Photo: Mercedes-Benz/Vivint Solar
What do you do when number one is taken? Partner up with number two, of course. And ever since that legendary Avis campaign that said being in second place means "they try harder," the runner-up position isn't all that bad anymore.
Tesla's SolarCity has firmly placed itself at the forefront of the residential solar power solutions market, and now that it has come under the umbrella of Musk's company, it will probably continue to grow even faster.
Vivint Solar, on the other hand, has installed solar energy systems in over 100,000 households across the U.S., but up until this point, its services did not include home batteries as well. By working together with Mercedes-Benz, that is about to change since the German carmaker has recently introduced its own version of Tesla's Powerwall.
"As Mercedes-Benz electrifies its vehicle fleet, solar plus storage is essential to enable those vehicles to be powered by clean energy," said Boris von Bormann, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas, LLC. "With batteries featuring the best in automotive engineering from Mercedes-Benz, and high-quality solar energy systems from Vivint Solar, our solution allows customers to take the next step toward a sustainable energy future."
In return, David Bywater, CEO of Vivint Solar had this to comment: "The choice to work with Mercedes-Benz Energy, a world-class innovator in energy storage, was an easy one. We believe their energy storage system is going to delight our customers and are impressed with their ambitious plans for the future. We look forward to bringing this innovative solution to consumers, beginning in our California markets, and to empowering greater renewable energy usage."
Unlike the Powerwall, Mercedes-Benz's solution is made up of 2.5 kWh modules that can be stacked together for a maximum of 20 kWh. Vivint Solar says the price can vary from $5,000 to $13,000, depending on the number of modules and other variables.
The idea of having these systems installed is to have more control over what type of electricity you consume and at what cost. For instance, the battery can be charged during daytime using the solar receptors on the roof, and then used in the evening during peak hours, when the price per kilowatt is usually higher.
Vivint Solar, on the other hand, has installed solar energy systems in over 100,000 households across the U.S., but up until this point, its services did not include home batteries as well. By working together with Mercedes-Benz, that is about to change since the German carmaker has recently introduced its own version of Tesla's Powerwall.
"As Mercedes-Benz electrifies its vehicle fleet, solar plus storage is essential to enable those vehicles to be powered by clean energy," said Boris von Bormann, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas, LLC. "With batteries featuring the best in automotive engineering from Mercedes-Benz, and high-quality solar energy systems from Vivint Solar, our solution allows customers to take the next step toward a sustainable energy future."
In return, David Bywater, CEO of Vivint Solar had this to comment: "The choice to work with Mercedes-Benz Energy, a world-class innovator in energy storage, was an easy one. We believe their energy storage system is going to delight our customers and are impressed with their ambitious plans for the future. We look forward to bringing this innovative solution to consumers, beginning in our California markets, and to empowering greater renewable energy usage."
Unlike the Powerwall, Mercedes-Benz's solution is made up of 2.5 kWh modules that can be stacked together for a maximum of 20 kWh. Vivint Solar says the price can vary from $5,000 to $13,000, depending on the number of modules and other variables.
The idea of having these systems installed is to have more control over what type of electricity you consume and at what cost. For instance, the battery can be charged during daytime using the solar receptors on the roof, and then used in the evening during peak hours, when the price per kilowatt is usually higher.
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