ThinkEco and Tendril Collaborate to Smarten the Smart Grid

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ThinkEco, Inc. (www.thinkeco.com) announced it will work with Tendril, the Energy Platform company, to deliver a comprehensive demand response system that serves utilities and their customers by integrating one version of ThinkEco's patent-pending modlet® plug-load management technology with Tendril's extensible technology platform, Tendril Connect ™.  Demand response is increasingly viewed as an essential way to meet growing energy demand, comply with peak load and emissions reduction targets, and help customers control and reduce their energy costs.

"This partnership brings together a consumer-friendly home energy management product that people want to use, with the extended reach enabled by Tendril's market-leading, open standards-based energy platform for energy service providers," said Jun Shimada, President and CEO of ThinkEco, Inc. "As an R&D driven company, we think big and this partnership validates the attractiveness of the modlet® in serving various market needs."

ThinkEco will develop a version of the modlet® that is fully compatible with the Tendril Connect™ energy management platform, so that utilities using Tendril's platform will be able to easily incorporate the user-friendly modlet® as part of their customer offering to eliminate plug-load costs. The Tendril Connect platform helps energy service providers gain insight and control over their energy load by using products and applications that communicate directly with a utility's existing infrastructure, and subsequently provide customers with the information they need to make good energy management choices day-to-day.  The collaboration marks the first time Tendril will resell third party hardware.

"The integration of ThinkEco's modlet® plug-load solution into our energy platform is a smart way for us to bring together home energy management devices and demand-response applications under one platform," said Adrian Tuck, CEO of Tendril. "The utilities we work with and those who have piloted our platform want an uncomplicated solution for plug-load management, and we think the modlet® will be a great fit."

Plug-loads, the energy consumed by plugged-in equipment and appliances, are the fastest-growing segment of energy usage. The patent-pending modlet®—short for modern outlet—is the first intelligent outlet that saves businesses and consumers money by reducing energy waste from plugged in appliances. It monitors appliance-level power use, learns the behavior of the user, and suggests schedules to turn the appliance on and off when not in use. Today, more than 25 percent of the electricity that companies use and 40 percent of residential electricity use goes to plugged-in equipment and appliances, and if this growth remains unchecked, the energy used by plug-loads is expected to triple by 2030.

The two companies expect to make the product available in the next six months.

About ThinkEco, Inc.

Founded in 2008, ThinkEco, Inc., is a New York City-based company developing easy-to-use energy efficiency solutions for homes and businesses. Its latest product, the modlet®, is an intelligent outlet that provides a simple, low-cost and installation-free method for saving money and energy on electronic appliances. The modlet® is available for commercial purchase and will be available to consumers in the first half of 2011. For more information, visit www.thinkeco.com. For the latest updates and news, follow the company on Twitter at @ThinkEco or like us at www.facebook.com/ThinkEco.

SOURCE ThinkEco, Inc.