HOUSTON, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Voltus, Inc. (Voltus), the leading distributed energy resource (DER) software platform and virtual power plant (VPP) operator, today announced that it will partner with Branch Energy to open new revenue streams for Branch’s battery-hosting commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, improving customer resilience against electric service disruptions and supporting grid reliability in Texas.
Branch Energy provides businesses with long-term energy price stability through a combination of fixed-price energy supply contracts and behind-the-meter battery storage systems that Branch installs at no-cost to its customers. The charge and discharge of these distributed batteries are optimized for economic arbitrage in real-time by Branch Energy’s proprietary demand management software, which dispatches battery capacity based on analyses of Texas power price data.
“Our customers work with us because we consistently deliver on our promise to deliver reliable electricity at a below-market cost,” said Branch Energy Co-founder and CEO, Alex Ince-Cushman. “And with ERCOT anticipating a near-doubling of system peak demand by 2030, both the challenge and urgency of delivering on that promise is intensifying. Our partnership with Voltus ensures that our customers can maximize the economic benefit of their behind-the-meter battery assets, while providing a valuable grid resource in this high load growth environment.”
This partnership integrates Voltus’s platform — which monetizes every type of DER by connecting them to wholesale electricity markets — with Branch Energy’s demand management software. The integration of these technologies equips Branch Energy with the intelligence needed to determine on an hourly basis whether a customer-sited battery will deliver more value to customers by participating in economic arbitrage or by participating in the wholesale market with Voltus.
“The Texas grid’s vulnerability to extreme weather and rapid load growth underscores the critical need for flexible demand-side resources — both for the reliability and resilience of the system as a whole, as well as a tool for offsetting rising energy costs,” said Dan Svejnar, SVP of Growth at Voltus. “Together, Voltus and Branch will ensure that customers continue to enjoy stable, substantially below-market electricity rates without compromising site reliability.”
“The Branch-Voltus alliance in Texas joins together two innovators in the distributed energy space where they’re needed most,” said Tim Woodward, Managing Director of Climate Tech focused venture capital firm, Prelude Ventures, which has equity stakes in both Voltus and Branch. “They’re building a new, customer-centric, transactive energy model that holds a great deal of promise for consumers nationwide.”
At present, the Branch Energy and Voltus partnership encompasses engagements with 15 Branch Energy customers, whose battery energy storage systems will be installed on-site by year’s end. Voltus will connect these devices to ERCOT-operated markets to provide ancillary services. These batteries will continue to have capacity reserved for on-site consumption by host customers, a backstop for potential outages that will not compromise savings potential.
About Voltus
Voltus is a leading DER technology platform and virtual power plant operator connecting distributed energy resources to electricity markets, delivering less expensive, more reliable, and more sustainable electricity. Our commercial and industrial customers and DER partners generate cash by allowing Voltus to maximize the value of their flexible load, distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle resources in these markets. To learn more, visit http://www.voltus.co.
Media contact
Mona Khaldi
press@voltus.co
