BOULDER, Colo. — This unprecedented year has reminded us how dependent we are on electricity. We need a reliable source to work and learn from home in the pandemic. And we need it when we don't have it in emergencies, like tornadoes and wildfires.
You're in good company this week with Hygge Power and their smart device for energy storage.
"Hygge is a Danish word, and it stands for coziness comfort," says Hygge Power founder and CEO Caleb Scalf.
Take comfort knowing the power is literally in your hands.
Scalf's Boulder-based startup is designing a portable, at-home smart device for energy storage and usage as you need it.
"I wanted to provide reliable, affordable energy storage to everyone," Scalf said. "Not just to people who can afford a Tesla."
Their premier device, the OPO Hub, looks like a piece of home decor that sits on a table.
It plugs into a regular wall outlet and can service entire rooms.
"The OPO Hub can automatically charge and discharge multiple times throughout the day," Scalf said. "(It) saves people money. They can have clean energy, and when all else fails outside of your home, your apartment, the backup power will boot up and give you power for that station."
It's intelligent enough to detect when to store clean energy from the wind or sun, and when to disperse that energy over higher-cost utility hours.
And, you can control each device connected to it from an app on your smartphone.
"In a way, we've created the Nest Thermostat of energy storage," Scalf said.
And people can use it in normal times.
"(You can) control the outlets on and off," Scalf said. "You can turn the light on."
And, in emergencies.
"It's going to keep your WiFi router up. You'll have internet. It'll power your phone a lot of times over and over."
Scalf said it will give people a safety net of electricity, and ultimately a much more resilient power grid.
"We're improving on the technology. We made it wicked smart. And essentially useful, not just for backup power. Putting that control in people's hands," he said.
Hygge Power's OPO Hub should be available by the end of 2021.
They hope to offer it with the help of rebates from power companies.
If you'd like to learn more about Hygge Power and other companies featured in our newscast, download Denver7 to your Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or Android device and look for the "In Good Company" section.