In Illinois, climbing electricity costs and storm-related blackouts are prompting some households to reconsider how they power their homes.
For certain ComEd customers, that now includes a large outdoor battery intended to trim electric bills and provide backup power during outages.
What’s happening?
Base Power, a startup based in Austin, Texas, has entered the Chicago market with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery for eligible homeowners that the Chicago Tribune said can keep an entire house running for as long as 36 hours while cutting electricity supply costs.
According to Base Power co-founder and CEO Zach Dell, the unit stores electricity overnight, when rates are lower, and relies on that energy later as demand climbs. “We’re basically making your home run on 4 a.m. power versus 6 p.m. power,” Dell said…