News

NC Clean Energy Center and Koolbridge pen MOA

July 12, 2015 by Jeff Shepard

The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at North Carolina State University has signed a five-year memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Koolbridge Solar, Inc., a North Carolina based company, in support of Koolbridge's advanced smart solar and smart energy management technology. Koolbridge Solar's Smart Load Center is a smart circuit breaker panel for integrating a photovoltaic and energy storage system with a home's or commercial building's loads and the electric grid. It smartly transfers loads from the grid supply to the off-grid solar and battery system when the sun is shining. It manages both solar and utility-based energy in a complementary fashion.

The NCCETC is an established leader in understanding solar policy, markets, and technology as well as related codes and standards. The Center has conducted demonstrations and field tests of various solar technologies. In recent years, the Center has successfully won competitive grant funding from two large U.S. Department of Energy SunShot programs.

The Agreement between the Center and Koolbridge Solar is broadly to support each other's efforts. The Center will provide high-level policy, market, and technical guidance to Koolbridge on their products and strategies. The Center will also support Koolbridge's pursuit of federal and state grants and other funding opportunities wherever possible and appropriate. Koolbridge Solar values the support of the NCCETC and will actively seek funding to allow for more significant input from the Center.

"Koolbridge Solar, Inc. has a new advanced inverter, Smart Load Center, and other patented and patent-pending energy management technology designed to lower the costs of distributed photovoltaic systems and increase value by allowing for easy integration of energy storage and by allowing continued operation in case of electrical outage with the local power company." stated Stephen Burnett, Chairman and CEO of Koolbridge Solar.

Tommy Cleveland, a Professional Engineer and Renewable Energy Program Coordinator of the NCCETC, stated, "The Center is pleased to have entered into the first MOA with Koolbridge Solar in accordance with its mission to improve North Carolina and citizens' access to affordable and reliable solar energy."