November 5, 2023
Generac Grid Services, part of Generac Power Systems, Waukesha, Wis., a global designer and manufacturer of energy technology solutions and other power products, has been selected for negotiations by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive a $50 million grant to enhance the U.S. power grid’s ability to deliver affordable, clean energy to lower income homeowners in Massachusetts.
Funding from the grant would be used to install Generac’s suite of whole-home energy solutions in homes across the state, including behind-the-meter Wi-Fi thermostats and batteries, and optimize the use of electric heat pumps in combination with batteries and thermostats to improve reliability for residents.
Generac said it will utilize its advanced Concerto technology to aggregate and manage the energy assets as a virtual power plant (VPP).
“We’d like to thank the DOE for this opportunity and look forward to working with the state and our partners to lead the evolution to more resilient, efficient and sustainable energy solutions for the residents of Massachusetts,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO, Generac.
This project will engage local community leaders to bring benefits such as increased resiliency and job opportunities for communities with projects and will develop a replicable model that can be scaled to communities across the country, the company said, adding that along with providing reliability and economic benefits, the project will support Massachusetts’ decarbonization and GHG reduction goals.
The funds are part of the federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program, which seeks to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change. Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, the GRIP program leverages federal, state and private investments to ensure that communities across the nation have a reliable grid that is prepared for extreme weather while also delivering affordable, clean energy and creating robust local opportunities for economic investment and jobs. The state of Massachusetts, electric utilities and energy efficiency program managers in the state will provide incentives for electric heat pump installations through the MassSaves program.
Generac is partnering with Massachusetts and national organizations to execute the program, including:
- Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)
- Fraunhofer USA, Building Energy Systems
- Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) and the energy efficiency program administrators
Generac also is collaborating with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and utilities across the state.
The company said it expects the first battery deployments to begin in late 2024 or early 2025. More information on the initiative is available through Generac and the Grid Deployment Office.
