Texas continues to lead the way when it comes to tapping into the benefits of clean energy and energy-storing batteries.
Homeowners in three Lennar communities in Dallas and Austin are getting home backup batteries for free when they sign up for Base Power's monthly electricity services.
Electrek reported on the pilot program between homebuilder Lennar and Base, a distributed batteries company that operates as a virtual power plant.
Base's tech is an asset to the grid, boosting stability by optimizing energy usage from a variety of different sources, including clean energy ones like solar. When the grid goes down, the batteries provide backup energy for homeowners.
The deal is a further boon for homeowners as they avoid paying any upfront costs for the 20 kWh backup battery, nor anything for home installation.
Texas' grid took on a host of challenges in the summer. Record-setting battery deployment helped ease the pressure on the grid as electricity demand spiked to record highs. Fortunately, the state is a leader in clean energy, with Tesla's Megapacks playing a key role in keeping the lights on for most. However, Lennar did allude to homeowners who weren't so lucky.
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"Over the past summer, more than 3.5 million Texans lost power due to extreme weather and other factors," said Eric Feder, president of Lennar investment affiliate LENx in a news release. "Our investment in Base helps Lennar homeowners avoid this increasingly common occurrence with a worry-free solution."
Home battery systems like Base's or the Tesla Powerwall are an increasingly popular remedy to provide backup in case the grid goes down. While Base and Lennar's program doesn't require homeowners to put up solar panels, pairing solar panels with batteries is a great way to save money and also develop energy resilience in case of emergencies.
After the pilot program, Lennar indicated it would like to bring the program to all its communities in Texas. Electrek readers were a bit skeptical of the notion that the offering was truly free.
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One asked: "If you pay — maybe big money — for a house that 'includes' battery packs… Are they 'free' or just 'included in the price'?"
"I bought an air freshener from a car dealership for $25,000 and it came with a free car," another joked.
"Base manages some of the energy in the battery," a user countered. "It's a win-win for Base and the customer."
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