Colorado-based Tendril makes technology that helps consumers and power companies connect with the growing array of “smart things,” which includes EVs.

BMW and Tendril announced this week that they are partnering to build a demonstration smart energy home in Mountain View, California, to prepare for the roll-out and integration of the new BMW ActiveE. Colorado-based Tendril makes technology that helps consumers and power companies connect with the growing array of “smart things,” which includes EVs.

BMW’s smart energy home will include programmable thermostats, a solar panel installation and smart appliances, all centrally managed by Tendril’s cloud-based energy management platform, Tendril Connect. A battery charging station will help manage the intermittent energy produced by the solar panels and mitigate the home’s impact during times of peak electricity demand.

“Tendril’s cloud platform allows us to control the EV charging process in conjunction with a smart energy home environment and adds a simple, yet powerful consumer energy management application in Tendril Energize,” said BMW’s Dirk Rossberg. “It allows us to bring the connected vehicle together with the Smart Grid. Our goal is to ensure that the BMW ActiveE is a good ‘grid citizen’ in 2012 and beyond.”

Image: BMW