OTTAWA, CANADA--(MARKET WIRE)--May 19, 2008 -- Energate Inc. today announced that its Pioneer Z100 smart thermostat has earned the ZigBee® Smart Energy certification which allows seamless communication with other smart grid technology. By being ZigBee-compliant, utilities can be assured that Energate's smart thermostat is interoperable with ZigBee-enabled Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Demand Response systems, and other home energy management solutions, providing utilities great flexibility to meet their needs and the needs of their consumers.

ZigBee is a communication protocol (IEEE 802.15.4) designed for short-range wireless personal area networks (WPANs). The ZigBee Smart Energy Profile offers utility companies a global open standard for implementing secure, easy-to-use wireless home area networks for managing energy.

"As one of the first home energy management companies to receive ZigBee Smart Energy certification, Energate demonstrates its understanding of industry and consumer needs," said Dr. Robby Simpson, Cellnet+Hunt Systems Engineer, who is also a member of the ZigBee Board of Directors and chair of the Smart Energy work group that developed ZigBee Smart Energy. "Energate's contribution to the development of the ZigBee Smart Energy profile has helped to make this an industry standard with far-reaching benefits."

"Energate's contributions to the development of the ZigBee Smart Energy profile, coupled with their certification demonstrates their thought leadership position within the industry," stated Skip Ashton, Vice President of Engineering at Ember Corporation. "The team at Ember is looking forward to working with Energate to develop next generation solutions for the energy marketplace."

Building on its vast experience in the HVAC industry, the Energate team has developed home energy management solutions that balance the needs of utilities with those of consumers. Its smart thermostats integrate with Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Demand Response systems for energy management, and consumer awareness, and include features to allow for changes in rate structures, direct load control, user messaging and overrides.

For homeowners, Energate's Pioneer Z100 empowers consumers through support of overrides, the use of plain language, multi-lingual interfaces and context-sensitive help screens allowing consumers to understand and control where energy is being used, at what cost, and how it can be reduced. And once configured, Energate's advanced climate control algorithms ensure comfort is maintained consistently and efficiently.

"We're in the midst of an exciting and significant change in the industry as a growing number of utilities roll out smart grid technology. Given the range and sophistication of this technology it is critical that we help develop and embrace industry standards to ensure security and interoperability," said Jorge Deligiannis, Chief Technology Officer at Energate. "Our ZigBee certified Pioneer smart thermostat provides seamless two-way communication, allowing utilities to monitor and manage energy use while giving consumers the tools they need to improve their own energy-use practices."

ZigBee Smart Energy - Empowering Energy Efficiency Today

ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between utility companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers to manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near real-time information while having the ability to choose from a large global ecosystem of companies supplying interoperable products. It also helps utility companies implement new advanced metering and demand response programs to drive greater energy management and efficiency, while responding to changing government requirements. For more details on ZigBee Smart Energy and a list of Certified Products, please visit http://www.zigbee.org/SmartEnergy

About ZigBee

The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost-effective, low-power, wirelessly networked monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. The ZigBee Alliance is a rapidly growing, non-profit industry consortium of leading semiconductor manufacturers, technology providers, OEMs, and end-users worldwide. Membership is open to all. Additional information can be found at http://www.zigbee.org/.

About Energate

Energate's home energy management platform lets consumers and utilities manage energy use and reduce peak demand without sacrificing comfort and convenience. Building upon over 25 years of HVAC industry experience, Energate smart thermostats offer industry-leading equipment interface technology and comfort control algorithms. Founded in 2004, Energate's corporate offices are in Ottawa, Canada with sales offices in Texas and California, USA. Visit http://www.energateinc.com/

     Contacts:
     Jolita Communications for Energate
     Lisa Courtney Lloyd
     613-271-7512
     lcourtneylloyd@jolita.ca