You would possibly suppose that Texas, the place the governor and his henchmen all suppose renewable power is the Satan’s dwelling, can be the final place in America to see digital energy plant know-how provided to house owners. at dwelling. However in actuality, ERCOT, Texas’ utility operator, is remitted by regulation to construct the grid as cheaply as doable. That, in flip, leaves it open to system failures like the large blackouts that hit the state after a strong winter storm in 2021.
The governor blamed renewables, however the actuality was ERCOT’s failure to anticipate such a climate occasion that prevented wind generators which are an everyday sight in Texas from having the ability to stand up to freezing temperatures. Such measures price cash, and so after all they weren’t included when wind farms have been constructed. Being reasonably priced usually means spending more cash in the long term, as Texans found when electrical energy costs rose from 12 cents per kWh to $3.00 per kWh or extra.
Up to date Griddy invoice! 1300 sq ft. Warmth set at 60, no laundry, no working dishwasher, no range/oven cooking, solely used air fryer, daytime lights candles at evening largely , Television in others. Some how they are saying I exploit 1772 khw. $5,000 @wfaa @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/r1eidadyur
— kat and tony (@katandtonyT) February 20, 2021
The results of this stupidity within the pursuit of financial savings is that the authorities in Texas have created a scenario the place it’s cheaper to put in a photo voltaic system with battery backup than to proceed to belief Greg Abbott and his associates to supply dependable, reasonably priced. electrical energy for the individuals of Texas.
The Digital Energy Plant Plan
This previous week, Octopus Vitality and Enphase introduced a brand new partnership that enables residential prospects the chance to combine Enphase’s photo voltaic and battery options into their power plan to unlock decrease prices. on dwelling power charges. As a part of the settlement, Octopus Vitality will be capable of flexibly management the client’s battery to cut back utilization when the grid is most restricted and assist save prospects a whole lot of {dollars} per 12 months, in line with a press launch. “Our partnership has simply begun. We sit up for increasing into new markets with world-class services and products to advertise a extra sustainable future collectively,” mentioned Octopus Vitality.
The proprietary software program platform from Octopus Vitality manages, controls, and optimizes distributed power assets. It plans to create a digital energy plant with Enphase’s dwelling battery techniques and bid these DERs on the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) ancillary markets – a primary of its form class for these properties.
Octopus Vitality can optimize how a buyer’s battery interacts with the electrical grid via Clever Octopus, the sensible machine’s power advertising plan, permitting prospects to entry at the very least retail worth. And naturally, in instances of a grid outage, the most affordable electrical energy in the mean time is that produced by the photo voltaic system on the roof of the home.
As Octopus Vitality expands its retail power presence to states outdoors of Texas, it hopes the brand new partnership will scale back prices for patrons and promote a cleaner grid. “Our partnership with Enphase Vitality is a crucial step as we speed up the transition to renewable power throughout the U.S. Load flexibility creates vital worth for high-renewable power grids and retailers in power has a novel capacity to customise electrical energy costs for patrons, so this can be a good alternative to mix the worth of demand response right into a retail product to create the most affordable worth for to prospects.”
“Retailers have the chance to steer the power transition by combining customer-centric product choices, fashionable know-how, and ratemaking authority to create merchandise that decrease prices and decrease carbon,” mentioned Michael Lee, CEO of Octopus Vitality US. “We sit up for working with Enphase Vitality as we develop all kinds of low-cost and modern charges to decarbonize our electrical grid.”
“We’re excited to associate with Octopus Vitality to carry dwelling photo voltaic and batteries to Texas owners, serving to them higher handle their electrical energy prices and create a extra sustainable power system for everybody,” mentioned Dave Ranhoff, chief industrial officer of Enphase Vitality. “Our partnership has simply begun. We sit up for increasing into new markets with world-class services and products to foster a extra sustainable future collectively. “
The partnership between Octopus Vitality and Enphase comes as policymakers all over the world look to harness rising applied sciences to speed up the transition to renewables, in addition to take away boundaries to scrub power. power progress. Along with Enphase, Octopus Vitality permits prospects to optimize their digital energy plant at dwelling system round simple participation in ancillary markets and demand response applications for rapid storage. .
That is the most recent step in Octopus Vitality’s mission to allow a wiser, greener future all over the world. One of the awarded power corporations in the UK, the place the corporate was based 5 years in the past, Octopus Vitality entered the US market in 2020. In 2022, it launched Octopus Electrical Automobiles, the built-in response to demand EV rental plan that facilitates accessibility and adoption of EVs and sensible charging, in addition to Clever Octopus, a wise demand response plan that lowers electrical energy payments by as much as 30 % just by permitting Octopus to automate sensible charging for the client.
The EV Concierge Program
Final summer time, Chris George, the top of Octopus Electrical Automobiles in America, mentioned CleanTechnica, “Upon visiting our web site, customers will probably be greeted with our EV Concierge program, pattern EV choices, and an invite to fill out our kind to see in the event that they qualify to take part within the beta program . If a buyer qualifies, our EV Concierge will present certified prospects with white-glove service, helping soon-to-be EV drivers all through the automobile search and rental course of, together with choice and supply of a brand new or used EV of their alternative, set up of an EV dwelling charger, and training on finest practices for EV possession. New prospects will obtain a brand new EV price.
“With excessive demand for EVs and a decent provide of used and new EVs, this is a crucial time for us to enter the EV house to assist drivers transition to EV possession whereas we’re pushing in direction of electrification. Plus, with our white-glove service, together with EV training, we assist make the transition simpler by strolling prospects via your entire course of – rising possession confidence of EV and eliminating the ‘concern of the unknown.’ “
In a latest article, we advised our readers a few new report circulated on rarified air in Davos this week that recognized three so-called “tremendous tipping factors” that can assist shift the world from the brink of local weather catastrophe. Octopus and Enphase assist make that occur.
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