Sunrun and PG&E Harness Home Storage and Solar to Alleviate Local Grid Constraints
Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to create a virtual power plant using residential solar-plus-storage systems. The program will utilize approximately 600 Sunrun customer homes with battery storage to provide targeted load relief in areas with constrained electric grids.
The Local PeakShift Power program will operate for up to 100 hours from June through October, leveraging Tesla's grid services platform and Lunar Energy's AI-enabled forecasting to optimize battery dispatches. Participating customers will receive a one-time $150 payment per battery while maintaining a 20% backup reserve.
This initiative is part of PG&E's 2025 Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) virtual power plant, marking the second collaboration between Sunrun and PG&E. With 156,000 residential battery systems nationwide, Sunrun aims to support utility initiatives while reducing costs for ratepayers and enhancing grid reliability.
Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) ha annunciato una partnership innovativa con Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) per creare una centrale elettrica virtuale utilizzando sistemi solari residenziali con accumulo. Il programma utilizzerà circa 600 abitazioni clienti di Sunrun con batterie di accumulo per fornire un sollievo mirato del carico in aree con reti elettriche sovraccariche.
Il programma Local PeakShift Power funzionerà per un massimo di 100 ore da giugno a ottobre, sfruttando la piattaforma di servizi di rete di Tesla e la previsione abilitata dall'IA di Lunar Energy per ottimizzare le distribuzioni delle batterie. I clienti partecipanti riceveranno un pagamento una tantum di $150 per batteria mantenendo una riserva di backup del 20%.
Questa iniziativa fa parte della centrale elettrica virtuale Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) di PG&E per il 2025, segnando la seconda collaborazione tra Sunrun e PG&E. Con 156.000 sistemi di batterie residenziali a livello nazionale, Sunrun punta a supportare le iniziative delle utility riducendo i costi per i contribuenti e migliorando l'affidabilità della rete.
Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) ha anunciado una asociación innovadora con Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) para crear una planta de energía virtual utilizando sistemas solares residenciales con almacenamiento. El programa utilizará aproximadamente 600 hogares de clientes de Sunrun con almacenamiento de baterías para proporcionar alivio de carga específico en áreas con redes eléctricas limitadas.
El programa Local PeakShift Power funcionará hasta 100 horas de junio a octubre, aprovechando la plataforma de servicios de red de Tesla y la previsión habilitada por IA de Lunar Energy para optimizar el despacho de baterías. Los clientes participantes recibirán un pago único de $150 por batería, manteniendo una reserva de respaldo del 20%.
Esta iniciativa es parte de la planta de energía virtual Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) de PG&E para 2025, marcando la segunda colaboración entre Sunrun y PG&E. Con 156,000 sistemas de baterías residenciales en todo el país, Sunrun busca apoyar las iniciativas de las utilidades mientras reduce los costos para los consumidores y mejora la fiabilidad de la red.
선런 (Nasdaq: RUN)은 퍼시픽 가스 앤드 일렉트릭 컴퍼니 (PG&E)와 혁신적인 파트너십을 발표하여 주거용 태양광 및 저장 시스템을 활용한 가상 발전소를 만들었습니다. 이 프로그램은 전력망이 제한된 지역에서 목표 부하 완화를 제공하기 위해 약 600개의 선런 고객 가정을 배터리 저장소와 함께 활용할 것입니다.
로컬 피크시프트 파워 프로그램은 6월부터 10월까지 최대 100시간 운영되며, 테슬라의 그리드 서비스 플랫폼과 루나 에너지의 AI 기반 예측을 활용하여 배터리 배치를 최적화할 것입니다. 참여 고객은 배터리당 일회성 $150의 지급을 받으며 20%의 백업 예비를 유지해야 합니다.
이 이니셔티브는 PG&E의 2025년 계절 다목적 에너지 집합(SAVE) 가상 발전소의 일환으로, 선런과 PG&E 간의 두 번째 협력을 의미합니다. 선런은 전국적으로 156,000개의 주거용 배터리 시스템을 보유하고 있으며, 공공 유틸리티의 이니셔티브를 지원하고 요금 납부자의 비용을 절감하며 전력망의 신뢰성을 향상시키는 것을 목표로 하고 있습니다.
Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) a annoncé un partenariat révolutionnaire avec Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) pour créer une centrale électrique virtuelle utilisant des systèmes solaires résidentiels avec stockage. Le programme utilisera environ 600 maisons de clients Sunrun avec stockage par batterie pour fournir un soulagement ciblé de la charge dans des zones avec des réseaux électriques contraints.
Le programme Local PeakShift Power fonctionnera pendant jusqu'à 100 heures de juin à octobre, en tirant parti de la plateforme de services de réseau de Tesla et des prévisions alimentées par IA de Lunar Energy pour optimiser les dispatchs de batteries. Les clients participants recevront un paiement unique de 150 $ par batterie tout en maintenant une réserve de secours de 20 %.
Cette initiative fait partie de la centrale électrique virtuelle Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) de PG&E pour 2025, marquant la deuxième collaboration entre Sunrun et PG&E. Avec 156 000 systèmes de batteries résidentiels à l'échelle nationale, Sunrun vise à soutenir les initiatives des services publics tout en réduisant les coûts pour les consommateurs et en améliorant la fiabilité du réseau.
Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN) hat eine bahnbrechende Partnerschaft mit Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) angekündigt, um ein virtuelles Kraftwerk unter Verwendung von Wohnsolaranlagen mit Speicher zu schaffen. Das Programm wird etwa 600 Sunrun-Kundenhäuser mit Batteriespeicher nutzen, um gezielte Entlastung bei der Last in Bereichen mit eingeschränkten Stromnetzen zu bieten.
Das Programm Local PeakShift Power wird von Juni bis Oktober bis zu 100 Stunden betrieben, wobei die Netzdienstleistungsplattform von Tesla und die KI-gestützte Prognose von Lunar Energy genutzt werden, um die Batterieentladungen zu optimieren. Teilnehmende Kunden erhalten eine einmalige Zahlung von 150 $ pro Batterie, während sie eine Backup-Reserve von 20 % aufrechterhalten.
Diese Initiative ist Teil des virtuellen Kraftwerks Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) von PG&E für 2025 und markiert die zweite Zusammenarbeit zwischen Sunrun und PG&E. Mit 156.000 Wohnbatteriesystemen im ganzen Land zielt Sunrun darauf ab, die Initiativen der Versorgungsunternehmen zu unterstützen, während die Kosten für die Verbraucher gesenkt und die Zuverlässigkeit des Netzes verbessert werden.
- Strategic partnership with California's largest utility PG&E expands market presence
- Revenue generation through grid services compensation for managing battery dispatches
- Large installed base of 156,000 residential battery systems provides scaling opportunity
- Additional customer revenue stream through $150 per battery participation payments
- program scope with only 600 customers initially participating
- Restricted operating period of just 100 hours over 5 months
- 20% battery capacity must be reserved, limiting revenue potential
Insights
Sunrun's new partnership with PG&E represents a strategic advancement in the virtual power plant (VPP) space, positioning the company to extract additional revenue from its installed base of solar-plus-storage systems. The program will leverage approximately 600 customer homes (less than 0.4% of Sunrun's reported 156,000 residential battery systems) to provide targeted load relief to constrained grid areas.
This collaboration offers multiple value streams: Sunrun receives compensation for managing the dispatches, customers get a
What's particularly notable is how this program transforms Sunrun's customer assets from passive infrastructure into dynamic grid resources. By incorporating advanced AI-enabled forecasting from Lunar Energy and Tesla's grid services platform, Sunrun is developing sophisticated orchestration capabilities that could become increasingly valuable as grid constraints intensify.
While modest in immediate financial impact, this second collaboration with California's largest utility establishes an important precedent. It creates a template that could be replicated across other utility territories facing similar distribution challenges, potentially unlocking a scalable business model beyond Sunrun's core solar installation and subscription services.
