Are you the owner or manager of a multi-family property?
If so, we want to connect with you.
Mosaic Power’s Water Heater Efficiency Network (WHEN) connects the electric water heaters in your properties through a secure cellular connection with our office in Frederick, Maryland. We install a small load controller and disconnect box on the electric line running to water heaters without actually touching the water heater itself. This installation takes just 30 minutes for each water heater and will generate new revenue for your properties.
What do I need to Connect?
WHEN to Connect? Today!
Today Mosaic Power is reaching out to connect to owners and managers of multi-family properties across the country to provide leading-edge energy storage services using our flexible water heater network.
FAQs for Multi-Family Property Owners
Do you affect water heater warranties or reduce the life of water heaters?
Absolutely not. Mosaic Power’s WHEN utilizes load controllers which are self-contained units installed on the electric line running to each water heater without touching the water heater itself or affecting the life of its internal mechanics. Our WHEN simply micromanages the flow of electricity to each water heater’s resistive elements which were designed for exactly that purpose. Our WHEN operates entirely within the water heater manufacturer’s definition of “normal use” of each water heater.
Do you need tenant approval?
Mosaic Power works directly with the property manager and the property owner with no need to receive tenant approval. We negotiate and sign contracts with the owner of the water heaters within each multi-family property. Of course, tenants have the ability to opt-out of our connection by working with their property manager to let us know of their opt-out if, for whatever reason, they would like to drop out of our program.
How does Mosaic make money?
Mosaic Power currently participates in the Frequency Regulation Market that is run on the PJM electric grid. We bid, along with other business, the minute-by-minute power use of WHEN to help make the entire grid cleaner and more reliable. We are paid by PJM every month and we pass along a reliable rebate check to property owners at the end of every quarter. While we are currently researching additional energy storage services that we can offer utilities and electric grids across the country, our current operation is within the Frequency Regulation Market in PJM’s electric grid.
How long are your contracts?
Our contracts are written to be one year agreements which renew automatically at the end of each year. This allows us to bring your water heaters into WHEN and for you to receive your steady rebate payment. At the end of the first year, the contract automatically renews without the need for any additional signatures or review.
How long do installations take?
Mosaic Power uses licensed electricians to install our load controllers and has an experienced installation supervisor for each of our installations. The average installation takes 20 – 30 minutes per water heater and a 100-unit property could easily be completed in a regular five-day week. Of course, we can speed up the installation time by using multiple, supervised, “teams” of electricians which quicken the pace of installations.
How long will a water heater be “off”?
Mosaic Power knows that our community energy storage service only works if tenants are happy and if property managers & owners want to participate. In fact, this “invisibility” to tenants is the only way that we’re able to operate and stay in businesses. We put a high value on participant happiness by making sure there’s hot water available for tenant use at all times. In fact, we make sure each water heater is “fully hot” every one to three hours, depending on how well the electricity usage matches the size of the water heater. We also make sure each water heater turns is able to turn on at least once every twenty to thirty minutes. The specific frequency and length of our shifting depends on the specific signal we have from the electric grid and the specific usage pattern of each water heater.
If I replace my water heaters, do I need to use the same model?
WHEN is compatible with a wide range of electric water heaters. As long as the new water heaters you select for your property are compatible with our systems, there is no need to use the same model. Our systems are compatible with any water heater that is electric, 30-80 gallon, and uses two heating elements while being free of smart, heat pump, and demand response / peak shaving components.
If Mosaic doesn’t cut water heater’s electricity use, then how do you claim you cut carbon pollution?
Mosaic does not affect the total amount of electricity used by each water heater. Instead, we shift when electricity is used to time that use, by the minute, with the needs of the electric grid. By utilizing WHEN’s services, electric grids can reduce the need for expensive and polluting peaking power plants by meeting their needs with the energy storage potential of water heaters. On PJM’s electric grid, WHEN uses the shifting of water heater electricity use to displace natural gas and other fossil fuels in PJM’s Frequency Regulation Market.
What happens if a tenant moves out?
Mosaic Power monitors the electricity use of each water heater participating in WHEN to ensure that our operation is in line with each tenant’s usage patterns. If a unit becomes vacant, we will see an immediate and significant drop in the usage pattern of each water heater and we will make an appropriate change in our database for that water heater. WHEN will automatically notice an increase in usage once the unit becomes occupied again and we will adjust the usage pattern of that individual heater so our operation matches the pattern of the new tenant.
What happens if the power goes out?
Power outages do not affect the operation of Mosaic Power’s load controllers. In the event of a power outage, our load controllers are simply reset and resume operation once the power is restored.
What if I want to disconnect my property’s water heaters from WHEN?
All you need to do to disconnect your water heater is to call our support line at 855-566-7693 and we can schedule your disconnect. There will be no fees to you for disconnecting – Mosaic even covers the complete cost of disconnecting your water heaters – all that Mosaic asks is that you allow our staff to access your water heater so we can recover our equipment. After the disconnection is complete, your water heater will operate normally to heat water based only on your tenants’ heating needs.
What if my tenants’ water use changes?
Mosaic is monitoring electricity use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WHEN categorizes water heaters based electricity usage patterns to operate each water heater based on its usage pattern. We look for electricity use changes, and adapt quickly to your needs. All this means that we adapt as usage patterns change to ensure our shifting is in line with tenant electricity usage to maintain hot water at all times.
What kind of “data” do you gather on tenants?
Mosaic Power develops an individual profile for every water heater in WHEN that is solely made of how much and when electricity each individual water heater uses. Through this electricity use data, we create an individual profile of each water heater. We use this profile to model our operation of each water heater through predictive analytics to ensure that we’re maintaining plenty of hot water for tenant use. The electricity use information is the only data we gather and we do not share any data that can identify individual water heaters outside of our company.
Where will the equipment be placed and can my maintenance staff work on the water heaters?
Mosaic Power’s load controllers are installed by licensed electricians on the electric line running to each water heater without touching the water heater itself. Your maintenance staff can still do any and all regular maintenance to the water heater, even replacing the water heater with a similar model, without touching our equipment.
Who actually installs Mosaic’s equipment?
Mosaic Power uses licensed electricians to install our equipment on the electric line running to each water heater. These licensed electricians are accompanied on-site by one or more of our installation supervisors for every installation. During the installation scheduling conversation, Mosaic’s Operations Manager coordinates with your Property Manager to select an electrician. There is no specific company which performs all of Mosaic’s installations and, as long as the electrician is licensed, we are flexible as to the specific electrician chosen.
Who does Mosaic pay and how much?
Mosaic issues reliable quarterly payments that are specific to the location of your multi-family property. Mosaic pays the complete cost of producing, installing, and maintaining our equipment. Contact Mosaic today to learn what you can earn by connecting!
Will my tenants or customers experience cold water?
WHEN operates too quickly for your tenants to lose their hot water. We shift each water heater’s electricity use by the minute and second to match both the needs of the electric grid and the usage pattern of your tenants. We also develop and use an individual profile for every connected water heater which uses predictive analytics to ensure that our operation matches the electricity usage pattern of each water heater.
If, though, there is any equipment malfunction, we operate a 24 hours a day, 7 day a week support line to address any issues that arise. We remotely diagnose issues and often resolve any reported issues over the phone on the first phone call. If an issue calls for on site repair, then we cover the full cost of sending an electrician to your property to resolve the issue. In more than 99% of the water heaters which make up WHEN, we are invisible to the tenant, but we quickly respond to and address any cold water issues that arise to restore hot water.