As data centers strain the power grid, utilities are scrambling to build new power plants. But a startup in California is one of a handful focusing on the problem from a different angle: building a network of batteries and solar panels at homes to relieve pressure on the grid more quickly.
In some cases, thanks to state funding, low-income homeowners can get the systems installed at no cost, and then start saving on their electric bills and have access to backup power if the grid goes down. Others pay a subscription that’s lower than their previous electric bill. Then the startup, called Haven Energy, manages the flow of power back to the grid.
“We own and operate all the batteries,” says Haven CEO Vinnie Campo. (The company focuses on batteries, but also installs and owns connected rooftop solar panels at some homes.) “We’re then able to provide to the utility a fixed dispatch or fixed capacity from those batteries. They can almost think of it as building a mini power plant exactly where they need it.”
Haven works with utilities to identify spots in the grid that need help—substations that are overloaded, or feeder lines that are constrained—and then partners with the utility to find homeowners in those areas who are interested in installing new equipment at their homes.
Recent Comments