ES Solar and sonnen are pioneering a new model for Rocky Mountain Power’s existing rooftop solar customers, transforming thousands of intermittent rooftop solar systems into firm, dispatchable grid assets by retrofitting each home with a sonnen battery.
German smart residential energy storage firm sonnen is collaborating with ES Solar, a Utah solar power contractor, as part of their partnership with Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart Battery Program. A break from traditional rooftop solar, the concept focuses on a collaborative approach to lay the groundwork for the power grid of the future.
“The path to a sustainable energy future requires the ability to integrate increasing amounts of renewables,” said Bill Comeau, VP of Customer Experience at Rocky Mountain Power. “Through this innovative partnership, our 50,000 customers with rooftop solar can now be part of the solution for a sustainable grid of the future for the benefit of all.”
After years of building and testing a battery grid management system (BGMS) using sonnen’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) software, RMP launched the Wattsmart Battery program for 2021. In response to the launch of Wattsmart, ES Solar created a new business model to ensure rooftop solar systems are equipped with batteries controlled by the local utility for the greater operation of the grid, removing many of the grid integration issues inherent with existing stand-alone rooftop solar systems.
