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Get a Solar-Powered Home Battery in Vermont

Extreme weather events1 are challenging the nation’s increasingly outdated energy infrastructure.2 Vermont power outages left residents in the dark for the longest periods of time compared to every other state besides Montana, according to a recent report.3 In the face of blackouts, dirty fossil fuels and rising energy costs,4 Vermonters deserve a reliable, clean and affordable back-up energy solution.

With BrightboxTM, Sunrun’s solar-powered home battery, households in Vermont can participate in Green Mountain Power’s innovative bring-your-own-device (BYOD) battery program from as little as zero dollars down and at a consistent, low monthly rate. 

 

Power Through Power Outages With Brightbox

For as little as $0 down, Vermont residents can access home battery backup to power through the next power outage. With Brightbox, Vermont households can take control and get the energy security they deserve.

*Our Brightbox solar battery service is currently only available for new Sunrun customers.

BYOD: Power for the People, by the People

Green Mountain Power’s BYOD battery program paves the way towards a cleaner energy system. During times of high demand, Sunrun will harness the power of home batteries across the state to provide clean energy back to Green Mountain Power’s electricity system, while making sure each battery still has enough power in case of a blackout.5 

Green Mountain Power has enjoyed success leveraging batteries as a source of clean, affordable energy. During a heat wave in July 2017, the utility was able to save its customers $500,000 in just one hour by using the electricity from its hundreds of local batteries6 instead of drawing power from expensive, dirty fossil fuels like oil and gas. Customers were able to rely on renewable, affordable energy when they needed it most. 

Now with Brightbox, even more Vermont households can be a part of the Green Mountain State’s clean energy revolution.

Home Battery Technology

Solar-powered home battery storage in Vermont is crucial to energy independence and resilience. Sunrun’s Brightbox includes a powerful lithium-ion battery made by trusted partners like LG Chem to optimize affordability, efficiency and durability. When fully charged, your battery can provide approximately 8 to 12 hours of backup power for your home. The battery effortlessly replenishes when the sun rises the next morning.

5 Ways Brightbox Puts You in Control

Sunrun Brightbox Home Battery

Sunrun Brightbox Home Solar + Energy Storage

1. Financial Flexibility and Superior Service

Sunrun offers options to buy or lease your solar battery system in Vermont from as little as $0 down, you can enjoy clean, affordable home solar battery storage in Vermont. Our flexible solar leasing options come with an industry-leading, solar service package that includes daily system monitoring, free maintenance, repairs and panel and battery replacement. We’re always standing by to make sure your home battery is in top condition so you can keep powering on.

2. Backup Electricity During Power Outages 

While unpredictable weather puts Vermont at risk of power outages, you can have peace of mind with Brightbox in your home. With Brightbox, you’ll have a constant reserve of power. Brightbox also lets you choose which rooms and appliances you want to back up. So when the next power outage hits, you can keep food fresh, phones charged and the lights on.

3. Reliable Power With Solar

Vermont’s chart-topping power outages don’t have to hold you back. During a power outage, your rooftop solar panels will provide clean energy during the day while replenishing your battery’s energy stores to use at night. By recharging your home battery daily, you’ll be able to continue to run on the sun until the electricity grid is back up again.

4. Peak Shaving: Power in Numbers

Extreme weather events like heat waves can cause critically high demands for electricity. As a part of the BYOD program, Brightbox customers will help strengthen Vermont’s electricity system by sending solar energy stored in their batteries back to the grid. This “virtual power plant” reduces the need for dirty and expensive fossil fuels while “shaving off” peak energy costs. When you go solar with Brightbox, all Vermonters win. 

5. Powering the Local Economy

While Vermont is full of untapped solar potential,7 it imports most of its electricity from nearby states and Canada.8 According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), Vermont consumes about four times the amount of energy it produces.9 

Brightbox puts the power back in Vermonters’ hands. Vermont’s clean energy economy already supports more than 18,800 jobs, representing about 6% of the Green Mountain State’s workforce.10 When you choose Sunrun Brightbox, you choose a stronger Vermont for all.

Prepare for the Unpredictable

As extreme weather events continue to affect Vermont, Sunrun is hard at work creating a brighter future powered by clean energy. Vermont already has an ambitious goal to generate 90% of all its energy from renewable sources by 2050.11 With Sunrun ready to deliver clean, resilient, and affordable energy through Green Mountain Power’s BYOD battery program, together we can unite all Vermonters under the sun.

When you’re ready, our experienced solar advisors are here to help you every step of the way. See if you qualify and receive your free Brightbox quote today.

