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A home battery can do more during a power outage if it’s not busy running non-essential, energy-intensive appliances. sonnen and SOLRITE Energy are applying that same principle to the grid, adding smart switches that can temporarily turn off selected home loads while batteries help meet electricity demand.
The companies announced today that they are integrating ADAPT Energy controls and Eaton AbleEdge smart circuit breakers into the SOLRITE-sonnen virtual power plant (VPP). The setup combines sonnenHub with circuit breakers that manage power-hungry equipment, both during outages and when the grid needs help.
The announcement does not specify the price, how many homes will receive it or when existing customers will be able to get it.
A VPP connects home batteries to a grid so they can work together as a larger energy resource. This addition gives SOLRITE another way to respond: in addition to monitoring batteries, it can reduce the amount of electricity participating households use.
The pool pump can wait
sonnen and SOLRITE used the example of a swimming pool pump, as it is energy intensive, non-essential and runs for longer periods. When an event begins, ADAPT temporarily turns off the pool pump while the sonnen’s battery sends electricity to the grid.
With less battery power directed to the pump, more can flow to the grid. For participating households, this gives the VPP more flexibility than relying solely on shipping batteries.
Homeowners must opt-in to the network and ADAPT will turn off only pre-approved home loads. Joining the VPP program does not give the operator blanket permission to turn off anything in the home.
“Rather than pressuring homeowners to change how their homes are connected and manually manipulate loads during an outage, we are building intelligence into their energy system, providing an automatic, seamless backup power experience for their home,” said Troy Morgan, president of PanTech Design, the developer of ADAPT Energy.
Make backup power go further
Circuit breakers also address a practical problem with home backup: Large appliances can drain the battery quickly, and the surge of power some equipment needs to turn on can overload a backup system just as a power outage begins.
ADAPT coordinates smart switches with the sonnen’s battery to automatically shut down large loads during backup operation. When grid power returns, it restores them, so owners don’t have to go around resetting individual circuits.
That also gives owners more flexibility in the future. According to the companies, changing which loads controlled by smart switches turn off during an outage does not require rewiring those circuits.
The benefit of installation is also important. Some backup setups require electricians to move select circuits to a separate panel. This system manages compatible circuits where their circuit breakers are already located, which the companies say reduces the complexity of installation and inspection work.
Whole-house backup still has limits. Automatic large load management helps the available battery capacity go further; It does not mean that all devices can work at the same time during a power outage.
SOLRITE finances, builds and owns residential solar and storage projects through what it calls Virtual Power Plant Agreements, with no upfront cost to homeowners. It says it operates in Texas, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Illinois, with more markets planned.
Read more: Sonnen files for bankruptcy in Germany as US sales double
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