Sunrun customers utilized solar-plus-storage systems to keep their lights on, food refrigerated, and fans running during widespread outages that affected millions of Texans
Houston Home Stays Energized with Solar and Battery Power
Brent McNiel, a Sunrun customer and employee, powered his home with his solar-plus-storage system during a neighborhood outage in Houston. He used extension cords to keep his neighbors’ fridges and fans running and hosted another family at his home until grid power was restored.
Storm Downs Power Lines for Millions
The Category 1 hurricane’s powerful force snapped tree limbs and power poles, leaving nearly 3 million customers without electricity.
Providing Energy Security and Peace of Mind
Equipped with a home solar and battery system, Sunrun customers Jeff and Jennifer Wright kept their food refrigerated, lights on, and phones and computers charged during Hurricane Beryl.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — During prolonged power outages in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, more than 1,600 customers of Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, in the greater Houston area were able to keep their homes energized with more than 70,000 hours of backup energy provided by their solar-plus-storage systems. Beryl slammed ashore as a Category 1 storm on July 8, knocking out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses in Texas. Some residents waited more than a week for grid power to be restored in their area.
“I went without utility power for nine days, but everything in my house that I needed power for was available because of my Sunrun panels and battery,” said Michael Shepard from Porter, TX. “It’s been essential, and I recommend it to anybody so that they can have the ability to store the sun’s energy and be self-sufficient during these outages.”
Sunrun’s systems charge the batteries during the day using solar energy collected by the panels, which simultaneously powers the home. During the night, the home is powered solely by the stored energy discharged from the batteries. This renewable process ensures customers can endure extended grid outages. In Shepard’s case, he was able to power his home for over 200 consecutive hours without needing to procure gas for a noisy, polluting generator.
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Beryl and the subsequent grid outages that have left many struggling to secure basic necessities,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell. “We are also deeply saddened by reports of numerous hospitalizations due to carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators. We believe that combining residential solar with at-home batteries is a better, healthier, and safer solution to protect families and households from these types of life-threatening power outages.”
In the days and weeks following Beryl’s landfall, more than 1,600 Sunrun customers relied on their solar-plus-storage systems for backup power, accumulating a total of 70,000 backup hours. On average, each customer received 44 hours of backup power, indicating that the typical Sunrun customer was without reliable grid power for approximately two or more days.
“I recently got my Sunrun system installed, and I’m lucky I did because I’ve already been through two outages,” said Xavier Harris of Katy, TX. “We didn’t lose power. Everything was functioning in my house, including the air conditioning, TV, internet, and ice machine. Why sit in the dark for five or six days when you can have a sustainable option to power your home?”
“In the past, we’ve had to throw away expensive medication when our fridge lost power, but that didn’t happen this time around, thanks to Sunrun,” said Houston resident Allante McGowan. “It definitely gives me peace of mind to know that everything will still work in my home.”
Sunrun customers also offered relief from the summer heat to their neighbors by sharing their clean solar energy. Brent McNiel, a Sunrun customer and regional sales manager in Richmond, TX, was directly in the storm’s path. Using extension cords, he provided power to his neighbors’ refrigerators, freezers, and fans, and even invited another family to stay at his home to access air conditioning.
“I took a photo of my house with all the lights glowing while my entire neighborhood was pitch black,” McNiel said. “It was an honor to open our home to guests and to help our neighbors keep essential appliances running during the outage. They were amazed that my home still had power, which led to many conversations about the benefits of Sunrun’s solar and battery systems.”
Sunrun is a storage-first company, with more than 102,000 battery systems installed across the country. These battery systems not only provide backup power during grid outages but also enable customers to support their local power grid by sharing stored solar energy during peak demand, helping to control costs and prevent power emergencies.
“We fully support expanding access for Texas families to these home solutions,” Powell added. “In addition to safeguarding homes against outages, the solar and battery systems can also be aggregated and deployed to meet demand and provide relief to a stressed power grid.”
With nearly a million customers, Sunrun leads the industry in innovation and customer service. Sunrun provides solar and storage solutions with no upfront costs, enabling more households to join the clean energy revolution and gain greater energy security, as well as control over their energy production and usage.
About Sunrun
Sunrun Inc. (Nasdaq: RUN) revolutionized the solar industry in 2007 by removing financial barriers and democratizing access to locally-generated, renewable energy. Today, Sunrun is the nation’s leading provider of clean energy as a subscription service, offering residential solar and storage with no upfront costs. Sunrun’s innovative products and solutions can connect homes to the cleanest energy on earth, providing them with energy security, predictability, and peace of mind. Sunrun also manages energy services that benefit communities, utilities, and the electric grid while enhancing customer value. Discover more at www.sunrun.com
Media Contact
Wyatt Semanek
Director, Corporate Communications
press@sunrun.com
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investors@sunrun.com
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