Eleanor “Ellie” Rusling

CEO, MicroEra Power

Years in current role: 11

What sustainability initiative or environmental goal has your organization made the most progress on in the past year?

MicroEra Power is advancing development of its tunable thermal energy storage system. We currently have two installed demonstrations — one at Smith College and another in Rochester — and are eager to analyze data from these field tests to demonstrate how our system will reduce electrified HVAC costs for building owners while supporting grid resiliency and improved sustainability by avoiding expensive and carbon-intensive peak electricity.

What gives you confidence about how Rochester businesses and institutions are addressing environmental challenges?

Rochester is a community dedicated to environmental stewardship, benefiting from clean air, healthy soil and fresh water. This commitment is supported by local institutions like RIT, University of Rochester and MCC, which graduate students eager to apply their skills to address environmental issues. MicroEra Power employs talented students with a genuine desire to contribute to a sustainable future as we develop and deploy an energy storage technology critical to supporting current and future energy needs, with homegrown technology using materials produced right here in Western New York.

What area do you think needs more attention or collaboration to strengthen Rochester’s environmental future?

Buildings consume 40% of all energy, and half of that is for meeting thermal loads — heating, cooling and domestic hot water. Electrification of heating and cooling is a key for a healthy future. MicroEra Power’s Thermal Energy Storage system makes electrification affordable by shifting heating and cooling loads to lower-cost off-peak electricity and downsizing HVAC equipment. Accelerating adoption in commercial and institutional buildings requires collaboration among building owners, utilities (like RG&E), cleantech innovators (MicroEra Power), city/state agencies (NYSERDA, Empire State Development) and government (local and state) to strengthen Rochester’s environmental future via Demonstration Projects; Funding Small Business Innovation; and Innovative Project Financing resources.

What advice would you offer to individuals or organizations that want to start making a measurable environmental difference?

Three thoughts: First, engage with local groups aligned with your environmental concerns — attend their meetings and be an advocate. Two of my favorites are Genesee Land Trust and Blocks in Bloom. Second, use your private spaces thoughtfully — select native plants for your yard, no-mow May in the spring, and leave-the-leaves in the fall. Register your efforts on the online map for the Homegrown National Park! Third, plant monarch feeding stations in your yard or common neighborhood areas with native milkweeds to support the Monarch Butterfly in its final fight for survival, and get children out in nature to play and explore. People protect what they love, and we need to foster in the next generation a passion for environmental stewardship.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy the natural beauty of the Rochester area?

I like to bicycle or walk in Rochester’s many beautiful parks. Visiting the Genesee Waterways Center in Genesee Valley Park, at the convergence of the beautiful Genesee River and Erie Canal, is always fun for renting a canoe or kayak to get out on the water. Nature is all around us — by making a small effort to explore Rochester’s natural areas, we are generously rewarded by the bounty and beauty of nature. When not at work, I’m an avid habitat gardener and value the life the native plants and natural processes bring to the garden.