Swell Energy has raised $120 million to further its virtual power plant (VPP) programs. The round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Greenbacker Development Opportunities Fund I LP, with participation from an Ares Infrastructure Opportunities fund and Ontario Power Generation Pension Fund.
The funding will support Swell’s development of 600 MWh of VPPs through the deployment and aggregation of 26,000 energy storage systems located at homes and businesses across the United States. Swell VPPs provide a variety of grid service capabilities through projects in utility territories across Hawaii, California and New York.
Swell creates VPPs by linking utilities, customers and third-party service providers together, and by aggregating and co-optimizing distributed energy resources through Swell’s GridAmp software platform. In particular, working with utilities, Swell delivers value to its network of customers through bill savings, GridRevenue and energy security, creating a cohesive network of solar-powered batteries that supports overall grid reliability and stability, while potentially reducing grid operating costs.
“Swell’s business model is an innovative application of existing technology directly solving two large issues plaguing the grid and renewable energy adoption: transmission and load shifting,” states Ben Baker, managing director and principal of Greenbacker Development Opportunities Fund. “We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with Swell, its impressive management team, and the existing investor base. The company’s three business verticals – Grid Services, Finance, Development – are mutually beneficial, and together will swiftly expand the proliferation of renewable resiliency, providing value to both customers and utilities.”
In addition to the project finance opportunities with current utility partnerships, Swell is also pursuing development in otherwise underserved markets where critical grid services are necessary to strengthen and modernize infrastructure. In regions where local grids must evolve to accommodate more renewable energy and electric vehicle adoption, Swell’s VPP programs can provide increased grid flexibility while precluding significant investment in new fossil fuel generation.
For these utilities, Swell increases the stock of dispatchable behind-the-meter assets, aggregates these assets for grid services participation, and dispatches distributed energy resources to create ongoing value for the grid, all while creating an improved experience for the customer. Swell analyzes and identifies each region’s distinct utility needs and grid stresses, then delivers the appropriate grid services through flexible energy storage solutions, helping with load management, renewable energy balancing and ancillary grid services.
This latest financing round brings Swell’s total equity capitalization to date to $152 million, including prior investments made by an Ares Infrastructure Opportunities fund, Aligned Climate Capital, Third Sphere and others. Citi acted as sole placement agent on this transaction.
