The Harvest Pod leverages software and thermal energy storage to make heat pumps smarter. Harvest Pod operates the heat pump at times when when electricity is abundant, cheap, and clean, stores that clean energy in a hot water tank, and delivers it as heating and hot water whenever needed, without running the heat pump at times when grid electricity is more expensive and dirtier. Harvest Pod optimizes your energy bills per your time-of-use rate and can respond to grid events or hourly price signals via the EcoPort (CTA-2045) communication port and protocol.