Images from the installation of a Sunrun solar panel system on the roof of the home of HGTV's Property Brothers.Sunrun's "Shift" offering is intended to help customers increase self-consumption during peak hours when rates are highest and reduce low-value exports to the grid by using battery storage, the company said in a press release.
The program does not provide backup power capabilities and, as a result, is expected to limit labor hours, equipment costs, and potential panel upgrades often required for conventional home backup systems.
California's transition from net metering to a net billing regime takes effect April 15. The California Public Utilities Commission approved the new policy last December in a proceeding commonly referred to as NEM 3.0.
Distributed energy advocates and solutions providers opposed the policy change, which incentivizes the co-location of battery storage with solar systems to recognize the evolution of California mature market.
Sunrun's battery storage program announcement comes a month after Sunnova, another leading residential solar and battery storage provider, launched a program to offer new customers a free battery to counter NEM 3.0.
Sunnova's offer targets customers who sign up for a residential lease of both solar and storage services. The "free" battery, valued at $8,000, does not include the cost of installation, the solar system, or Sunnova's 25-year warranty.
