Cindy Malone, Ameo Saha, Ellie Rusling, Congressman Joseph Morelle, Donald Leung, James Grieve, Molly Over, Evan Ciolkowski left to right)
Rochester, New York, April 4, 2023 Congressman Joseph Morelle, along with Carly Bird, Deputy Director of Community Affairs and Kaleigh Benedict, District Directo
r visited MicroEra Power to discuss Thermal Energy Storage as a key enabler of the energy transition and meeting both cost and decarbonization goals. Congressman Morelle has emphasized the importance of renewable energy and related projects, with $369 billion of $700 billion set aside for this purpose. He indicated that the challenges of the climate crisis are real and the frequency of extreme weather events like floods, wildfires, and tornadoes underscores the urgency of transitioning to renewable energy sources. While wind and solar are important components of this transition, there are practical challenges to relying on these sources without corresponding deployment of safe and cost-effective distributed storage.
MicroEra Power’s THERMAplus innovative Thermal Energy Storage is being developed to decarbonize building heating and cooling, fortify the grid by providing flexible electric loads, and offer the promise of a more sustainable and economically viable future.
CEO Ellie Rusling highlighted several significant elements of the current carbon impact of buildings:
- Buildings consume 40% of global energy
- Energy efficiency will be critical to reducing global emissions
- 50% of energy used in building is for meeting thermal loads (heating, cooling and hot water)
- Peak energy is the most carbon-intensive & expensive, and can drive up to 70% of building energy costs
In addition to a tour of AHEAD Energy’s Clean Energy Commercialization Center at 285 Metro Park in Rochester, NY, Rusling shared THERMAplusTM a technology developed by MicroEra Power that integrates with a building’s chiller or heat pump to provide low-cost and low-carbon resilient heating and cooling through the use of a proprietary phase change material and smart controls. Building owners can save up to 50% on heating and cooling operating costs, with payback achievable in under three years. THERMAplus has benefits over other storage technologies like lithium batteries, as it is safer, more durable, and has a lifespan of more than 25 years. The materials used are sourced domestically and can be disposed of safely. MicroEra Power is on a mission to decarbonize building heating and cooling to address the challenges posed by climate change.
Molly Over and James Grieve discuss resilient heating and cooling with Congressman Joseph Morelle in the lab
“MicroEra Power really appreciates the visit and the support Congressman Joseph Morelle and his staff are providing as we work to bring innovative thermal energy storage solutions to the market for meeting sustainability goals with a sustainable business which can also bring urban green jobs to New York State.” — Ellie Rusling, CEO
MicroEra Power is currently working with grant funding from NYSERDA and the U.S. Department of Energy’s SBIR programs. Initial pilots are being identified for commercial buildings, campus and district systems, and evaluation by several electric utilities.
Congressman Joseph Morelle, serves as U. S. Representative for New York’s 25th congressional district. In Congress, Morelle has two distinct roles. First, he is the lead Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which oversees the functioning of the House, the Capitol Complex, and has oversight responsibilities over entities such as the Capitol Police, Smithsonian Institution, New York Botanic Garden, and Library of Congress. Second, he is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for allocating federal funds. He serves on two subcommittees, including the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, overseeing the agencies such as National Science Foundation and NASA, and Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies which includes the Department of Energy. Morelle, along with Carly Bird, Deputy Director of Community Affairs and Kaleigh Benedict, District Director visited MicroEra Power.
For more information, please visit www.microerapower.com or connect on LinkedIn or Twitter.
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jennifer.sertl@microerapower.com
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