Former Tesla Energy Chief Launches Home Electrification Startup

Bloomberg — Kunal Girotra, who was the head of energy at electric car maker Tesla, will be officially launched Lunar Energy, a new startup that aims to simplify the transition to whole-home electrification. Until February 2020, gyrotra Served as Senior Director of Energy Operations for Tesla (TSLA) and is now the CEO and founder of Lunar.

This is a California company development plans software s hardware To create an “ecosystem” so that a home equipped with solar panels and equipment consumes energy efficientlyJirotra explains. In the past year and a half, Lunar has completed two rounds of financing, each valued at $150 million; Its sponsors include the largest solar panel installer in the United States, Sunrun Inc. (Being) and the South Korean holding company SK Inc. (034730). According to Girotra, Lunar has been in a quiet development phase since mid-2020, and he did not want to reveal his current rating.

The company expects to introduce its first product at the end of the year, the Girotra He just said that it is a battery system for residential use that allows for regulation of the energy load and that the house “becomes its own power station”. That is, take the power from the grid when needed, store it from the panel system Solar From home when possible and feed the excess power back to the grid for sale. “All you have to do is get solar panels,” Girotra explains. “We take care of the rest and We provide end-to-end energy storage system“.

The Energy Information Administration (AIE) indicates this About 26% of US homes are fully electrifiedThat is, electricity is the only source of energy for it. The Most homes use electricity with at least one other fuel source To make your devices work. Lunar is confident that a more uniform and economical energy storage system will make more consumers switch to the exclusive use of electricity.

In June 2021, the moon It acquired the British company Moixa, which software Cloud based connects multiple home batteries to sell excess power to the grid. Lunar paid an undisclosed amount by the company, which It currently has a fleet of batteries in the UK, as well as more than 30,000 in Japan. Girotra says Lunar wants to expand this technology to the United States.

Lunar isn’t the only company harnessing the potential of home electrification. sunronone of Lunar’s biggest investors as well Focuses on helping consumers rent or buy new solar panel systems. Lynn Goresh, former Sunrun CEO and now co-CEO, noted that the company decided to invest in Lunar to achieve a common goal. “Simply, It makes sense to have two separate companies that are complementary and operate with the same resultGoresh, who is also chairman of the Lunar Operating Council, added.

Tesla is exploring its pilot programs for a virtual power plant in Texas and California, Although, the automaker’s solar roof project did not come to fruition.

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