6 days ago
Innovative company makes energy breakthrough after connecting 75,000 home batteries: 'Customer-led energy revolution'
Solar panel and battery installation company Sunrun has connected 75,000 home batteries together as a virtual power plant to help fortify California's electrical grid.
Over 56,000 Sunrun customers with solar and energy storage systems are now part of the solution in the face of growing power outages during heat waves and other extreme weather events, according to Electrek.
CalReady is the company's program that utilizes home energy storage systems as a backup power source that can provide up to 375 megawatts to the grid when the need arises.
Not only will this help residents keep cool during heat waves, but it will also lower electricity bills and put money into the pockets of residents who volunteer to be part of the collective program.
Participants can earn up to $150 per battery for sharing their stored solar energy for no more than 35 days per year between May and October.
Peak demand is usually between 4pm and 9pm, and CalReady's grid events last no more than two hours during that time.
Solar power has been leading the way in renewable energy capacity for several years, with both solar and battery storage accounting for 84% of total capacity additions, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
In 2024, 28% of all U.S. residential solar installations were paired with a battery storage system to provide homeowners with lower utility bills, energy independence, and increased home values.
In California, however, adoption of combined systems by Sunrun customers rose to 90% that year, likely in response to increasing taxes, the report noted.
Solar power also helps reduce reliance on burning planet-polluting dirty fuels, which is part of the root cause behind heat waves and the subsequent power outages due to over-taxed electrical grids.
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Sunrun CEO Mary Powell called CalReady a "customer-led energy revolution," and added that its "decentralized nature eliminates any potential single point of failure while offering greater resilience and flexibility for the state's evolving energy needs."
Commenters were supportive of the initiative, with one sharing that it's an "Awesome step toward the Future!"
"Cool milestone," said another, adding, "The world's fifth largest economy is showing the US how to embrace clean energy."
This was quickly corrected by another commenter who shared the recent news that, "California just surpassed Japan to become the fourth largest economy."
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