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Pilot Project Case Studies
Through the Connected Communities initiative, TVA supported pilot projects that explored and tested innovative smart solutions to improve communities. These projects now serve as models others can learn from—highlighting scalable solutions, lessons learned and success models that helped communities overcome barriers and advance innovation.
Pilot Projects Summary
Download a high-level overview of the Connected Communities pilots, including a map of their locations:
Energy
The home energy management system (HEMS) platform is a free, open-source platform and mobile app connecting the local power company's electricity distribution system with residential customers through smarter home energy controls.
Guntersville Middle School in Guntersville, Alabama, is transforming its lakeside area into a sunrise-to-sunset district that provides a public education space, increased amenities for residents and guests alike and an opportunity for students to learn about innovative technologies positively affecting their community.
By implementing smart lighting and sensor technologies, Johnson City adopted strategies to save energy, improve public safety and manage parks more efficiently, which continue to enhance the community environment.
Knoxville Community Development Corporation (KCDC) is creating a housing development that produces reliable, affordable energy and provides residents with training on innovative agriculture solutions.
The Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont renovated an existing property, using regenerative architecture principles to build a natural education center that continues to expand programming to reach more students.
To improve the health and wellness of residents, Three3, Inc. implemented strategies to improve resiliency to indoor and outdoor environmental health risks, which provide lasting positive impacts on their quality of life.
Resilience
RUNWITHIT Synthetics (RWI) applied synthetic modeling to forecast the human impacts of a widespread power outage, helping the City of Nashville assess the benefits of distributed energy resource (DER) deployments and plan for the future.
The National Institute for Hometown Security is building a resilient microgrid in Ripley, Tennessee, to lower the cost of energy for local city facilities and ensure the community has reliable power during emergencies.
This DOE-funded project is developing a planning framework with a community focus that uses distributed energy resources to provide more energy resilience in the face of power outages caused by extreme weather events.
Workforce
The Cheatham County School District installed a 40kW solar array plus a battery backup system and developed a solar tech training program to prepare current and future high school students for careers in solar.
Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South is expanding the technologies available at their newly launched, state-of-the-art Wang Experiential Learning Center to provide local students with workforce education and skill attainment.
Base Camp Coding Academy in rural Mississippi expanded its successful coding languages career training program and continues to serve a broad population of non-traditional adult students.
Southwest Tennessee Community College is creating both a program that provides the community with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and a curriculum for students to learn the necessary skills for jobs related to EV charging.
To encourage STEM careers, East Tennessee PBS partnered with the University of Tennessee to create a series of short videos and related education materials, covering skilled labor and STEM-related career opportunities for K-8 students to be viewed on public television, online and in the classroom.
BLiT is expanding its program to offer more in-demand technology certification pathways for students and alumni of the Memphis Business Academy, improving students’ skills and employability in high-tech industries.
Broadband
By uniting public Wi-Fi connectivity with residential energy improvements, Orchard Knob Collaborative has created a healthier, safer and more economically vibrant community, with ongoing benefits for residents and community revitalization.
To increase public access to high-speed internet service, Pulaski Electric System Energize installed strategically placed public Wi-Fi hotspots for the people of rural Giles County, Tennessee. Increased access to Wi-Fi improves the quality of life for residents and enables the future integration of grid technologies and improvements.
By making tech upgrades at fifteen recreation centers across the City of Knoxville, the Parks & Rec Department expanded community-wide internet access, providing more digital services and opportunities to residents.
Expanding on the Connecting MHA pilot project, this phase further explores the benefits of connectivity, energy management education and a user-friendly demand response and energy monitoring platform for both residents and the utility.
By providing Wi-Fi to residents, Murfreesboro Housing Authority continues to improve the livelihood of individuals and expand access to digital services, such as telehealth, energy education and online schooling.
The Farmers Telecommunications Corporation (FTC) is equipping their new High-Tech Connect Center with fiber internet and digital literacy resources to provide community members with technology-focused training opportunities.
The Columbus Housing Authority (CHA) and Columbus Light & Water (CLW) provided digital literacy programming, connectivity to internet service and the tools residents need to successfully engage and grow in the digital space.
Nashville Public Education Foundation is launching the Connecting Families for Student Success, a program to enhance parental understanding of and involvement in their children’s academic journeys.