Solar + Storage + Energy Controller = Microgrid Posted on Oct 10, 2023
The U.S. military understands the importance of microgrids. That’s why the official Department of Defense policy’s stated goal is that all bases be "power resilient."
The need to have resilience in the case of a disaster that impacts the power grid is just as important for homeowners and businesses. Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) forced private homeowners and businesses to build their own microgrids. On April 15, 2023, the CPUC reduced utility credits for solar energy sent to the grid by about 75% making the economical choice when to “go solar” dependent upon also installing an onsite storage system and energy controller. But, is the market ready? Sort of.
The CPUC did not slash incentives for solar owners because the market is ready for a mass rollout of individual microgrid ownership. A recent utility exec admitted they are fighting individual solar ownership because it hurts utility profits. Still, as always, we predict that the distributed energy generation market will rise to the occasion. The viable options for energy storage systems, energy controllers and the companies who install them are advancing in California. We see the current leaders in this space as Franklin WH, Enphase, Tesla Powerwall and Solar Edge. As the technologies and companies for onsite storage and energy controllers gain their footholds, the right to own your own power is coming within the grasp of everyone.
To help people build their own microgrids, we started a new cleantech forum: Avanti Cleantech. We know that even people who work in the cleantech industry struggle to navigate the nascent microgrid and cleantech space. Our new forum is a place for the owners of cleantech systems and the people who build them to come together find resources and build community.