Enphase batteries to be used in US virtual power plants

From pv magazine USA

Enphase Energy has agreed to participate in Swell Energy’s virtual power plant (VPP) program in Hawaii, New York and California.

Swell Energy’s VPPs aggregate solar and energy storage systems to provide savings to customers for sending excess stored solar energy to the grid. Customers in the three states that have Enphase’s IQ Batteries will be able to participate in the program.

VPPs offer a range of services to utilities, including a reduced dependence on fossil fuels and increased grid reliability and stability. By aggregating distributed energy resources, Swell Energy is able to participate in the wholesale market, connecting homeowners to the advantages of the transactive energy market.

“Our partnership with Enphase enables homeowners to interact with the power grid in new ways and maximize the value delivered by their home batteries,” said Suleman Khan, CEO of Swell Energy. “The combined offer puts participating customers in control of their electrons with greater functionality, automation, and value within the transactive grid of the future.”

Enphase’s IQ batteries are lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which the company said provide a long life cycle and smooth operation, due to their thermal stability. The Enphase Power Start technology is integrated with the battery, allowing for a seamless power-on of air conditioners and well-pumps during outages. A single unit of the IQ Battery 10 system comes with integrated microinverters, three 3.36kWh base battery units, and a battery case. The total capacity is 10.5kWh, with a round-trip efficiency of 96%.

The batteries can be mounted on walls. Through an Enphase app, homeowners can monitor charge levels, and the IQ batteries can perform remote software upgrades. The batteries are equipped with a 10 year/ 4000 cycles limited warranty.

Enphase also builds the IQ8 inverter, which has the ability to form a microgrid in the case of an outage, even if no home energy storage is attached.

“Together with Swell we share a mission to provide a world-class customer experience and cutting edge, smart technology,” said Dave Ranhoff, chief commercial officer at Enphase Energy. “Swell’s programs make it even more compelling for homeowners to choose Enphase Energy Systems, so they can reliably and efficiently run their lives on clean energy, protect against grid outages, and better manage costs.”