Residential Energy Storage

Safety is a top priority when installing battery energy storage systems in residential settings, particularly in densely populated urban areas and multifamily housing complexes. Traditional lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in residential BESS, come with inherent fire risks due to the potential for thermal runaway, where overheating can lead to fires or explosions. In a home setting, this risk is especially concerning, as it can put residents, property, and neighboring homes in danger.

Alsym batteries eliminate these risks by using inherently non-flammable materials that remove the possibility of thermal runaway. This makes it a safer option for residential energy storage, giving homeowners peace of mind knowing that their BESS will not pose a fire hazard. For multifamily housing developers and property managers, this means fewer fire safety concerns, smoother permitting, and lower insurance costs. Alsym’s wide operating temperature range ensures that batteries can function safely and reliably in a variety of residential environments, from homes in hot climates to those in colder regions.

Non-flammability also makes it easier to comply with local building codes and fire safety regulations. This is particularly beneficial for residential BESS OEMs and installers, as it reduces the complexity and cost of installations in both single-family and multifamily settings.

Power outages are becoming more frequent due to extreme weather events, grid instability, and increased energy demand. For homeowners, the loss of power can disrupt daily life, cause financial losses, and affect resident health during prolonged outages. In multifamily housing, a power outage can affect dozens or even hundreds of residents, creating significant disruptions.

Alsym batteries can provide reliable backup power during grid outages, ensuring that homes remain powered when the grid goes down. 2 to 110 hour wide-duration energy storage capabilities can keep critical appliances, lighting, and HVAC systems running for extended periods, reducing the need for temporary solutions like fossil-fuel generators. This is especially important for households with vulnerable residents who rely on medical equipment, such as oxygen concentrators or CPAP machines, which require continuous power.

For homeowners with solar panels, Alsym can help enhance the value of their solar investment by storing excess solar energy during the day and providing backup power at night or during outages. Similarly in multifamily settings, Alsym batteries can be integrated into centralized energy storage systems to provide backup power for common areas, elevators, and essential services.

One of the key financial benefits of residential battery storage is the ability to optimize energy costs through multiple revenue-generating or cost-saving use cases. Alsym is a single solution for use in short and long-duration storage applications, and this means project developers and community managers can take advantage of rate arbitrage opportunities during hour peak demand periods, as well as support intraday load shifting needs. Alsym batteries can even be used to provide continuous power for up to 5 days to address outages brought on by inclement weather or extended periods of low renewable generation, and then charge to full capacity in only 4 hours when the outage is over. That’s a considerable advantage over other dedicated LDES solutions that can be used to discharge relatively low power output over 10+ hours.

Covering multiple durations is valuable, but also must be done efficiently. Some multi-day solutions have round-trip efficiencies below 50%, take up to 150 hours to charge, and lose 20% (or more) of that charge over 30 days. In comparison, Alsym can recharge to full capacity in under 4 hours without degrading the battery and retain more than 90% of that charge over 30 days to ensure you’re ready for the next peak demand period or extended outage–even if it’s sitting idle. However, long-term outages aren’t regular occurrences, which means that a system designed to only address these extreme cases will not be used often. This can make it hard to build an economic business case. The way past this hurdle is to ensure your BESS has the flexibility satisfy several uses and to combine all of those benefits to justify the investment. This approach is called value stacking and is essential to creating the business cases for scalable BESS solutions.

• Higher Property Values: Installing a safe, reliable battery energy storage system (BESS) can significantly boost property value. Alsym batteries provide dependable backup power, reduce energy costs, and appeal to energy cost-conscious buyers—making them a strong selling point for both single-family homes and multifamily developments.
• Lower Insurance Rates: Homes and buildings with lithium-ion batteries often face higher insurance premiums due to fire risk. Alsym batteries, built on a non-flammable chemistry, reduce this risk significantly—offering a safer option for energy storage. This enhanced safety can lead to lower insurance costs for homeowners and property managers, especially in high-density residential settings.
• Support for Home Electrification: As households electrify heating, cooking, and transportation systems, energy storage becomes essential for managing energy use efficiently. Alsym batteries enable homeowners to store clean energy—whether from rooftop solar or low-cost off-peak grid power—and use it to power EVs, heat pumps, and other electric appliances. In multifamily housing, Alsym batteries can be paired with solar panels and EV chargers to provide building-wide support for electrification.