The historic significance of the Solarize Dunwoody campaign cannot be overstated. For a long time, the solar industry has been waiting for affordable energy storage, and when it comes, it will be an absolute game changer.
Why? While solar has quickly become the cleanest, most affordable and lowest maintenance form of energy generation for homeowners and businesses in Georgia, it still only works during the day and best when the sun is shining. At night and during cloudy days, we are still dependent on grid power which is comprised of over 70% fossil fuels.
Energy storage changes all that. With energy storage, we can now save energy generated from the sun and save it in a lithium-based battery system. Not only does this help us use the sun's energy on cloudy days and nights but it also serves as an emergency backup in case the grid goes down. Historically in Georgia and in other Solarize programs around the state, affordable and reliable energy storage options remained elusive and always a year or two away.
Enter Solarize Dunwoody
When Hannah Energy won the bid for Solarize Dunwoody we knew things could be different. Hannah Energy is one of just two certified Tesla Powerwall dealers in Georgia and the Powerwalls were just starting to ship to Georgia when the Dunwoody campaign began last fall. This fortuitous timing along with the relatively affluent and self-reliant character of the Dunwoody community created a perfect storm for the long awaited arrival of solar + storage in Georgia. And boy did the residents of Dunwoody embrace the opportunity.
Out of the 48 residents that have gone solar so far with Solarize Dunwoody, 30 of them also purchased a Tesla Powerwall with some getting two or three for extra storage power! That's 62.5%! The amount of uptake of energy storage in Solarize Dunwoody has never been seen before in Georgia and now we are seeing the trend continue in other Solarize campaigns.
Solarize Dunwoody will always be known as the turning point for solar + storage in Georgia. Campaign organizers and Hannah Energy made the opportunity available but it was the residents of Dunwoody that made this historical milestone possible. So from all of us at Solarize Dunwoody, thank you for the opportunity to serve you and congratulations for making solar + storage a reality in Georgia and setting the stage for a cleaner, more resilient Georgia.
