Energy 101

Climate change is here and, with it, the transition to clean energy. But clean energy is still expensive, and big investments in infrastructure will be needed for years to come. So who pays? Everybody. But businesses pay more because, politically, it’s harder to pass on cost hikes to residential customers than to commercial ones.

Utility-scale solar plants, in the right area, can now generate electricity at lower costs than conventional plants can. However, solar electricity is produced only when the sun shines, and it’s intermittent with cloud cover. Energy consumers can’t depend solely on the fickle nature of solar generation.

In California, the “peak-y production profile” of renewables like solar is already causing grid problems. In the summer, there’s so much solar-produced energy that some of it goes to waste. And the daily bell curve of rising and falling production is tough to manage. As California moves from 35% (today) to 100% renewable energy, these problems will get worse.

To contend with the rush of solar energy coming onto the grid in the middle of the day, utilities have adjusted commercial electricity rates: lower during peak solar production periods and higher during peak demand periods. This adjustment makes onsite solar credits significantly less valuable, while charging customers higher rates after the sun goes down. In other words, you get paid less for production and have to pay more when you need energy most. And there’s another problem: Traditional solar can’t provide backup power. When the grid goes down, so do you.

What if you could store solar energy onsite for use when rates are higher and the sun isn’t shining? You can – and when you do, solar becomes more profitable. By combining intelligent storage, smart software, and grid know-how, you can not only optimize energy use around the clock but also provide backup power. The result is a triple win: reduced utility costs, increased reliability, and a smaller carbon footprint. And if you add EV charging stations, you gain multiple new sources of revenue, too.

At Intertie, we make it simple and beneficial for your building to become part of the clean energy solution and the clean energy market. With our all-in-one technology, you can simultaneously add solar power, store it onsite, optimize your energy consumption, and host EV charging stations. Our software is AI-powered, adapting to your needs and optimizing profitability.

Here’s something nobody else can offer: underground battery storage. Other solutions require you to create space onsite – often, quite a bit of it. With Intertie, you don’t have to sacrifice commercial space, parking spaces, or any other square footage to become a clean energy asset. Plus, our smart software minimizes costs and maximizes revenue, so your ROI keeps going up.