ThinkEco Begins Accepting Orders from Business Clients for the Modlet: An Intelligent Outlet That Quantifies Energy Use and Prevents Plug-Load Energy Waste

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- ThinkEco, Inc., a New York City-based company that develops easy-to-use energy efficiency technologies for homes and businesses, has begun accepting orders from business clients for its flagship product, the modlet. The modlet—short for modern outlet—is an energy-intelligent outlet that pays for itself, on average, in less than six months by monitoring appliance-level power use, then disconnecting power to save energy, money, and CO(2) when specific equipment isn't needed.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101110/NY98186 )

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Starting today, commercial users can place orders for the modlet by visiting http://thinkecoinc.com/orders.php. Once a user signs up for the modlet, ThinkEco will conduct a site audit and recommend a deployment plan.

"The modlet is the first redesign of the common outlet since the ground plug was added in 1928. For the first time, an outlet is able to think and interact with the equipment plugged into it in order to make it more energy efficient," said Jun Shimada, president and CEO of ThinkEco, Inc.

The patent-pending modlet rethinks how to prevent plug-load waste, which is the power consumed by plugged-in equipment when not in use. Plug-loads are the fastest-growing segment of overall commercial energy usage. Today, more than 25 percent of the electricity that companies use goes to plugged-in equipment, and if this growth remains unchecked, the energy used by plug-loads is expected to triple by 2030.

The design philosophy behind the modlet is ease-of-use and flexibility.  The modlet hardware takes no time to install and the number of modlets required for a business can be tailored to fit each user's need.  A network of modlets will collect energy consumption data of office equipment in real-time. Through its web-based interface, users can see the detailed data and refine an energy savings program created by the modlet's algorithms to cut power to devices when they are unneeded.

Organizations that implement a site-wide modlet deployment can see a 35 to 80 percent reduction in the power consumed by each electronic device that is plugged into a modlet, which in total can reduce the overall utility bill by up to 10 percent with no change in office routine. In a pilot program with one New York company, it is projected that the modlet will save $65,000 worth of electricity per year.

"You can make big changes that will save energy, like installing insulated windows, a more efficient HVAC system, or by switching to fluorescent lights," added Shimada. "Recouping plug-load waste, though, requires finding savings through dozens and hundreds of small actions, which individually you may never notice. The modlet helps to automatically trim many of the most common sources of plug-load waste. For energy saving actions that can't be automated, the modlet makes the connection for people between what they do and what is shown on the power bill. Just like posting calories in a restaurant doesn't force you to eat better, being able to see the numbers still leads to a natural improvement of behavior."

Enables Employee Engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Efforts

For the first time, modlets let companies actively engage employees in CSR initiatives. Data lets employees see how much energy individual equipment is consuming, compare their department's power usage against others, or even compete to see who can save more energy. When compared to other green initiatives, a modlet savings program has transparent, easy-to-understand results, where staff can see their efforts pay off. In fact, multiple leading corporations have identified the modlet as an effective way of rolling out employee-level personal sustainability plans as part of their overall CSR platforms.

"We are ready to launch the modlet because it has been field tested for a year now with more than 75 organizations, and through that experience, we've been able to validate the modlet's savings potential as well as its benefit to CSR efforts," said Mei Shibata, chief business officer of ThinkEco, Inc. "Such luminary non-profits and corporations as The Climate Group, Greif and Turner Construction have found the modlet to be an effective tool for plug-load management."

ThinkEco is a company affiliated with the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy (NYC ACRE), an incubator for clean technology and renewable energy start-up companies that are helping to transition New York City to a low-carbon future.  The incubator was funded with seed money from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

"NYSERDA is proud to play a role in supporting the growth of companies like ThinkEco that are advancing innovative solutions to help people use energy more efficiently," said Francis J. Murray, president and CEO of NYSERDA.  "We congratulate ThinkEco's team for this milestone.  Their ability to launch the modlet is just one example of many instances where NYSERDA is working to help companies develop and commercialize new, cutting edge technology that is making New York a leader in energy efficiency."

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 in the fourth quarter of this year 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 become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/ThinkEco.

SOURCE ThinkEco, Inc.