In 2024, Budderfly has been working on an exciting new project. We have partnered with Connecticut Innovation’s Governor’s Lab to pilot a program that will help the state’s buildings become more sustainable and efficient, reduce strain on the energy grid, and improve air quality. The initiative is part of Connecticut’s goal to achieve a zero-carbon electric supply by 2040. 

The 12-month pilot is taking place in Farmington, CT at UConn Health’s Child Care Center building. Budderfly is implementing a suite of energy-saving solutions at the building, overseeing the installation and management of new equipment across the facility.  

When we first looked at the building, the building was 34 years old, 4,500 square feet, and had around 24 tons of electric/natural gas packaged rooftop heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units. Budderfly’s mission is to update the building’s aging HVAC system, as well as other equipment that is less efficient than the latest technologies. 

As part of the program, we are: 

• Replacing the traditional electric-only hot water heater with heat pump hot water heater 
• Installing new insulation on the roof and under the floor 
• Integrating our Ultra-High Performance HVACs 
• Converting fluorescent lighting to LED to meet current CT dept. of health requirements for lighting levels in daycare centers 
• Installing individual climate controls for each room 
• Conducting structural analysis to confirm rooftop loading

The pilot program is a key part of Governor Ned Lamont’s strategy to help lower pressure on the Connecticut grid and ease energy costs across the state. In September, the governor held a press conference with Connecticut Innovations and Budderfly CEO Al Subbloie at UConn to talk about energy and how Budderfly’s innovative solutions are reducing waste.  

“What Budderfly is doing is reducing demand and when you reduce demand not only is that a kilowatt-hour that is not polluting, it’s also less peak demand – it brings down price for everybody,” Lamont said. 

“I am so proud of being part of this project. They want to reduce the cost of government. This project is going to do that,” said Connecticut Innovations CEO Matt McCooe. 

Rising energy costs and demand have become a serious concern across the U.S. and politicians are facing calls to solve the issue. In Gov. Lamont’s press conference, he wanted to address higher-than-expected summer electric bills that outraged many ratepayers and to show how the government is working to help alleviate the energy demand that directly links to higher pricing.  

The press conference made the news in Connecticut, and Budderfly was featured as a key  strategic partner in helping address these issues in an innovative, cost-effective way. 

Budderfly’s CEO Subbloie was interviewed, and he explained the impact of installing high efficiency equipment: “When you do the math on what is available to replace these with, if you’re gonna spend a little more money to buy it, you can cut the cost down by 30%, 40%, 50% in energy use.” 

Watch the news story below: 

This project is a huge step in helping Connecticut address energy problems that are being faced by the whole country and demonstrate leadership that can be replicated across the U.S. 

“In addition to achieving our broader carbon reduction goals, the successful execution of this pilot will lead the way to the creation of new sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy jobs across the state while deepening our commitment to addressing the climate crisis,” said Governor Lamont when announcing the program in February. 

“One of the best parts about this pilot is that we’re able to launch it using technology developed by a company headquartered here in Connecticut.” 

You can learn more about the story below: 

• NBC Connecticut: UConn Child Care Center partners with Shelton company for energy efficiency 
• Hartford Business Journal: Shelton’s Budderfly, UConn Health partner to reduce carbon footprint, energy costs 
• Mirage News: Lamont Initiates UConn Program for Carbon Reduction, Energy Savings 
• WPRI: Gov. Lamont touts UConn Health’s energy efficiency  
• UCONN Today: Governor Lamont Visits UConn Health to Celebrate Connecticut’s Innovative Collaborations Reducing the State’s Carbon Footprint  
• WTNH-TV: Gov. Lamont touts UConn Health’s energy efficiency