Solar power coming to some renters

Some renters in Montrose soon will be able to plug in to an electrical grid powered by solar panels atop their apartment buildings — just like homeowners who pay for the pricey rooftop equipment.

PearlX, which specializes in virtual power grids and solar installations for multifamily housing, and rooftop solar company SolarEdge said Thursday that their first virtual power plant system in Texas would be installed at the 2410 Waugh Apartments in Montrose before the end of March.

Officials with the companies say they hope that the apartment residents will be the first of nearly 1,300 tenants in Texas who will be offered power through Project Tex-Flex. The installations will allow renters at the project’s properties free access to the solar energy, cutting their power bills, and will let them tap into the power even if the state’s grid operator experiences blackouts like those seen during last year’s deadly winter storm.

To qualify for the program, tenants — regardless of their credit score — just need to show that they’ve paid their most recent electricity bills on time, said Michael Huerta, CEO of PearlX.

“Mainstream solar and especially storage has traditionally been an amenity for the wealthy. If you don’t have good credit, you don’t have access,” he said. “Credit is the ability to repay. Electricity is the ability to live. Payment for electricity we believe is the highest form of credit.”

Landlords will receive a percentage of the tenant’s subscription fee.

The number of solar rooftop installations in Texas grew by 63 percent in 2020, raising power production to 1,093 megawatts from 670 megawatts a year earlier. One megawatt is enough electricity to power about 200 homes on a hot summer day.

While Texas still trails only California in the total amount of residential solar power production, it led the nation and set a record for residential solar installations during the first three months of 2021, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood MacKenzie.

The micro power plants, like the one that will be installed atop the Montrose apartment building, are a staple of many of those installations. They use cloud-based technology to offer real-time control, management, and reporting of energy resources — like rooftop solar installations. They can deliver excess energy back to the main grid in tight conditions, like the freeze, but can also supply power to those with the installations at the same time, even if there are blackouts in their neighborhoods at the time.

“Developments in software are providing the grid with an unparalleled level of control to optimize the use of solar for different communities,” said Peter Matthews, general manager of SolarEdge’s North American operations. “This is making solar power more available and flexible, so that even renters can benefit from renewable energy.” shelby.webb@chron.com