Residential applications for smart grid technologies continue to grow as electricity customers take more control of their energy usage and costs. Homeowners with rooftop solar have been selling power back to the grid for years, and more opportunities for power customers are coming as electric vehicle owners tap into the market via energy storage.
Homeowners and others who purchase generators, long a source of backup power during and after storms and other events, also have those opportunities, thanks to systems touted as “smart grid ready” that can be used as distributed energy resources (DERs) to help create virtual power plants (VPPs). Residential systems also are increasingly being used in demand response programs.
