CARLSBAD — The first LG Chem residential energy storage unit in the continental United States went live in Carlsbad. Installed by Sullivan Solar Power, this milestone is a big step toward grid independence for Americans.
“This is solar power of the future, today,” said Daniel Sullivan, founder and president of Sullivan Solar Power. “We’re trying to move away from fossil fuels, and we now have the technology to make homes invisible to the grid, power your car and business and it’s less expensive than sticking with the dirty utility company.”
The LG Chem battery installed at the Keefe residence is a 10kWh, lithium-ion battery, and is the same battery used in more than 700,000 electric vehicles on the roads today.
“I ran out of reasons not to go solar, and the battery technology now makes sense,” said Bob Keefe, the executive director of a national organization which advocates for smart policies that are good for the economy and the environment.
The actual installation of the Keefes’ battery took a couple of hours and was concurrent with their solar power installation. Sullivan Solar Power’s superintendent, Peter Chiang, completed the installation. Chiang scored a 100 percent on the LG Chem written certification test.
“The battery that was just installed at my house is the same battery in electric vehicles and similar to the batteries the military relies on to move our troops in dangerous parts of the world,” said Keefe. “If these batteries are reliable enough to power a car 70 mph on dark road at night and reliable enough for military, it’s good enough to sit in my garage, capturing and storing the energy created from my solar.”
Keefe is an applicant for California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), which provides preferential rebates for batteries that are paired with solar power systems. It launched April 10 and is a multi-step program where incentives reduce over time. The San Diego Gas & Electric rebate is being administered by Center for Sustainable Energy, and is in step three of the program.
The LG Chem battery and the Panasonic Powerwall are the two most popular batteries in the state of California. Sullivan Solar Power has the most LG Chem reservations in the state, securing just under $600,000 in rebates for customers.
To learn more about solar with a battery for your home or business, visit www.sullivansolarpower.com/thefuture or call 1-800-SULLIVAN.