This Sunrun-PG&E partnership represents a significant proof-of-concept for distributed energy resource management at the distribution circuit level. Most virtual power plants to date have focused on wholesale market participation or system-wide peaks—addressing localized grid constraints is a more nuanced and potentially more valuable application.
The program's targeting mechanism is particularly noteworthy. By identifying specific neighborhoods with highly constrained electric grids, PG&E can potentially defer capital-intensive infrastructure upgrades. Traditional utility solutions to local capacity constraints typically involve physical distribution equipment upgrades costing millions per circuit. This targeted deployment of distributed resources represents a much more capital-efficient alternative.
The technological orchestration required here is considerably more complex than simple peak-shaving programs. Sunrun must deliver precise amounts of power at specific times to different locations, requiring sophisticated forecasting and dispatch algorithms. The success of this program could position Sunrun as a technical leader in an emerging field of distribution-level grid services.
From a regulatory perspective, this aligns with California Energy Commission's load-shifting goals and demonstrates how utilities and third-party aggregators can collaborate within the evolving regulatory framework. If successful, this model could influence how distribution planning incorporates distributed energy resources across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.
The first-of-its-kind program with California's largest utility will dispatch home battery power to enhance local grid reliability
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, today announced a new innovative partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The collaboration will utilize hundreds of Sunrun solar-plus-storage customer homes to deliver targeted load relief to neighborhoods identified with highly constrained electric grids. The goal of this approach is to help avoid or defer growth-related distribution investments, reducing costs for ratepayers.
The Sunrun-operated program will be activated for up to 100 hours from June through October and include approximately 600 Sunrun customers residing in sections of PG&E’s service area that are experiencing distribution circuit constraints.
“Customers with home batteries are a solution to alleviating strain on our electric grid,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “We’re experiencing a fundamental shift as homes are no longer just energy consumers. With storage and solar, they become powerful grid assets, delivering affordable, reliable power exactly when and where it’s needed for communities and across the grid.”
Sunrun’s Local PeakShift Power program is part of PG&E’s 2025 Seasonal Aggregation of Versatile Energy (SAVE) virtual power plant. In this demonstration, Sunrun will receive information from PG&E on distribution grid needs and, in turn, help PG&E analyze the contributions of distributed energy resources. This collaboration will support the development of new long-term programs to meet the California Energy Commission’s load-shifting goals while also enhancing local reliability.
"Virtual power plants play a significant role in California's clean energy future and we're proud of our customers who are leading the charge with their clean energy adoption. Every day, we're looking at new and better ways to deliver for our hometowns while ensuring safety, reliability and resiliency for our customers," said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation.
The delivery of targeted power to local PG&E circuits will leverage Sunrun’s deep existing partnerships with leading companies Tesla and Lunar Energy. Sunrun will use an advanced application of Tesla’s grid services platform to optimize Powerwall batteries to provide an exact amount of power at specific times to different locations. Similarly, Sunrun will leverage Lunar Energy’s AI-enabled forecasting through its Gridshare software platform to precisely dispatch various non-Tesla battery types to meet local grid needs.
This collaboration marks the second time Sunrun and PG&E have partnered to create a virtual power plant to support California’s power grid. Both partnerships highlight Sunrun’s ability to design and rapidly deploy virtual power plants that meet the specific needs of grid operators. Local PeakShift Power will be operationalized in just months, demonstrating the speed and efficiency of Sunrun’s virtual power plant capabilities.
Sunrun customers enrolled in Local PeakShift Power will receive a one-time payment of
With 156,000 residential battery systems across the country, Sunrun can support targeted utility initiatives and statewide virtual power plant programs. Sunrun’s grid services platform and subscription model allow for flexibility when it comes to enrolling customers in different programs in order to achieve the highest value for the company, its customers, and the grid.
About Sunrun
Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news
Media Contact
Wyatt Semanek
Director, Corporate Communications
press@sunrun.com
Investor & Analyst Contact
Patrick Jobin
SVP, Deputy CFO & Investor Relations Officer
investors@sunrun.com
FAQ
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