The Smart Way to Store Energy at Home
Harvest Thermal has developed a breakthrough in home energy management: a thermal battery that integrates directly with your heat pump system. Instead of relying on expensive lithium-ion batteries to store electricity, the Harvest Thermal Battery stores energy as heat in a large, insulated hot water tank — a far more affordable and efficient approach to home energy storage.
The system works by running your heat pump during off-peak electricity hours, when rates are lowest, to heat a large water tank to high temperatures. That stored thermal energy is then used throughout the day for space heating, domestic hot water, and even to assist with cooling — all without drawing expensive electricity during peak rate periods. The result is significant savings on your monthly utility bills.
As an authorized Harvest Thermal installer, Allison Air Comfort Solutions provides expert design, installation, and configuration of the complete Harvest system. We ensure seamless integration with your existing or new heat pump, optimize the system for your home’s specific needs, and set up the intelligent controls that maximize your energy savings from day one.
Why Choose Harvest Thermal?
Savings
Lower Your Electricity Bills
Smart Controls
Intelligent Energy Management
Harvest’s cloud-connected controller automatically learns your utility rate schedule, weather forecasts, and household usage patterns. It decides exactly when to charge and discharge the thermal battery for maximum savings — no manual intervention required. You simply set your comfort preferences and let the system optimize everything else.
Integration
Seamless Heat Pump Integration
Clean Energy
Supports a Cleaner Grid
Hot Water
Domestic Hot Water Included
Reliability
Simple, Proven Technology
How the Harvest System Works
Step 1 — Charge During Off-Peak Hours
- Heat pump runs during cheapest electricity hours
- Water tank heated to optimal storage temperature
- Heavily insulated tank retains heat for hours
- Automatic scheduling based on your utility rate plan
- Weather-aware forecasting optimizes charge level
Step 2 — Discharge During Peak Hours
- Stored heat provides space heating without running the heat pump
- Domestic hot water supplied from the thermal battery
- Heat pump stays off or runs minimally during peak rates
- Seamless comfort with no interruption to your routine
- Real-time monitoring via the Harvest app
Step 3 — Cooling & Year-Round Optimization
- Pre-cooling strategy shifts AC load to off-peak hours
- Year-round optimization for heating, cooling, and hot water
- Continuous learning adapts to your household's patterns
- Over-the-air updates add new features and improvements
- Compatible with solar PV for even greater savings
Benefits of Thermal Energy Storage
The Harvest Thermal Battery represents a fundamentally different approach to home energy storage. Instead of storing electricity in chemical batteries, it stores energy as heat — a method that is more affordable, more durable, and perfectly suited for HVAC and hot water applications.
Key Benefits for Homeowners
- Time-of-use rate optimization: Automatically shifts energy consumption to the cheapest hours, saving 40–60% on heating and hot water costs
- No capacity degradation: Unlike lithium-ion batteries that lose capacity over time, a hot water tank maintains its storage capacity indefinitely
- No capacity degradation: Unlike lithium-ion batteries that lose capacity over time, a hot water tank maintains its storage capacity indefinitely
- Domestic hot water included: Replaces your existing water heater, providing abundant hot water as part of the system
- Grid-friendly operation: Reduces peak demand on the electrical grid, supporting grid stability and cleaner energy generation
- Solar synergy: Pairs perfectly with rooftop solar panels — store excess solar energy as heat during the day, use it at night
- Rebate eligible: Qualifies for federal tax credits, TECH Clean California incentives, and Bay Area utility rebates
- Smart and connected: Cloud-based controller with app monitoring, automatic rate optimization, and over-the-air software updates
Harvest Thermal System Comparison
|
Feature
|
Harvest Thermal Battery
|
Lithium-Ion Battery (e.g., Powerwall)
|
Standard Heat Pump (No Storage)
|
Gas Furnace + Tank Water Heater
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Energy Storage Type
|
Thermal (hot water)
|
Electrochemical (lithium-ion)
|
None
|
None
|
|
Time-of-Use Optimization
|
Yes — automatic
|
Yes — automatic
|
No
|
No
|
|
Space Heating
|
Yes — from stored heat
|
Indirect (powers heat pump)
|
Yes — real-time only
|
Yes — gas combustion
|
|
Domestic Hot Water
|
Yes — integrated
|
No — separate heater needed
|
No — separate heater needed
|
Yes — separate gas tank
|
|
Cooling Support
|
Yes — pre-cooling strategy
|
Yes — powers AC
|
Yes — real-time only
|
Separate AC required
|
|
Capacity Degradation
|
None
|
Loses ~2–3% per year
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Estimated Bill Savings
|
40–60% on heating & hot water
|
20–40% on total electricity
|
Baseline
|
Higher gas & electric costs
|
|
Smart Controls
|
Cloud-connected, app, auto-scheduling
|
App-based monitoring
|
kumo cloud
|
Standard thermostat
|
|
Best For
|
TOU rate optimization, whole-home comfort
|
Whole-home backup power
|
Basic heating & cooling
|
Legacy systems
|
Professionally Installed by Allison Air
The Harvest Thermal Battery is a sophisticated system that requires expert installation and configuration to deliver its full potential. Allison Air Comfort Solutions provides complete turnkey installation, including system design, equipment placement, heat pump integration, plumbing connections, electrical work, and commissioning of the smart controls.
Our team works directly with Harvest Thermal’s engineering support to ensure every installation meets their specifications and is optimized for your home’s layout, insulation, ductwork, and local utility rate schedule. After installation, we walk you through the Harvest app, verify system performance, and provide ongoing maintenance support.
