Re:Battery-swap networks are preventing emergency blackouts
by pchristensen on Tuesday June 11, 2024 @02:30PM
(#40649787)
Utilities can have huge capital budgets, and programs like this are weighed against the cost of building new power plants or contracting with external power sources. It's money that was already going to be spent - programs like this redirect funds.
That happened a lot with solar panel leases, so now people have solar panels on their roofs that are effectively owned by a bankruptcy courts, which can make it hard to sell the house. (There's no one to contact to transfer the lease to the new owner.) Since GMP is a power company, that's probably less of a risk.
Anyway, the other features you mentioned are pretty standard. Enphase does all those things, and I'm pretty sure powerwalls, lg systems, generac, etc do too.
This page has info on the GMP program:
https://greenmountainpower.com/news/gmps-request-to-expand-c...
So, $55 / month for a lease of two powerwalls (26KWh total) which is $6600 over 10 years. They'll also provide a $10,500 incentive if you purchase your own battery. A powerwall costs $9300, so it'd be $8100 out of pocket to buy them instead of leasing.
(The above doesn't include installation.)
I wonder what happens at the end of the lease. Either way, the lease looks like a better deal, even if you assume a zero percent interest rate.