Apollo Solar CEO John Pfeifer
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The U.S. Dept. of Energy awarded $1.5 million to Bethel-based Apollo Solar Inc. as the company develops “smart grid” technology that would allow consumers to cut their reliance on the power grid during peak periods, reducing electrical loads.
Apollo is sharing the funding with the Valdosta, Ga., facility of Saft Batteries; the Knoxville, Tenn.-based Electric Power Research Institute; and the California Independent System Operator. The DOE grant was among $11 million awarded to five companies nationally; Apollo also received DOE funding last fall to assess the viability of the project.
Apollo”™s inverters convert the direct-current energy produced by photovoltaic panels into alternating current required by appliances. Apollo Solar sells its inverter-chargers for residential and commercial use, particularly in settings lacking reliable access to an electricity grid. The company”™s mainstay inverter/charger sells for about $2,500, and Apollo Solar has been offering a $300 rebate through September 30.
With batteries and two-way communications systems from its research partners, Apollo Solar hopes to produce an effective “demand response” system allowing consumers to get off the power grid on hot days when electricity supplies are strained, while still being able to run lights and appliances.
Under CEO John Pfeifer, the company raised $4.5 million in October 2008 from private investors.
