Artificial intelligence-driven energy storage provider Stem launched its first solar-plus-storage independent power producer site, located in Blandford, Massachusetts. The project is part of its partnership with Syncarpha Capital, an investment company that develops, owns and operates distributed photovoltaic solar and energy storage systems across North America.
The Blandford project is the first 8 MWh of a 28-MWh portfolio of large-scale solar-plus-storage projects that Stem is operating for Syncarpha throughout Massachusetts. Over the next year, Stem and Syncarpha will deploy four additional Massachusetts projects in Halifax, Leicester, Millbury and Westminster.
Within these projects, Stem’s Athena AI platform will power one DC-coupled and four AC-coupled front-of-the-meter (FTM) solar-plus-storage projects, including the Blandford site. Athena delivers lets the projects participate in wholesale markets managed by the Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE). In addition, Athena will support compliance with requirements for federal investment tax credits and the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program, a state initiative that promotes cost-effective solar development with customer-facing and grid service benefits.
“With more than a decade focused on deploying intelligent energy storage solutions for behind-the-meter applications, we are excited to bring our expertise to the FTM market,” said John Carrington, CEO at Stem. “Stem leveraged its deep experience and gained significant knowledge about how best to guide our partners and stakeholders through the ISO-NE resource and asset registration processes. This proficiency, combined with our state-of-the-art Athena software, will enable us to help our partners like Syncarpha streamline FTM solar+storage deployments and realize new revenue streams through these incentive programs.”
The Blandford site is now leveraging Athena to automate operations, generating nearly 5 MW of solar during the day. Athena then charges and discharges the Stem storage system to shift energy to the desired evening hours, maximizing energy arbitrage by discharging into the peak.
“Stem’s pioneering intelligent storage and expertly managed operations are key components to the success of our deployments across Massachusetts,” said Cliff Chapman, CEO at Syncarpha Capital. “Stem brings the complete package, supporting the ISO-NE registration process so we could get our assets in the markets sooner and start generating revenue quickly. Our cross-functional teams harmonized the due diligence, navigated the complexities of ISO-NE and SMART and optimized intelligent storage to improve project ROI. We look forward to what we will accomplish together in delivering clean energy options to the communities we serve.”
Stem has approximately 1,000 energy storage systems under contract and an additional 300 Athena platforms installed across six U.S. states, Ontario and Japan. Stem’s AI platform, Athena, is the first of its kind for energy storage, performing real-time energy optimization that maximizes revenues and enables customers to access additional market opportunities via Stem’s network.
