SmartCocoon’s clean climate control system for residential homes launches on FrontFundr

August 31, 2023 · 0 Comments

Many homeowners have struggled with uneven heating and cooling distribution in the home, causing some to wear extra clothing to stay warm or rack up energy bills trying to change the temperature of a particular room.

“We have people saying that they’re wearing sweaters in the middle of July in their basement, because they’re over cooling just to get comfortable upstairs. So, we solve those hot and cold rooms,” said Andrew Bowen, CEO of SmartCocoon, a smart HVAC airflow management solution company.

On August 17, SmartCocoon held a launch event to bring awareness to their heating and cooling product and announce their crowdfunding launch through FrontFundr, a Canadian crowd equity funding company.

The event was held at Home Hardware in Aurora, the hometown of some of the company’s employees and one of SmartCocoon’s key retailers.

“We also believe that change starts at the community level. It starts at the grassroots, where you tell people what’s going on,” said Bowen

As a solution to uneven heating and cooling distribution throughout the home, Bowen said the SmartCocoon system saves 30 per cent of home energy costs, which adds to about $50 a month saved, because homeowners no longer need to crank up their HVAC system just to change the temperature for one room.

So far, around 11,000 units have been sold.

“Our whole mission is to create comfort and energy efficiency. So, making those hot and cold rooms now comfortable, and at the same time saving you energy. We’re just really putting the heating and cooling where you need it and where you want it. It saves you money and it’s much better for the environment—it’s a no brainer decision,” Bowen said.

Mayor Tom Mrakas expressed his excitement for the SmartCocoon launch and said it aligns with the Town’s goal to look at reducing their carbon footprint.

“We’re looking at continuously improving the environment with innovative ideas and products,” he said. “Having a product like this that residents can utilize in their homes is phenomenal… I’m extremely proud. And I think this is going to be an exciting product for the environment.”

SmartCocoon originally began in the smart home market in 2021 where they quickly realized one issue that all homes faced—having rooms that were different temperatures.

Typically, rooms located on the second or third floor, or just above the garage, would be too hot or too cold compared to the rest of the house, and most homes have HVAC systems that rely on one central blower in the basement, causing uneven heating and cooling distribution throughout the house.

Bowen said their “aha” moment came when looking at another everyday system in the house: lighting.

The team saw that homeowners controlled the light in their home using multiple light switches for each room rather than one central light source. They then asked why heating and cooling, another essential aspect of a home’s comfortability, relied on a central HVAC system.

Utilizing a central HVAC system causes uneven temperature but it was also a waste of energy, he noted. For example, lowering the thermostat to make a bedroom cool enough to sleep at night would also turn down the temperature of the entire house, including the basement and main floor.

HVAC systems have not had innovation for over 100 years, yet there are 64 million homes in North America alone that have heating and cooling issues, Bowen said. He added that today’s current climate change context further calls for technological innovation to make things more efficient.

To solve the issue, SmartCoCoon Smart (wifi) Booster Fans redirect airflow to areas and rooms where it’s too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. Booster fans can be purchased for $149, installed only in problem areas, and works with smart thermostats and conventional thermostats.

In the future, SmartCocoon hopes to popularize free heating and cooling in order to further increase energy savings. The concept moves cooler air, such as from the basement, to another room without turning on the AC.

“And that is where the real magic happens because now your energy savings is exponentially higher than today. So, you can imagine other uses of this as we integrate with smart homes,” Bowen said.

As a call for support, SmartCocoon invited people to invest as little as $200 through FrontFundr to make the company better and invest in their vision for comfort and sustainability.

“But this vision can’t happen without your help. And that’s why we’re launching on FrontFundr,” Bowen said. “We’re really excited about where the company is going, and the future difference we can make here at SmartCocoon.”

By Elisa Nguyen