Sunnova Vitality Worldwide Inc., an adaptive vitality providers firm, introduced continued investments and enlargement to its digital energy plant (VPP) community, offering elevated reliability, decreased emissions, and decrease prices.
With its VPP investments, Sunnova is boosting accessibility in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Texas to allow clients to quickly entry saved battery energy in periods of peak demand—and in some circumstances ship extra energy again to {the electrical} grid—decreasing pressure on the grid and minimizing blackouts.
The facility produced by Sunnova’s rooftop photo voltaic and battery storage clients helps offset the necessity for utilities to make use of conventional energy vegetation throughout peak demand intervals. In return for his or her demand battery response and contribution, clients are compensated for the facility equipped by their batteries in most applications.
“We’re revolutionizing the position of photo voltaic and storage whereas placing a reimbursement into our clients’ pockets—and the response has been overwhelming,” William J. (John) Berger, Sunnova’s CEO, mentioned in an announcement issued on April 3. “Our buyer base of greater than 419,000 includes an estimated 1 gigawatt-hour of storage capability, and this huge clear energy supply will go a good distance in supporting struggling grids, decarbonizing our vitality techniques, and compensating taking part clients—making a win-win-win for everybody concerned. The way forward for house vitality providers is right here.”
One latest instance of Sunnova’s VPP management is demonstrated by means of the LUMA Battery Emergency Demand Response Program (BEDRP) in Puerto Rico. Because the main residential photo voltaic and battery storage providers firm in Puerto Rico, Sunnova presently manages greater than 1,000 enrolled clients, the place capability of roughly 10 megawatt-hours is supplied to complement LUMA’s resilience towards outages. By voluntarily taking part in this system by means of the Sunnova Flex Energy Program, Sunnova clients play an energetic position in bolstering the grid and supporting a dependable energy provide for Puerto Ricans.
“Electrical energy demand is being pushed to report ranges and the facility grid just isn’t prepared—however VPPs can supply essential assist,” mentioned Berger. “We see VPPs as insurance coverage for the grid, as they’re prepared now to offer energy in instances of want and deal with the upcoming challenges forward of a constrained electrical system. We’re proud to be increasing our VPP service to assist clients fight the skyrocketing worth of electrical energy and shore up the grid in instances of want.”
When the grid is beneath stress, Sunnova receives LUMA’s sign and discharges enrolled battery storage through the Sunnova Sentient platform, decreasing grid demand, minimizing blackouts, and retaining the facility on. As of March 2024, this Sunnova VPP has helped forestall 5 grid outages that might have probably impacted a number of hundred thousand properties on the island. The corporate’s VPP has additionally been used to offer further reserve to the grid in moments when era has been operating under beneficial reserves. Right now’s announcement highlights how this success might be replicated throughout the nation.
“Our buyer base is quickly increasing, and we’re at a pivotal second in enrolling clients into VPPs,” mentioned Michael Grasso, Sunnova’s Chief Income Officer. “This comes at a time when vitality storage is more and more changing into mainstream, and the supply of grid providers by means of our VPP is changing into an on a regular basis exercise. Sunnova is proud to be on the tip of the spear relating to these revolutionary VPP applications, and we’re proud to not solely assist our clients however to assist enhance the general resilience of our nation’s vitality grids.”
Underneath immediately’s announcement, Sunnova has expanded its operational VPP choices to a number of applications nationwide, together with:
California. Energy Grid Shield and Emergency Load Discount Program
New York. Battery Reward incentive program
Northeast. Related Options Demand Response Packages (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut)
Puerto Rico. Sunnova Flex Energy Program by means of the LUMA Battery Emergency Demand Response Program
Texas. Adaptive Retail Vitality Plan (Electrical Reliability Council of Texas [ERCOT])
“As policymakers start to see the success of present VPP applications nationwide, they’re quickly shifting to ascertain and implement comparable VPP initiatives with the purpose of enhancing grid resilience and saving ratepayers cash amidst surging vitality calls for,” mentioned Meghan Nutting, Sunnova’s govt vice chairman for Regulatory and Authorities Affairs. “With a powerful 24% battery attachment price amongst new buyer originations final quarter, our rising variety of clients are primed to take part in VPP applications as they arrive on-line.”
The announcement represents Sunnova’s continued dedication to fostering vitality alternative, enriching buyer experiences, empowering communities, and advancing the general vitality panorama throughout the U.S. Sunnova’s VPP applications make the most of its vitality administration options and proprietary Sunnova Sentient expertise platform, which optimizes vitality administration, enhances reliability and resiliency, offers demand response and grid help whereas offering further income streams, and gives better vitality independence for its community of consumers.
—POWER edited this content material, which was contributed by a public relations agency representing Sunnova.