GridPoint Protect, a Next-Generation Backup Power Appliance, Launches New Online Energy Management Capabilities
In Season of Hurricanes, Storms, Rolling Blackouts & Brownouts, GridPoint Provides Home and Business Owners with Safe, Clean and Maintenance-free Backup Power
WASHINGTON - July 6, 2006 - GridPoint, Inc., a provider of intelligent energy management (IEM) appliances, today announced that GridPoint Protect, a next-generation backup power appliance, has launched with new online energy management capabilities that offer security for the home or business in the event of a power outage. According to a new survey conducted in May by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), 58 percent of homeowners are interested in buying an energy management system and 32 percent of new home buyers regret not purchasing an energy management system.
GridPoint customers log on to the GridPoint CentralSM Web portal to create a personal energy profile to automatically manage energy efficiency based on their individual preferences. The portal also provides information such as the runtime of battery backup power available, the energy status of vacation homes or satellite business offices, as well as total energy consumption data, utility rate schedules, historical energy usage patterns and weather updates.
GridPoint Protect's clean alternative to a generator provides safe, instant backup power in this season of storms, hurricanes, rolling blackouts, brownouts, and other power disturbances. The product incorporates recyclable batteries, power electronics and on-board computer in an attractive, self-enclosed appliance about the size of a small refrigerator. Unlike a generator, GridPoint Protect is silent, emissions-free and safe to install and operate inside a home or business.
"GridPoint Protect gives customers peace of mind during an emergency situation. Not only can they continue working or spending time with their families, but they can also access information about the best way to use backup power depending on their individual needs," said Peter L. Corsell, President and CEO of GridPoint.
When there is a power outage, GridPoint Protect automatically switches on in less than 18 milliseconds, meaning that computers will not lose data and digital clocks won't need to be reset. Users gain eight to 10 hours of backup power to run critical loads such as refrigerators, lights, security systems, computers and electronic equipment, telephones, radios, fans and garage doors. When utility power is restored, the batteries automatically recharge and stay ready for the next outage. GridPoint Protect does not require fuel, weekly exercising or annual maintenance and is monitored via broadband or phone line connection for optimal performance.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission, the average outage lasts 60 to 90 minutes. In a recent survey by Honeywell, 90 percent of small business owners reported at least one power outage per year for an average of three annually, with an estimated cost in lost sales, inventory and missed deadlines of $1,500 an hour or $7,500 a day.
About GridPoint
GridPoint's intelligent energy management (IEM) products ensure clean, reliable power, increase energy efficiency, and integrate renewable energy. With GridPoint, a partner in the ENERGY STAR program, home and business owners can automatically protect themselves from power outages, manage their energy online and reduce their carbon footprint. GridPoint's "plug-and-play" appliances are easy to install and sold through a network of premium home builders, utilities, retail chains and government entities as well as installers and contractors of electrical, heating, air-conditioning, home automation, power quality and renewable energy systems.
On the Net: www.gridpoint.com
Contact Information
Suzanne Lauer
703.862.3137 or slauer@gridpoint.com
Media Contact
Suzanne Lauer
(703) 862-3137 or
slauer@gridpoint.com