The Solar Home That Powers Itself Down

October 30, 2009

Home energy management startup Tendril has teamed up with solar panel monitoring startup Fat Spaniel to find ways to turn down appliances and air conditioners when rooftop solar power dips.

Solar panels are a great resource for homeowners – when the sun’s shining.

Demand response – turning down household loads like air conditioners and appliances – is a great resource for utilities when they’re facing peak loads on their electricity grids.

Why not tie the two together? That way, household appliances could run on household solar power when the sun’s shining, then power down when passing clouds cut that solar power. That could give utilities a new tool to manage the uncertainties surrounding lots of grid-connected rooftop solar systems that they now can’t control.