Thousands of Arizona homes to be featured with new energy-saving tech
Oct 13, 2017, 4:49 AM
(Chinatopix via AP)
(Chinatopix via AP)
PHOENIX — Thousands of homes across Arizona could soon be featured with batteries that would store the extra energy generated by rooftop solar panels, according to Reuters.
A new partnership between the German battery maker Sonnen GmbH and Arizona-based home builder Mandalay Homes could lead to 3,000 homes in Prescott being built with these batteries.
According to Reuters, the project would be the first of its kind in the U.S.
They typically cost between $10,000 and $20,000, but the cost of the batteries would reportedly be tied into the home’s sale price.
But that is not the end goal.
The companies want utilities to pay the homeowners to use the stored power to create a “virtual power plant” with 8 megawatt hours of electricity, which is reportedly enough to power about 5,000 homes for a day.
For now, the project is reportedly moving forward without the prospect of a buy-in from utility companies. A spokesperson for Arizona Public Service did not provide a comment on the project, but a spokesperson for Salt River Project denied the agreement.
