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Gaia Power Technologies Partners with Southern California Edison to Increase Efficiency of Residential Solar Energy Systems

March 27, 2007 by Jeff Shepard

Gaia Power Technologies announced a partnership with Southern California Edison (SCE) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) designed to maximize the value of residential solar systems in California.

The recent passage of the California Solar Initiative is expected to drive an increase in photovoltaic (PV) installations across SCE’s service territory, offering an opportunity to increase SCE’s utilization of renewable energy sources. In an initiative to maximize the value of these PV installations, SCE sought a means to align the peak power output from the typical PV system to the peak power demand from its customers.

Gaia Power Technologies’ energy storage experience offers a scalable and cost-effective means of maximizing the value of residential PV installations. SCE will use Gaia’s flagship product, the PowerTower, to store electricity generated from residential solar systems, and release that electricity during periods of peak power demand to maximize the value of the electricity to the utility and the consumer.

The Power Tower will interface with SCE’s SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system, allowing full control of the PowerTowers by SCE, and creating a seamless and invisible experience for residents. Several PowerTowers will be installed during the summer of 2007 across SCE’s service territory in an effort funded by the CEC.

Ib Olsen, Chief Technology Officer for Gaia Power Technologies said of the project, "Energy storage is the key to making renewable energy projects a reliable component of our energy infrastructure. Our PowerTower systems combine a turnkey, modular design practical for distributed installation with the level of control Southern California Edison needs to maximize the potential of residential PV systems."