IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Apple Valley has partnered with a Silicon Valley company to provide the High Desert town’s homeowners with solar panels and storage batteries.
PoweredUp Apple Valley, which was recently approved unanimously by the town council, will be available to more than 17,000 households regardless of their income or credit rating, according to a statement on the town’s website.
The program is expected to start early next year. It will be the seventh Sustainable Community Networks program undertaken by Electriq Power Holdings Inc., which is based in San Leandro.
“Solar offers many benefits to homeowners, but many, especially low-to-moderate-income homeowners, often can’t afford to purchase and install solar+storage systems,” said Frank Magnotti, Electriq Power’s chief executive officer, in the statement. “The goal of these programs is to ensure that anyone can access solar energy, so every homeowner can benefit.”
Programs like Sustainable Community Networks can reduce an electric bill up to 20 percent a year, and its battery-stored energy can be used during high-demand periods when utility rates are high, according to the statement.
