Sunrun solar + storage projects could soon power AI data centers

Sunrun, a residential solar and battery installer, is teaming up with a company called Voltus to use home solar-plus-storage systems to help ease strain on the power grid caused by AI data centers. Under the deal, a portion of the capacity from Sunrun's installed solar and battery systems would be offered to grid operators PJM and MISO, the organizations that manage electricity flow across large parts of the country. When data centers pull heavy amounts of power, these grid operators could tap into home battery and solar capacity instead. Homeowners with qualifying systems would be paid for the energy they export.

This is part of a broader push to handle rising electricity demand as data centers supporting AI tools like ChatGPT multiply. Data centers used less than 5% of U.S. electricity in 2023, but government researchers expect that usage could double or triple by 2028. Rather than build new power plants, this program treats home batteries and rooftop solar as a flexible backup source the grid can draw on when needed.

For homeowners, this means a home battery paired with solar could eventually earn money by supplying power back to the grid during high-demand periods, similar to other "virtual power plant" programs some utilities already run. No details were given on which specific homes qualify, how payments are structured, or when the program starts, so anyone with an existing Sunrun system may want to watch for updates directly from the company.