Sunpower And Ohmconnect Launch Virtual Power Plant To Help Make Homes Grid-Friendly

Thousands of SunPower customers in California can now connect to OhmConnect's energy-saving platform and easily get paid when providing stored solar power back to grid

Richmond, CA /PRNewswire/ - SunPower, a leading solar technology and energy services provider, and OhmConnect, the leading provider of residential energy flexibility, today launched a new virtual power plant (VPP) offering for SunPower customers across California. Now, homeowners in select locations with solar and SunVault® battery storage can connect with OhmConnect directly through the mySunPower® app to earn rewards for managing their electricity use during periods of peak demand.

SunPower and OhmConnect's VPP helps homeowners make money off the energy stored in their SunVault battery. OhmConnect tracks energy prices and demand in real time and helps customers reduce their energy use when prices and demand are greatest. This automated process can provide SunPower customers even more value for their SunVault storage system by rewarding them for reducing load on the grid.

"With the rise of virtual power plants, it is much easier for residential customers to get rewarded for helping us make the grid more resilient," said Cisco Devries, CEO, OhmConnect. "With our SunPower partnership, OhmConnect can expand the ecosystem of homes that leverage the energy they generate to help stabilize the increasingly vulnerable grid."

Using the mySunPower app, California homeowners with SunPower solar and SunVault battery storage can easily enroll in OhmConnect's platform. Once enrolled, the SunVault system is set to automatically dispatch power from the homeowner's battery during times of heavy grid use, while retaining a fixed amount of energy to meet their home's energy needs.

The user-friendly interface puts homeowners in full control with real-time push notifications before, during, and after the battery is leveraged, with the option to opt out or adjust battery backup reserve levels at any point. By integrating the SunPower and OhmConnect experience into one platform, homeowners can conveniently manage their VPP activity from battery reserves and discharge history to earnings.

"VPPs are primed to go mainstream as battery storage becomes more accessible, energy prices continue to soar and the grid is continuously overtaxed by fires, heatwaves, and even rain," said Ellen Kinney, Vice President of Digital at SunPower. "Our work with OhmConnect simplifies the homeowner experience by making enrolling easy and automating participation in major savings events. Removing manual steps and complex barriers for participation will be the key to helping virtual power plants reach their true potential and create a more resilient grid powered by the sun."

OhmConnect is a free service available to residential customers of Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) utilities. California residents can enroll through the mySunPower app, available to download on Apple App Store or Google Play. The companies plan to launch in additional markets this summer.

About SunPower
SunPower is a leading solar technology and energy services provider in North America. SunPower offers the only solar + storage solution designed and warranted by one company that gives customers control over electricity consumption and resiliency during power outages while providing cost savings to homeowners. For more information, visit www.sunpower.com

About OhmConnect
OhmConnect, winner of the 2021 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Award, helps hundreds of thousands of customers manage their at-home electricity and rewards them for smarter energy use. The company pays its customers for saving electricity when the grid is stressed and likely to utilize dirty power, unlocking clean, affordable, and reliable energy. With more than $18 million in rewards paid to its customers, OhmConnect is making a future of 100% clean energy accessible to everyone. Customers of the three major California electricity suppliers – Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) – as well as Con Edison in New York, can sign up with OhmConnect for free at ohmconnect.com. Texas residents can select OhmConnect as their retail electric provider. Follow OhmConnect on Twitter @OhmConnect, read the OhmConnect blog or check them out on Facebook and LinkedIn.