Plug-and-Play Product Connects Renewable Energy to Power Reliability
GridPoint’s president and CEO, Peter L. Corsell, likens the GridPoint Connect™ to early personal computers, satellite dish systems or, more recently, TiVo®.
“In order for renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, to become practical for the consumer marketplace, the industry must evolve toward ‘plug-and-play’ products,” Corsell said.
As its name implies, GridPoint Connect links renewable energy sources — such as solar panels, wind turbines or fuel cells — to the utility grid and a home’s or business’s internal electrical system. In addition, it incorporates back-up power storage, as well as energy management software. And it can all be installed in about an hour.
Corsell noted that while solar panels, wind turbines and other renewable energy sources have been available for decades, they have been challenging for homeowners and businesses to install and utilize due to the interfaces between the grid, the renewable power sources, and the home’s or business’s electrical system. GridPoint Connect is the missing link for homeowners who have made a commitment to renewable energy, need reliable backup power, and want to enjoy increased energy efficiency, Corsell explained.
The actual GridPoint appliance, which is roughly the size of a forced-air furnace or large-capacity hot water heater, sells for about the same price as liquid-cooled home standby generators. GridPoint can also arrange to install solar panels or other renewable energy sources at the purchaser’s home or business for an additional cost.
The renewable resource does not generally provide all the power needed in the residence or business. Instead, the system is programmed so it can switch between the renewable energy source and the utility grid, depending on which is less expensive at any given time. A software program allows the home or business owner to set and monitor how the appliance works. The program can also be set to ensure that if the power grid shuts down, the GridPoint appliance instantly kicks in.
Depending upon state regulations, the appliance offers an added bonus: it enables users to sell excess power from their renewable energy sources to the utility grid. In those states, the return on investment can be as little as five to six years, especially if electricity costs are high.
GridPoint Connect users are not the only people who benefit from the product. It also helps utilities. It not only reduces peak demand use, it serves as a clean alternative to new power plants. A group of 10,000 GridPoint Connect appliances can deliver approximately 50 megawatts of power to the grid — the equivalent of a modest power plant operating at peak capacity.
