California-based solar manufacturer SunPower has teamed up with homebuilding company KB Home to deliver PV battery storage to residential homes.
The collaboration is part of a pilot programme in which SunPower will install 1.4kW PV systems in selected KB Home communities in California, US. The system combines rooftop solar panels with a battery that stores the energy generated during the day. The system is set to power the house during the night with the stored electricity.
According to KB Home, a 1.4kW PV system, installed by SunPower, at a 3,654 sq. ft. KB Home house, would save about $216 on energy costs a month compared to a house without these features.
“With energy storage capability, homeowners with solar power systems and home system monitoring today can control their electricity costs and have the security of knowing they’ll have power during an outage,” said SunPower CEO Tom Werner.
Although SunPower will only install 10 of its systems in KB Home houses this year, Werner expects the technology to become standard in the future. “In the near future, battery storage will help homeowners manage energy loads using stored power, including charging electric vehicles at night,” added Werner.
SunPower plans to supply its products in pilot projects in Australia this year and in Germany next year.