More Utahns getting solar storage batteries, joining the virtual power grid model

KAYSVILLE, Utah — More homes are being built or retrofitted with solar panels, but the traditional model of pumping the power back into the grid just isn’t cutting it.Nic Evans, the VP of Commercial at ES Solar said, “In California, there’s a huge problem with a lot of solar going into the grid when they don’t necessarily need it.”So now Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) is offering the Wattsmart Battery Program.This is where solar panels on a home are connected to a solar energy storage battery in the home.Evans is also one of about 1,000 Utah homeowners who are enrolled in the program.He said, “I think the most common question I get asked by neighbors is ‘Does it really work?’ and it absolutely works.”The battery lets homeowners use their stored solar power whenever they want.Evans said he likes to keep it in self-consumption mode, which means he gets to consume everything that…

Read more…