Grass Valley, Calif., 4/17/2024 — BoxPower is excited to announce its award of a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) through the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program's Realizing Accelerated Manufacturing and Production for Clean Energy Technologies (RAMP). This grant will propel the SolarContainer, BoxPower's turnkey microgrid product, towards mass production and extensive deployment, particularly in California's rural regions.
Selected from a competitive field of 50 proposals, BoxPower's project was recognized for its potential to significantly advance California’s clean energy goals. The SolarContainer, a fully integrated, rapidly deployable microgrid, combines solar PV, battery storage, and advanced control systems to provide reliable and renewable energy. This innovative solution addresses three critical challenges in California: reducing wildfire risk, enhancing electric reliability, and expanding the capacity for electric vehicle charging in rural areas.
Amidst increasing wildfire risks and electric grid limitations, the SolarContainer offers a safer, more affordable alternative to traditional grid hardening and power shutoffs. By replacing high-risk bare conductors with SolarContainer Remote Grids, utilities can prevent wildfires and improve service reliability without the substantial costs and disruptions associated with traditional methods.
PG&E's first Remote Grid designed, built and operated by BoxPower located in Briceburg, California
This grant will enable BoxPower to advance BoxPower's next generation SolarContainer to the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) stage, bringing this groundbreaking technology closer to widespread implementation. The project aims to reduce production time, standardize modular subsystems, and increase manufacturing capacity—vital steps toward meeting the growing demand for innovative, sustainable energy solutions across the state.
"Increasing wildfires, increasing energy costs, and increasing energy needs demand we act quickly to reimagine the future of the California grid," said Anderson Barkow, Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer of BoxPower. "With the CEC's support, we are ready to scale our operations and deliver this essential technology to more communities, helping ratepayers and utilities alike meet their resiliency and sustainability goals without driving energy prices up."
As California continues to face severe climate-related challenges, the SolarContainer by BoxPower stands out as a robust solution to ensure uninterrupted power supply and support the state’s transition to a cleaner energy future.
For more information about BoxPower and the Remote Grid SolarContainer, please visit www.boxpower.io
About BoxPower
BoxPower provides clean, reliable, and affordable energy to rural consumers. BoxPower’s ecosystem of software and hardware solutions optimize the performance and accelerate the deployment of solar plus storage microgrids. From energy audit to operation, BoxPower provides turnkey engineering, construction, and management services.
