By
David Tuft
SAN JOSE, CA, USA, Friday, October 28, 2022 – Harvest Thermal Inc., the award-winning manufacturer of a groundbreaking heating and hot water system, won the Climate Tech prize at the VERGE 2022 Accelerate competition yesterday. The “fast pitch” competition featured entrepreneurs with innovative technologies, products and services in carbon, energy, food, transportation, or buildings pitching in successive rounds with a final pitch on the event’s main stage.
“I was overjoyed to walk away with the competition’s top prize,” said CEO and co-founder, Dr. Jane Melia. “With the IRA just around the corner, consumers are already looking for home decarbonization solutions that are not just good for the planet, but also are affordable and comfortable. This recognition gives us another chance to tell that story.”
The Harvest Thermal system slashes carbon emissions from home heating and hot water by 90% compared to gas equipment and saves up to 45% on monthly heating bills. The system uniquely uses a single, ultra-efficient heat pump and shifts the time when it operates to midday when electricity is clean, cheap, and abundant. These capabilities mean the heat and hot water system lowers both emissions and bills, even when compared to standard heat pump systems.
The Harvest Pod, the brains of the system, uses machine learning-generated algorithms and advanced controls to optimize the system’s performance. It “learns” homeowners’ demand for heat and hot water and incorporates predictions of weather and energy needs for optimum performance.
Harvest Thermal will receive $10,000 in funding from GreenBiz and the opportunity to pitch to the GreenBiz Executive Network.
Earlier this month, Dr. Melia was named 100 Women of Influence by Entrepreneur Magazine in its October issue.