SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With more than 30 percent of American households experiencing some form of energy insecurity, Yotta Energy, a leader in modular energy storage technology, was awarded $1.23 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a solar and storage system to address energy inequality in lower-income areas. The project will include battery backup for a multifamily property located in Santa Ana, California, and will show how Yotta’s scalable technology can increase energy reliability and provide cost savings in underserved communities throughout California. In addition to economic benefits, the project will also examine reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, improvements to the surrounding environment, and implications to the existing utility grid by adding solar + storage in a low-income community.
"Our state has long been dedicated to introducing and integrating renewable energy, but as lower-income areas lagged behind in adoption due to a lack of resources, these communities have experienced elevated air pollution levels," said CEC Chair David Hochschild. “We look forward to working with Yotta Energy on this project to demonstrate the viability of these installations and how we can replicate similar types across the state.”
Yotta will work with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and Promise Energy, a leading solar developer.
The initiative will also demonstrate how solar and storage solutions can provide economic benefit for the city of Santa Ana. At scale, this can become a cost-effective solution that drives higher solar plus storage adoption rates, providing a pathway to an affordable, distributed energy resource solution for the residential market in California. Further, it decreases the existing fragility of the grid by offering alternative, local, and decarbonized power.
Through replication and scaling, Yotta hopes to expand its solutions to other similar locations throughout the country, providing sustainable initiatives to make solar energy storage and usage more accessible.
"This is a significant step for the city of Santa Ana as the state looks to adopt and implement greener technologies into its buildings," said Omeed Badkoobeh, CEO of Yotta Energy. "Not only will this project lead to a cleaner, healthier local environment, but it will also open the door for economic prosperity and growth in Santa Ana. As we expect to continue growing and implementing our solution in communities nationwide, we look forward to ensuring that everyone has access to a reliable energy supply.”
The project is scheduled to kick off in August 2022. Ahead of installing the solar + storage system, Yotta will also perform data collection at SolarTAC’s Colorado facility, which is the largest testing facility for solar technologies.
Yotta's technology features a unique PV-coupled architecture that provides efficient energy storage at a lower total installed cost. This technology incorporates lithium-iron-phosphate batteries designed with advanced thermal management. The integrated software plus hardware solution enables Yotta to address grid outages by enhancing grid resilience and reliability. In April, the Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program awarded Yotta $1.97 million for a new solar and storage microgrid project at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada.
About Yotta Energy
Yotta Energy is a renewable energy storage company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Yotta has developed unique PV-Coupled™ architecture, a smart energy storage solution designed to scale with rooftop solar PV projects effortlessly. At about the size of a briefcase, Yotta's patented panel-level energy storage solution can fit under any industry standard solar module, neatly integrating with the solar racking array. Yotta's technology features advanced thermal management to maintain an optimal working temperature even under extreme outdoor conditions. As an integrated software plus hardware solution, Yotta also helps address grid outages by enhancing grid resilience and reliability. Yotta’s technology allows for a much lower total installation cost for rooftop solar-plus-storage than any other current energy storage system available today. Learn more at www.yottaenergy.com.
About The California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission is leading the state to a 100 percent clean energy future for all. As the state's primary energy policy and planning agency, the Energy Commission plays a critical role in creating the energy system of the future - one that is clean, is modern, and ensures the fifth largest economy in the world continues to thrive. www.energy.ca.gov
