Solar Installation

Can energy storage make solar installation more profitable?

Solar installers worldwide have ran into problems attempting to both grow their business and make a profit — almost all of them have had to focus on either one or the other. Sunrun, however, seem to be breaking out of the pattern. The company has seen steady and continuous growth over the past 10 quarters, but has also managed to maintain and even increase its profits.

Sunrun’s deceptively simple strategy is to focus on generating more value per dollar of cost from their installations, by focusing on the whole rooftop solar system. One way of adding this extra value to the system is including energy storage.

With more than 2000 combined solar and storage units ordered, Sunrun isn’t the first to offer batteries with rooftop solar, but it far outstrips the competition. For a modest increase in upfront cost, solar customers in return receive potential future savings and backup stored energy. In California, while the overall percentage of solar buyers who also choose to include storage is low (10%), this rate doubled in Q3. A positive sign for future uptake?

It goes without saying that the profitability of this strategy is more or less likely depending on where in the United States (or in the world) it is being attempted. There are common factors that make rooftop solar plus energy storage a profitable combination: high levels of sunshine, high electricity prices and an amenable regulatory and policy environment. While Sunrun continues to seek higher attachment rates in California, in Hawaii, all of its rooftop solar systems include its energy storage addon, BrightBox, as standard. How Sunrun will fare in its next target market, Arizona, is yet to be seen.

Read the Original Article 

If you want to know more about this and other topics directly from end users of energy storage technologies join us at one of these annual events: The Energy Storage World Forum (Grid Scale Applications), or The Residential Energy Storage Forum, or one of our Training Courses.

LATEST ARTICLES

The UK National Energy Grid – A Story of Islands, Trading, and Energy Storage

As first seen in Energy Global, grid software acts as a modern-day map, helping to chart and navigate today’s energy grids; software engineers are tasked with carefully delineating how each region’s energy markets operate. However, looking more closely at energy markets makes clear how unique each market is – each defined by different topography, resources,…

Read More

Ultracapacitor UPS (U-UPS) for voltage dips and micro-interruptions

Power interruptions are the most frequent power supply problems with wide-ranging consequences for industry. The causes of these interruptions include short-circuits in the distribution grid, lightning strikes, the connection and disconnection of power plants as well as volatile energy producers such as wind and solar. Because technologies and production processes are becoming increasingly complex, the…

Read More

★REVIEWS

“Probably the most interactive and well organized storage event on the calendar.”

★★★★★

Sales Director, S&C

“Great topics, competent speakers, good networking: keep it like that.”

★★★★★

TLC & SCADA Manager, FRI-EL

“High scientific content, well targeted, perfect organization.”

★★★★★

Expert Technical & Governance, Elia

Excellent networking event. The sponsorship was well worth it.”

★★★★★

Manager, ATL

View More

x