Originally Published on the ECOreport
Battery storage is on the cusp of going mainstream. Thousands of German homes are now obtaining 60-70% of their electricity from solar, and the yield is even higher in the US, where there is more sunshine. (More on that coming soon.) Now KB Home and SunPower are offering energy storage solutions in Southern California.
“The announcement we made today is for a pilot program to hone SunPower’s storage offering and ultimately provide customers with an optimal storage solution,” Sunpower Spokesperson Ingrid Ekstrom explained. ”SunPower is testing technologies from several companies and installing the technology in just a handful of homes in California this year.”
“It’s also important to understand that energy storage today in the US gives homeowners the security and peace-of-mind of knowing they’ll have backup power in the event of a power outage. In future, homeowners with battery storage will be able to serve household load with stored power at any time, not just during outages.”
SunPower is not ready to release information on technology configurations or economics.
However KB Home, “estimates that at current residential electric rates, a 1.4-kilowatt high-efficiency photovoltaic system provided by SunPower and installed as a standard part of a 3,654-square-foot, ENERGY STAR® certified home at Vicenza would yield average energy savings of $216 per month, or approximately $25,900 over ten years, compared to a typical resale home without these features.”
In their joint press release, they mentioned offering this project in more than 150 KB Home communities. All of the KB homes in Vicenza at Orchard Hills, in Irvine, will possess SunPower solar power systems, and SunPower and KB Home are offering this program to select KB Home communities in Irvine, El Dorado Hills, and San Diego, Calif.
SunPower is also piloting energy storage solutions in Australia and Germany.
“Battery storage and energy management services are highly complementary to residential solar systems,” said Sunpower’s CEO Tom Werner “Together, they help further reduce the monthly cost of energy, maximize value and energy security, and provide a hedge against rising utility costs.”
“Offering our new homebuyers highly advanced energy-efficient features is a key differentiator for KB Home, and we are proud to partner with SunPower to pilot the energy storage solutions,” said Dan Bridleman, senior vice president of Sustainability, Technology and Strategic Sourcing for KB Home. “Showcasing this cutting-edge technology speaks to the strength of KB Home’s partnership with SunPower and once again demonstrates KB Home’s forward-thinking approach to new home innovation.”
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