California’s largest utility and rooftop solar giant Sunrun are partnering on a virtual power plant pilot to reduce local grid constraints.
Pacific Gas & Electric and Sunrun announced Monday that they are launching the Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) program. The pilot project will use customers’ home solar and storage systems to send power back to neighborhoods with congested grids during times of need.
It’s an effort designed to test whether the utility needs to invest in new generation or distribution infrastructure for those neighborhoods or whether a growing fleet of solar panels and home batteries can fill the need.
The “hyperlocalized” program will demonstrate the value of solar and storage for all ratepayers, said Christopher Rauscher, the head of grid services and virtual power plants at Sunrun.
