This startup pays NYC residents to run air conditioners on free batteries
The startup, founded by former Columbia postdocs Andrew Wang and Richard May, has moved from sodium‑ion research to a service that drops a Bluetti Elite 200 V2 battery at a resident’s door for a $30 refundable deposit (or $650 to keep). The unit plugs into a standard 120 V outlet, charges overnight, and discharges when the resident’s AC runs during Con Edison’s peak‑shaving events. The company reports 2,000 batteries powering roughly 1,000 apartments in summer 2026, delivering about four megawatt‑hours of distributed storage and crediting participants via the utility’s Smart Usage Rewards platform, with an advertised $150 annual payout per air‑conditioner.
This model joins a growing field of virtual power plants that aggregate residential storage, but it distinguishes itself by targeting rental buildings that lack central HVAC and by offering the hardware for free. Traditional VPP operators such as Tesla or Sunrun require homeowners to purchase or lease a battery, limiting penetration in dense, older housing stock. By leveraging the prevalence of window units in NYC—where over 80 % of units are older than half a century—Every Electric creates a low‑cost, comfort‑preserving demand‑response alternative that sidesteps the usual “turn off the AC” requirement. The approach also reflects a broader industry shift toward service‑based revenue: the firm monetizes the grid value of the batteries while sharing a slice of the incentive with the end user.
The rollout reveals operational friction points. Voltage reductions by Con Edison during extreme heat have tripped breakers in some pre‑war apartments, prompting firmware updates to modulate discharge rates. With only 2 kWh per unit, the batteries can sustain a typical 1‑kW window AC for a few hours, meaning the incentive hinges on short, high‑price intervals rather than continuous cooling. Scaling beyond NYC will test the model’s ability to retrofit aging wiring, negotiate utility contracts, and possibly integrate rooftop solar. Monitoring the net load reduction, customer churn, and any regulatory scrutiny over “grid‑side” compensation will indicate whether the loan‑based VPP can become a replicable template.
Key Takeaways
Every Electric’s free‑loan scheme equips roughly 1,000 NYC renters with 2 kWh batteries, allowing AC operation during peak demand while delivering about $150 per unit in utility incentives.
The program leverages the Bluetti Elite 200 V2, a compact LFP battery that charges at night and discharges automatically under Con Edison’s demand‑response signals.
By focusing on rental apartments with window ACs, the startup fills a niche that traditional residential storage providers have largely ignored.
Early technical issues with older building wiring and utility voltage curtailments highlight the need for adaptive firmware and careful site‑by‑site engineering as the model scales.
About the Source
This analysis is based on reporting by Ars Technica. Here is a short excerpt for context:
Bonus: Every Electric’s batteries are beloved by household cats.Read the original at Ars Technica
