News
NEWS | May 22, 2026
Koolbridge Energy Named 2026 Coastal Entrepreneur Of The Year
Koolbridge Energy took home the title of Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year on Thursday at an awards ceremony recognizing the work, success and stories of local companies and founders.
The Wrightsville Beach-based company’s flagship product, the Smart Load Center, is an energy management system designed to seamlessly navigate power sources based on times of day, battery state, weather or other factors. The product was designed as a solution to extended power outages in the aftermath of hurricanes.
“They looked at challenges most people simply accept — rising energy costs, grid instability, outages and inefficient power management — and instead asked a simple but powerful question,” said Michael Braddock, chief business officer of Frontier Scientific Solutions, which won the overall award last year. “Why does the electrical panel still work the same way it did decades ago?”
NEWS | May 21, 2026
Koolbridge Energy Named 2026 Manufacturing & Distribution Winner at Coastal Entrepreneur Awards
Koolbridge Energy has been named the 2026 Manufacturing & Distribution winner at the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards, recognizing the company’s progress in bringing advanced energy technology into production and preparing for national growth.
Presented by UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Greater Wilmington Business Journal, the awards celebrate companies across the Cape Fear region that are driving innovation, creating economic impact, and building for long-term success.
Koolbridge Energy was recognized for developing the SMART LOAD CENTER™, a next-generation electrical panel designed to help manage solar, battery, grid, and generator power in one system. Manufactured in Wilmington, the product is positioned to support growing demand from installers and energy professionals nationwide.
“This recognition reflects the work behind the scenes that often goes unnoticed,” said Bill Griffin, President and CEO of Koolbridge Energy. “It’s one thing to develop new technology. It’s another to build it, support it, and prepare it for the market in a way our installation partners can rely on.”
The SMART LOAD CENTER™ allows multiple power sources to operate simultaneously while being managed independently at the circuit level, giving installers and homeowners greater control, flexibility, and efficiency.
Koolbridge Energy will be honored at the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards ceremony on May 21, 2026, at Burney Center.
Learn more about the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards on the organizers’ website.
EVENT | April 2026
2026 STATE ENERGY CONFERENCE of North Carolina
Raleigh, NC | April 28-20 2026
Koolbridge Energy is excited to announce that we will be attending the State Energy Conference of North Carolina.
Visit us at Booth #16 to meet the team and learn how next-generation energy management is helping improve efficiency, increase comfort, and lower energy costs across a wide range of installations.
We look forward to connecting with industry professionals, discussing smarter panel solutions, and sharing our perspective on what’s next for energy management.
If you’re attending the conference, we invite you to stop by and say hello.
Learn more about the event: ncenergyconference
EVENT | April 2026
Koolbridge Energy Attended the Zonna Solar Conference
Berlin, OH | April 21-22 2026
Koolbridge Energy was proud to attend the recent Zonna Solar Conference and connect with leaders across the solar industry.
The event provided a valuable opportunity to meet with installers, hear the latest industry updates, and discuss the growing demand for smarter energy management solutions.
During the conference, Koolbridge presented the Smart Load Center™, demonstrating how the patent-protected panel intelligently manages solar, battery, and grid power within one system while automatically prioritizing the best available energy source.
We appreciate everyone who attended our session and stopped by to learn more about the future of intelligent power management.
Sep 4, 2025
Local Company Set To Unveil Tech At Event Next Week
Koolbridge Energy is scheduled to reveal its new Smart Load Center intelligent breaker technology at the RE+ 2025 clean energy event in Las Vegas next week.
Recently rebranded from Koolbridge Solar Inc., Koolbridge Energy is a Wrightsville Beach-based company that designs electrical products. The products aim to make it simpler for homeowners to use renewable energy.
Aug 6, 2025
Koolbridge Energy to bring new Smart Load Center to RE+ 2025
Koolbridge Energy will unveil its Smart Load Center at the RE+ tradeshow next month. This advanced intelligent breaker panel is designed to help homeowners, installers, electricians and energy professionals manage and optimize multiple energy sources — including grid, solar, battery and generator — on a circuit-by-circuit basis.
The Smart Load Center can simultaneously control two incoming energy sources, while providing real-time switching and circuit-level prioritization. This functionality makes it ideal for homes powered by solar and battery storage, as well as other distributed energy resources (DERs).
Live demonstrations will be available throughout the RE+ tradeshow at Booth V2091.
Sep 4, 2025
Koolbridge Energy Receives Strong Market Validation at RE+ 2025
Las Vegas, NV | September 8–11, 2025
Wrightsville Beach, NC — Koolbridge Energy returned from RE+ 2025 in Las Vegas energized by the overwhelmingly positive response to its UL-certified SMART LOAD CENTER™, the only residential breaker panel with patented dual-bus architecture and true circuit-level intelligence.
The company showcased both its 125-amp and 200-amp models through live demonstrations. Attendees were especially drawn to the technology’s ability to manage two incoming energy sources simultaneously—such as grid and solar, or solar and battery. This capability sparked strong interest from solar installers, manufacturers, and clean energy professionals.
