With Great Power How millions of small shifts make gigawatts of energy capacity
Feb 17, 2026
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home and former Google/Nest product manager who led research on smart thermostats, discusses how aggregated thermostat shifts can unlock gigawatts of capacity. He explains the study design and randomized trials. He covers regional results, the economics of virtual power plants, and how thermostats can be a gateway to broader home energy resources.
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Product Journey From Google To Nest
- Ben described joining Google, working on energy products, and integrating Nest after acquisition to help users see and manage energy use.
- That product work led to millions of smart thermostats installed nationwide and set the stage for Renew Home.
Control Drives Higher Program Adoption
- Renew evolved Nest's Rush Hour Rewards to give customers control instead of blunt remote switch-offs.
- That control increased adoption because customers could opt out and keep comfort while still participating.
Five Gigawatts Of Built Capacity
- Renew determined five gigawatts of shiftable capacity exists in their aggregated smart-thermostat fleet today.
- They ran experiments to show that built, distributed capacity can be activated for grid needs now.