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DTE Energy and sonnen Launch Michigan's First Residential Battery Virtual Power Plant Pilot to Explore New Ways to Lower Energy Costs

  • DTE Energy & sonnen launched Michigan's first residential battery virtual power plant (VPP) pilot at the Veridian at County Farm community in Ann Arbor on Oct. 29, 2026.
  • The two-year pilot, approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), will virtually connect nearly 100 homes using sonnen battery systems to evaluate grid cost reduction, reliability improvement, & long-term affordability.
  • Veridian is a 14-acre, carbon-neutral community featuring 170 mixed-income homes equipped with sonnen batteries, geothermal energy, electric heat pumps, EV charging, all-electric appliances, & rooftop solar arrays.
  • The project aims to coordinate individual residential batteries as a pooled grid resource to meet growing energy demand while aligning with MPSC recommendations to maximize distributed energy resources.
  • The VPP pilot was nominated for the Michigan Energy Innovation Council's Project of the Year award, & sonnen's Wattsmart Battery Program was named a 2026 POWER Awards finalist.
  • Insights from the pilot will determine how residential VPPs can support a more affordable, clean, & reliable energy future for Michigan customers.