Make Your home a Brilliant Home with Sunrun Brightbox™

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Frequently Asked Questions

Vermont’s biggest solar energy storage incentive is the federal solar tax credit. The federal solar tax credit gives you a dollar-for-dollar reduction against your federal income tax. The 30% tax credit applies as long as the home solar system is installed by December 31, 2019. Starting in 2020, the value of the tax credit will step down to 26%, and then again to 22% in 2021. After 2021, the tax credit for residential solar ends.

We recommend you consult with a tax professional to get a full understanding of the credits you’re eligible for. 

Learn more about Vermont solar incentives.

At this time, Brightbox is only available to new Sunrun customers.  We are unable to install Brightbox if you already have an existing solar installation or if it isn’t offered in your area.

But if you’re still interested in Brightbox, please let us know. We’ll contact you when we expand our services. Know that we’re constantly improving our technology to provide a better customer experience.

Yes. Brightbox is part of Sunrun’s solar-as-a-service offering. When you go solar with Sunrun, you can add Brightbox home battery storage if it is offered in your market.

Brightbox works in tandem with the grid, and is not designed as an off-grid solution.

For most households, one battery is sufficient to backup your most important appliances. In the event of a blackout, your Brightbox battery provides approximately  8 to 12 hours of backup, powering your critical rooms and appliances when fully charged.

When the sun is back up, your solar panels will charge your battery so you can continue to backup your home until power is restored.

You can use a portable generator. However, Sunrun doesn’t offer backup generators. If you’re interested in installing a portable generator, contact a local electrician or renewable energy installation company. These experts can recommend a system appropriate for your home.

Please note that Brightbox cannot be installed on homes that already have a standby generator.

Brightbox installation is a relatively simple process. The battery itself is about the size of a water heater and easily mounted on a wall—usually inside your garage or outside of your home. The clearance required for a Brightbox battery and its accompanying components is 6.5’ H x 10’ W.

Having a Vermont solar battery service will help you power through blackouts, lock in low rates with flexible financing options, and get a clean alternative to loud and potentially dangerous diesel generators.

Your system is also covered by our Sunrun Guarantee, so we handle maintenance and repairs at no additional charge.

The amount of available backup power depends on what you choose to back up, what time of day and season the power outage happens, and how much energy your household uses. If the battery is fully charged, it can provide approximately 8 to 12 hours of backup. If your battery has been discharging throughout the day, it automatically holds a 20% reserve for a backup emergency, or about 3 to 4 hours for a blackout when the sun is down. When the sun comes back up, your Brightbox will start to charge again.

You can monitor your Brightbox battery’s performance on your mySunrun app. Sunrun also manages the battery remotely using proprietary software so we keep tabs on your system 24/7 to make sure it’s running as it should, and automatically updates your battery’s settings to save you as much money as possible.

Our BrightSave Monthly and Prepaid solar plans come with 24/7 proactive monitoring and maintenance on us. If we notice that your Brightbox or solar panels aren’t working at full capacity, we’ll send a technician over to fix it.

Brightbox is a home solar battery service that offers clean, reliable and affordable power. Brightbox can be used for backup when the grid is down, or give you better control over your home energy use and cost.

The electrical circuits in your home that power your lights and appliances are all connected to breakers, safely regulating the amount of power that feeds each circuit. Multiple appliances can be powered by one breaker. For instance, one breaker could power your refrigerator and nearby outlets or lighting in your kitchen. While you can’t necessarily target individual appliances, with Brightbox you can choose which breakers you’d like to back up. What you can back up depends on the current wiring of your home.

During a power outage, appliances like your refrigerator, electronics chargers for cell phones, laptops, and your TV can be backed up by Brightbox for approximately 8 to 12 hours. When the sun rises again, your solar panels will recharge your Brightbox. The most important rooms and appliances in your home will be powered by your home battery until the grid is up and running again. Learn more about how home solar batteries work.

Brightbox stores the electricity your rooftop solar produces during the day for when you need it most, such as at night or when the electric grid fails.

During  a power outage, your Brightbox battery automatically discharges power to your critical home appliances.

Learn more about how home solar batteries work.

Brightbox Solar Battery Storage Articles

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180321130859.htm 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidblackmon/2019/07/12/modernizing-americ...

https://switchon.eaton.com/plug/blackout-tracker 

https://www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2019/03/20190312_pr_2018-...

https://greenmountainpower.com/bring-your-own-device/ 

https://www.concordmonitor.com/green-mountain-power-18869126

https://www.google.com/get/sunroof/data-explorer/place/ChIJ_87aSGzctEwRt...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/24/climate/how-electricity-g...

https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VT

https://www.revermont.org/about-us/

https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=VT

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