Sunnova Energy Corporation, a Houston-based solar energy company, said Thursday that it is bringing a solar-plus-storage system that will allow homeowners to store solar energy in batteries for later use to Texas. Solar energy production ebbs and flows with the sun, which is why many solar panels are connected to the grid — homeowners contribute power to the grid whenever the sun is shining in exchange for credit they can use for power later. What are known as solar-plus-storage systems allows homes with solar panels to store energy during the day and dispense it when needed, reducing dependence on the grid. Sunnova’s residential solar-plus-storage system, SunSafe, debuted in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria caused the longest blackout in U.S. history. The service provides a 25-year performance guarantee. “In Texas, we’ve seen firsthand the devastation caused by storms and hurricanes, and homeowners across the state want to ensure they’re protecting their families from extended power outages and electricity instability,” said Michael Grasso, chief marketing officer for Sunnova Energy Corporation. “By offering Sunnova SunSafe, homeowners are given that peace of mind knowing that they’ll have reliable energy, day and night.” The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has funded solar-plus-storage systems for utilities, but residential shoppers have been showing increasing interest in solar-plus-storage service as well. Nearly three quarters of customers shopping for solar products say they are interested in energy storage, according to the most recent report by EnergySage, a solar marketplace.

Sembcorp has signed an agreement to build 6.2MW of rooftop solar projects on top of two Singapore facilities owned by a major energy industry service provider, including one of Singapore’s largest rooftop projects, standing at 4.7MW.

Both systems together are expected to produce around 7,435MWh of power annually. The solar farm will help power the on-site operations of the customer, with surplus power channelled to the grid. One of the two locations, located in the Tuas area, is also said to be the largest solar installation on a single rooftop in Singapore to date, with more than 12,700 solar panels amounting to over 4.7MW.

Sembcorp Group president and CEO Neil McGregor said: “We are very pleased to sign this 25-year deal and welcome another new client for our solar power solutions that help companies save money and cut their carbon footprint. With this newest project, Sembcorp now has over 115MW peak of solar power assets in operation and under development. As we grow our solar portfolio here, Sembcorp is actively supporting Singapore in its goal of achieving 350MW peak of solar power capacity by 2020.”

Sembcorp also unveiled a range of affordable power plans for residential customers yesterday with a range of options.

Energy storage collaboration

In related news, Sembcorp will collaborate with Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) as part of a pilot programme to support the deployment of energy storage in the country and they will partner on piloting storage systems. EMA will also help Sembcorp explore business models for energy storage systems, and facilitate regulatory and market approvals for Sembcorp’s operation of such systems in Singapore.

The initiative, also known as ACCESS (ACCelerating Energy Storage for Singapore), aims to make storage more common in Singapore as it can help counter the intermittency of renewable power sources and enhance the overall stability of the grid. It can also potentially allow consumers to save on their energy bills by storing power for use at peak times.

Sembcorp could use energy storage systems to work alongside its solar power and gas-fired power assets or to provide complete behind-the-meter clean energy solutions for individual electricity consumers.

Neil McGregor said: “Energy storage is a critically important technology that is gaining momentum globally and will be a game changer especially in the clean energy space. […] We see the inclusion of energy storage systems as a good complement to our growing renewable energy portfolio. We have invested in such systems overseas in the UK, and are now excited to partner with EMA to apply the technology at home in Singapore, where we are one of the largest solar power players.”