National Science Foundation Awards Harvest Thermal $1 Million Grant

Small business innovation award supports scaling the deployment of building decarbonization solution

BERKELEY, CA, USA, June 2, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Harvest Thermal Inc. received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant for $1 million to help scale its award-winning, ultra-efficient building decarbonization solution that creates a new product category in the home heating and hot water space.

This is the second SBIR grant awarded to Harvest Thermal by the NSF. Only 4% of companies that apply for an SBIR Phase I grant go on to receive a Phase II award.

The Harvest Thermal Pod platform uses cloud-enabled analytics, electronic controls, and machine learning to slash carbon emissions, lower energy bills, and improve home comfort. In pilots supported by the SBIR Phase I grant, the IoT smart Pod demonstrated emissions reductions of more than 90% compared with gas, 50% compared to standard heat pump solutions, and bill savings up to 40%.

“We are deeply grateful to the NSF for recognizing our successful pilot and awarding this Phase II grant. The work funded by this grant will prepare our company for the scale we need to fight climate change while delivering clean, comfortable, and affordable home heating and hot water,” said CEO Dr. Jane Melia. “Clean home energy is absolutely critical for our health and in meeting the 2030 global goal when experts agree new buildings must be net-zero emissions.”

The Harvest Thermal system runs a single heat pump and operates the water tank as a thermal battery, shifting electric load to the cleanest, cheapest times of the day while discharging steady, comfortable heating and hot water whenever needed. Customers experience a new kind of steady, comfortable heat with continuous variable output.

NSF funding will be used to prepare the Harvest system for commercial-scale: reducing costs, augmenting cloud infrastructure and remote diagnostic, and enhancing security protections.

Applications to the NSF SBIR program undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. The program, also known as America’s Seed Fund, targets startups and small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential.

About Harvest Thermal

Harvest Thermal, Inc, is a developer and manufacturer of ultra-efficient, all-electric hot water, heating and cooling systems for the residential market. Founded in 2019, Harvest Thermal has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the California Energy Commission, and private investors. Harvest Thermal’s software/hardware, cloud-enabled platform leverages the power of advanced analytics and machine learning to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, save on customer bills and utilize a greater share of renewable energy on the grid. See also this Canary Media story.

About America’s Seed Fund

America’s Seed Fund powered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million in non-dilutive funds to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. To learn more visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/

David Tuft
Harvest Thermal, Inc.
+1 202-494-0813
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