ROOT, a collaborative business innovation center in downtown Frederick, is home to the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITCI), the Center for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST), and Hood College’s Martha E. Church Center for Community & Civic Engagement. GOEFER operates out of FITCI’s incubator in ROOT.
“This kind of collaboration is exactly what we were hoping to see take place inside ROOT,” said County Executive Jan Gardner. “Our tenants are supporting each other as they test innovative and cutting-edge technology.”
As part of the pilot, 30 offices and 11 common areas in ROOT’s historic three-story building were outfitted with GOEFER’s Advanced Powerstrips, which communicate wirelessly. Users can monitor plugged-in devices and track their progress through a customized dashboard on GOEFER’s app. This five-week pilot program will provide the startup company with 780-million specific data points to support product development.
GOEFER’s customers range from managers of large buildings with hundreds of employees to individual home owners. “We always hear about scaling up and plugging into a city’s grand skyscraper skyline,” says Michael Herod, co-founder of GOEFER. “This pilot program is about tuning in to the millions of small businesses who want to be good stewards of their resources and giving them the same level of comprehension and control as a much larger corporation.”
Over the next few weeks, GOEFER will process data and complete a customized dashboard. Results will show tenants how to fine-tune usage schedules and reveal which specific electronic devices have the highest draw. Advanced Powerstrips can then be programmed to completely power down select machines at off hours. Findings can also help users uncover how a certain brand or model compares to a similar piece of equipment, which is helpful in informing future purchases.
