. Learn more at www.alabamapower.com.
NOTE TO REPORTERS: An invitation-only Smart Neighborhood Media
Microgrid Tour and Open House is set for May 8. The event will unveil
the project’s microgrid and include an interview opportunity with
Alabama Power project experts and partner representatives, along with a
sneak peek of the Smart Neighborhood Idea House. If you are interested
in attending, please contact Katie Bolton at 205-257-4155 or kjkilcoy@southernco.com.
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