Solar Power Giants Team Up: Tesla and Sunrun Announce Rooftop Solar Alliance Partnership
Tesla has launched a new venture called Tesla Electric, which operates under the umbrella of Tesla's grid-connected Powerwall residential energy storage business. This innovative move is part of a significant partnership with Sunrun, a leading solar energy company, aimed at transforming the rooftop solar market in Texas.
The partnership offers Texans a comprehensive home energy solution that addresses cost predictability, managed settings, seamless user experience, rollover credits, and a performance guarantee.
Cost Predictability
The Tesla Electric + Sunrun Flex plan provides Texans with fixed electricity rates through a monthly subscription model. This offers customers predictable, affordable monthly payments, helping them avoid fluctuating or high utility bills.
Managed Settings
Tesla manages the Powerwall battery settings and solar crediting under this partnership, optimizing energy storage and usage. This includes automatic backup capabilities during power outages, an important feature given Texas’ history of grid reliability issues.
Seamless Experience
Customers benefit from integrated monitoring, maintenance, and repairs as part of the Sunrun Flex subscription. The Tesla app allows 24/7 monitoring of electricity sources, enabling users to ensure their electricity use is offset with 100% Texas-generated renewable energy, streamlining the user interface and control.
Rollover Credits
The plan includes the ability to earn and roll over credits when customers use less energy than their baseline. Additionally, members can earn over 50% more credits on electricity bills by contributing stored Powerwall energy back to the grid, providing financial benefits and encouraging energy sharing.
Performance Guarantee
Sunrun Flex subscription includes a performance guarantee along with system monitoring and maintenance. This ensures reliable system operation and customer assurance regarding solar panel and battery performance.
This collaboration is positioned as a strong response to Texas's power grid challenges, increasing solar adoption by simplifying energy management and enhancing financial and operational certainty for consumers.
The Tesla-Sunrun partnership leverages the strengths of both companies to provide Texas homeowners with a reliable, cost-effective solar plus storage solution that enhances grid stability through the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program and emphasizes renewable, local energy use.
While the Tesla Solar venture has faced challenges in recent years, the partnership with Sunrun aims to supercharge the rooftop solar market in Texas by seamlessly hooking up Tesla's Powerwall business with Sunrun's rooftop solar power solution. Seamless customer service between Sunrun and Tesla is ensured to integrate the electric plan and Flex system. Sunrun's partnership with Tesla Electric aims to provide a complete home energy solution in Texas.
Every Sunrun Flex subscription includes 24/7 system monitoring, free maintenance and repairs, along with solar performance and battery health guarantees. During months when homeowners exceed the minimum, an additional "Flex Rate" kicks in, but they can also earn rollover credits by using less energy than the baseline.
Despite some reported decline in Powerwall interest among householders and rooftop solar installers, Tesla's Powerwall business continues to deliver strong performance, partly due to the strong performance of Sunrun in California and other states. Customers can enjoy predictable, affordable monthly payments with the ability to flex their energy usage.
[1] https://www.tesla.com/news/tesla-sunrun-partnership-announcement [2] https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/tesla-sunrun-announce-texas-partnership-for-virtual-power-plant-program [3] https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sunrun-and-tesla-partner-to-deploy-virtual-power-plant-in-texas [4] https://www.tesla.com/news/sunrun-and-tesla-announce-flex-plan-for-texas-homeowners [5] https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/tesla-sunrun-partnership-lowers-costs-for-texas-homeowners-with-flex-plan
- Tesla's Electric venture, in partnership with Sunrun, offers Texans a predictable electricity budget through a monthly subscription model called the Tesla Electric + Sunrun Flex plan, designed to help avoid fluctuating or high utility bills.
- Leveraging technology from both companies, Tesla manages the Powerwall battery settings and solar crediting, providing optimized energy storage and usage, including automatic backup capabilities during power outages.
- Customers benefit from integrated monitoring, maintenance, and repairs as part of the Sunrun Flex subscription, allowing 24/7 monitoring of electricity sources and seamless control using the Tesla app.
- The plan includes the ability to earn and roll over credits when customers use less energy than their baseline and also encourages energy sharing by providing financial benefits, such as earning over 50% more credits by contributing stored Powerwall energy back to the grid.
- The partnership's performance guarantee ensures reliable system operation, monitoring, and maintenance, promoting grid stability through the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program and emphasizing renewable, local energy use.
