Orange & Rockland Utilities working with SunRun on solar energy pilot program

Published on January 31, 2023 by Dave Kovaleski


Warning: Undefined variable $post_id in /var/www/dailyenergyinsider.com/wp-content/themes/dei/single.php on line 31

Warning: Undefined variable $post_id in /var/www/dailyenergyinsider.com/wp-content/themes/dei/single.php on line 36
© Shutterstock

Orange & Rockland Utilities (O&R) is working with solar energy provider Sunrun on a pilot program to deploy 300 rooftop solar and battery backup systems to customers in the town of Warwick, N.Y.

Customers participating in the pilot program will host a Brightbox system, which consists of solar panels and battery backup. It will give the customer access to a primary source of daytime household energy from the solar panels and a backup energy supply from the battery that will power the home in the event of a power outage.

The solar panel array is designed to produce 110 percent of the customer’s annual average usage. If the customer uses more energy than the solar panels produce, the customer would purchase the difference from O&R. But if the solar panels produce more than necessary, like in the summer months, O&R will provide the customer with a credit.

Also, if the backup battery detects an outage on the electric grid, it will provide a backup source of energy to power the home. Further, O&R’s installation of home batteries permits the company to call on the combined power of these batteries, creating a virtual power plant (VPP). That combined power can be channeled into the power grid to help support O&R’s electric system during periods of peak electric demand. Specifically, O&R is able to draw up to 80 percent of the available energy in the battery, leaving the remaining 20 percent for the customer’s home backup, which will power the home for four to six hours.

“Virtual power plants are growing in popularity as utilities, grid operators, and customers increasingly see the value afforded to the electric system and the community by residential solar and battery storage. The O&R /Sunrun initiative builds on this momentum and further demonstrates the value of local, clean-energy resources for electric utilities and their customers,” O&R President and CEO Robert Sanchez said.

Already, 100 Brightbox systems have been approved for installation as part of this Warwick pilot program. O&R and Sunrun are now seeking 200 more customers to join the solar/battery backup program. More information on the O&R/Sunrun pilot program is available online.

Orange and Rockland Utilities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison. It provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York State and natural gas service to approximately 130,000 customers.