Until now, the vast majority of the nation’s solar power system sales were to homeowners. But two companies are looking to change that in Texas, where they will pay landlords to lease roof space for the solar panels.
Sam Bryan removes the battery panel covers in the back yard of the new solar panel power system he installed on the roof his two story 1930’s home Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 in Houston, TX.For nearly eight hours one day in late January, the power to Sam Bryan’s house blinked off after a transformer near his greater Third Ward lot blew a fuse.
Bryan is among thousands of Texans who have turned to solar power and battery storage, creating so-called microgrids, as a solution to blackouts. With a venture creating the same little power plants for apartment buildings, Texas has become a national leader in residential solar power installations.small-scale solar capacity in Texas grew by 63 percent, to 1,093 megawatts from 670 megawatts, according to the Energy Information Administration.
The flip of a switch can disconnect a microgrid from the larger utility, says Stephen Bayne, department chair of electrical and computer engineering at Texas Tech University. It can be as simple as a breaker in a garage or a computer system that automatically disconnects from the grid when there’s a disruption. More advanced microgrid systems, sometimes known as virtual power plants, can track usage, generation and battery storage across multiple buildings.
But the batteries became scarce last year amid limited stockpiles of mined lithium and the soaring demand for electric vehicles. Without storage options, some potential clients of residential solar company Sunnova backed out of deals, said John Berger, founder and CEO of the Houston-based company. PearlX will pay the landlord to lease roof space for the solar panels, batteries and other equipment provided by Solar Edge, and tenants who tap these virtual power plants for electricity will pay a fee split between PearlX and the landlord. Tenants won’t need to provide credit scores to be eligible, just proof of paid electric bills, said Michael Huerta, CEO of PearlX.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Commentary: Leaders, hear what Texans are sayingVoters in Texas agree on key issues affecting the future of the state such as education,...
Read more »
McClain: What to know about Texans as offseason beginsWith coaching staff intact, GM Nick Caserio and coach Lovie Smith turn attention to...
Read more »
North Texans who help run Ukrainian orphanage gather to pray for peaceA local ministry in Arlington gathered Saturday to pray for the people of Ukraine as the region awaits a possible Russian invasion.
Read more »
Factbox: What global banks forecast for Fed rate hikes in 2022Major investment banks have penciled in a strong run of interest rate hikes for 2022 after hotter-than-expected inflation data ramped up pressure on the Federal Reserve to take a firmer stand against soaring prices.
Read more »