Solar and wind power developer SunEdison and behind-the-meter battery startup Green Charge Networks are partnering to market and develop solar-storage projects in California.
The partnership paves the way for integrating SunEdison’s solar development, asset management and financing expertise with Green Charge’s intelligent energy storage system and networked management platform.
Under the partnership, the companies have developed their first storage-integrated solar power system for the municipal utility Silicon Valley Power.
The integrated system is installed at the Tasman Drive parking structure next to the new football stadium in Santa Clara.
Completed about nine months ago, the system has generated more than 1.18 gigawatt hours of clean energy and eliminated the emission of approximately two million pounds of carbon dioxide, a statement says.
California levies both energy and demand charges on both commercial and municipal customers. The storage integrated systems of SunEdison–Green Charge are expected to generate savings for electricity users on both fronts.
While solar panels deliver savings in terms of units drawn from the grid, the storage system addresses the demand portion of the bill by reducing the amount of power needed at one time from the grid.
Green Charge has stated that it has integrated its control platform with the renewable operations center of SunEdison Services. The Belmont, California, -based network operations center monitors and manages SunEdison’s portfolio of solar and wind assets.
Under the partnership, both companies will also individually provide their low- or no-cost financing solutions to the state’s commercial and municipal sectors.
Currently, customers are able to install a solar plus storage system with zero upfront costs by signing a power purchase agreement with SunEdison and a power efficiency agreement with Green Charge.
Also, SunEdison Services will handle operation and maintenance of the solar power plants while Green Charge will handle operation and maintenance for the storage systems.
Ajith Kumar S