Bosch Thermotechnology Corp., a leading manufacturer of water source and geothermal heat pumps, solar thermal systems, tankless water heaters, condensing boilers and hot water storage tanks for residential and commercial applications, announced during the 2012 EE Global Conference Virtual Podium Press Event a new partnership with Serenbe, a sustainable eco-conscious community development, that will be the site of a first of its kind experience center designed to showcase the full-line of Bosch energy efficient, sustainable home solutions.
In addition, up-to three new homes, equipped with Bosch products, are planned for construction — offering a cost-effective suite of sustainable technologies that will serve as a model for U.S. homeowners looking for a more eco-conscious option.
Serenbe, an award-winning 1000-acre real estate and sustainable farming devel-opment south of Atlanta, will be one of the first communities in the U.S. featuring the Bosch home solutions and will house the Bosch Experience Center – slated for opening in May, 2012.
The first-of-its-kind, the Bosch Experience Center will be powered and fully equipped with products comprising the Bosch home solution suite. Both an educa-tion and interaction hub, the center will offer consumers, trade professionals and in-fluencers in the sustainability space the opportunity to learn about Bosch solutions while serving as a world-class gathering spot for discussions on sustainability re-search and education.
The end goal, according to Bosch officials, is to show how the combination of energy efficient Bosch products are helping produce a new gen-eration of affordable, sustainable homes that greatly reduce demand and monthly costs, and have the potential of giving energy back to the grid in certain configura-tions. Bosch Geothermal Heat Pumps, designed and built domestically in Ft. Lauderdale, FL are at the core of the renewable products comprising the system. The company’s TA Series units are the most efficient Geothermal Heat Pumps on the market and the only complete heating/cooling line that received the Energy Star 2011 Most Efficient recognition. Roof-mounted Bosch photovoltaic solar panels are also used to power the home, while Bosch Compress heat pump water heaters further utilize energy efficient heat pump technology for hot water production.
Tying into the mission statement of Serenbe, the Experience Center will feature a professional-grade kitchen featuring Bosch appliances, winner of the 2012 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award, where organically grown food from the community will be prepared by world-renown chefs for a variety of planned events and educational seminars. In addition, the Bosch solar system installed in the Experience Center will heat the hot water at the kitchen tap.
“Building a new home can be a great experience. But balancing performance, effi-ciency, and aesthetics can also create a lot of stress with the many choices that have to be made. Our goal is to offer a portfolio of products designed to address these priorities, thus facilitating a simple “peace of mind” solution for sustainable liv-ing decisions.,” said Ervin Cash, president and CEO, Bosch Thermotechnology North America. “This powerful portfolio is designed for reliability – meaning preci-sion engineering and design ensuring years of clean, efficient operation for every-day home comfort needs.”
Research and development on the product suite began with a pilot project in Can-ada in November 2009. A 3,000-square foot home was constructed and equipped with a Bosch system, where a family of six demonstrated the feasibility to live a net zero existence, even during the cold Canadian winter and hot summer months, without compromising comfort. In one year, the homeowners of this home con-sumed approximately 14,000-kilowatt hours (kWh), while at the same time, the home generated more than 15,000kWh - more electricity than consumed. This project installation was used to fine-tune the Bosch system so both retrofit and new home construction could implement the technologies.
“Bosch has been an incredible partner for Serenbe. With the industry’s brightest minds and best products, Bosch is helping us achieve our company’s vision of pro-viding cost-effective, sustainable home solutions to the masses,” says Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. “With the complete suite of Bosch products, we provide a unique one-stop solution -- a critical issue for home builders, installers and consum-ers. It’s now possible to not only achieve energy efficient performance, but also re-tain a reasonable entry price point for the U.S. Consumer of approximately $250,000 – which helps diminish a major roadblock for widespread sustainable technology adoption,” he says.
Nygren adds that the Experience Center will be a destination visit for a large cross-section of audiences. It provides a clear demonstration of how sustainable technology is applicable for everyday use and readily available, much like conventional technology counterparts currently on the market.
“Bosch has simpli-fied the decision for homeowners contemplating a switch to more sustainable prod-uct solutions. “It’s a major step in promoting more widespread adoption of the principles we em-body here at Serenbe,” he says. “This is only the beginning of an exciting partner-ship we feel can set the bar for other sustainable communities nationwide.”