Dive Brief:
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JuiceBox Energy on Feb. 17 announced a partnership with Simmitri Inc., a designer and installer of solar systems, aimed at extending its penetration into the residential solar market.
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In January, JuiceBox also formed a partnership with Arise Solar, a Clovis, Calif., designer, financer and installer of solar systems.
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Privately held JuiceBox last April introduced its 8.6 kWh lithium-ion energy storage system for solar energy storage and smart home connectivity last April and installed the first system in December, at the Fresno home of Arise Solar CEO Glenn Siemens.
Dive Insight:
The residential solar+ storage system is heating up as the pace of new entrants continues to gain momentum in the wake of Tesla Motors unveiling last spring of its Powerwall residential storage system.
Since then, companies such as sonnen and SimplPhi have announced plans to compete with Tesla.
But most companies are not going it alone. Instead, they are forming partnerships with companies with existing capabilities in solar installation, PV manufacturing or in financing energy systems. Sonnen, for instance, in February formed partnerships with SolarWorld and PetersenDean.
JuiceBox is one of several companies giving Tesla a run for its money in energy storage. The Milpitas, Calif., company unveiled its 8.6 kWh lithium-ion energy storage system for solar energy storage last April and installed the first system in December. The company has now teamed up with solar design and installation firms, Simmitri and Arise Solar.
“JuiceBox Energy’s storage system enables our customers to shift toward self-supply and away from dependence on the grid, while at the same time empowering them to actively manage their usage profile,” Simmitri CEO Tom Dinette said in a statement.
JuiceBox, also in January, teamed up with Sprint to provide real-time communications and controls for its storage systems. JuiceBox is also building a network of certified solar storage installers and in July graduated its 50th installer.
