National Grid’s ConnectedSolutions program seeks to pay energy storage owners up to $400-kW during high grid demand events in Rhode Island, and $225 in Massachusetts.

The grid’s edge is taking a growing share of the revenue, and for good technical reason. California’s home mandate will accelerate this as solar power pricing plummets when integrated at time of construction. As our ability to manage our grid with home based solar+storage hardware increases, even larger grid benefits will come into view. And, even this morning, we’re seeing it happen in bigger ways.

National Grid has extended the application period for it ConnectedSolutions program in Rhode Island (pdf technical description) and Massachusetts (pdf technical description) to August 1. The program will pay home owners who install residential energy storage and give the electricity utility access to that hardware to make use of during high power grid demand moments.

In Rhode Island, National Grid arm (above image) will pay for summer and winter grid events, whereas in Massachusetts (below image) the utility will pay only during the summer. The program will limit any specific system to 75 individual events during the year, with the contract for this program lasting five years.

The Massachusetts program application is here (pdf) and the Rhode Island application here.

On SolarEdge’s Massachusetts ConnectedSolutions page, the company worked out the total revenue – per year – that could be gained if your system were to be used the maximum number of times the program.

A SolarEdge 7.6KW + Single LG Chem RESU-10H operating under ideal conditions, during all events in both summer and winter over the five-year performance period may earn up to $2,940 for summer events, and $650 for winter events, A possible total of $3590. A SolarEdge 7.6KW + Two LG Chem RESU-10H performing optimally during all events in both summer and winter may earn up to $5625 for summer events and $1250 for winter events. A possible total of $6875.

With the full installation of one of these units probably adding $8,000 to a solar power installation, before 30% tax credit, it is clear that being part of this program for five years could – on its own – cover the cost of a home battery. However, while some of the graphs wording might suggest there is a minimum number of payouts a homeowner would receive, pv magazine USA’s reading of the documentation this morning couldn’t confirm that, and we’ve send out an email to the appropriate parties to get further clarity.

The program is available to anyone with an energy storage system from Pika Energy, Sunrun, Tesla, and soon sonnen.