Duke Energy Florida enables customers to ‘Bring Your Own Battery’ in grid support study
Utility battery programs are usually prescriptive on the technology involved. Duke Energy Florida is debuting a “Bring Your Own Battery” (BYOB) study that open things up a bit more. The goal is to learn more about customer use of battery technology and explore opportunities to leverage existing battery energy storage systems to improve grid resiliency.
The 12-month study will enable Duke Energy to call on these devices to support the grid during times of peak demand with the expectation of reducing energy costs for participants and ultimately giving customers the opportunity to participate directly in the company’s transition to a cleaner energy future.
“Batteries are an exciting technology that will play a significant and evolving role in how energy is delivered to customers now and in the future,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “With the introduction of studies like BYOB, we are developing ways to provide even greater value to our customers while improving energy resiliency and advancing solar technologies in Florida.”
Participants are Duke Energy Florida customers who currently have batteries installed in their homes to provide backup power in case of an outage. But not all batteries will qualify under BYOB. Vendors that Duke Energy is working with to kick off the program include Sunrun, Generac, SolarEdge and Virtual Peaker.
“We want to provide innovative solutions that increase grid resilience and expand home backup power options,” said Mary Powell, Sunrun chief executive officer. “Sunrun’s partnership with Duke Energy will provide affordable, clean, backup power solutions for households in Florida, while also supporting grid reliability at the community level. This study is an example of how collaboration can accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.”
Comments are closed here.