Generac Expands Energy Storage Solutions with Acquisition of PowerPlay
Generac Power Systems, a leading global designer, manufacturer and provider of energy technology solutions and other power products, has acquired PowerPlay Battery Energy Storage Systems, a division of SunGrid Solutions Inc., an engineering, procurement and construction company for energy storage. PowerPlay specializes in providing turnkey battery energy storage systems solutions tailored for commercial and industrial projects up to 7 MWh.
“This acquisition supports our commitment to offer a more complete ecosystem of products and solutions to domestic commercial & industrial customers, empowering them to achieve their energy objectives with a strong emphasis on resilience, efficiency and sustainability,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO of Generac.
"We are incredibly proud of PowerPlay and the talented team behind its success. This acquisition by Generac is a testament to the innovative spirit and dedication at SunGrid,” said SunGrid CEO Jody Snodgrass. “Our commitment to advancing the industry of battery energy storage has been instrumental in developing the PowerPlay product portfolio, and we are thrilled that Generac recognizes its value and future success. This strategic move allows SunGrid to increase focus on our utility-scale EPC business, driving growth and innovation."
Battery energy storage systems enable energy storage in multiple ways for later use. Various factors contribute to the need for energy storage, including the uptake of distributed solar, increased electrification of C&I facilities, rising utility rates, and possibility that the central grid can experience fluctuations caused by weather, blackouts, or lack of infrastructure. Battery systems are vital for C&I businesses to build a resilient, efficient and sustainable on-site distributed energy system. BESS systems up to 7 MWh are commonly deployed in C&I enterprises, including retail stores, restaurants, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, and healthcare facilities.
The PowerPlay business will continue its operations in Cambridge, Canada, and serve as a dedicated research and development facility for Generac’s C&I BESS solutions. SunGrid Solutions will continue its energy storage EPC operations in the United States and Canada, specializing in solutions ranging from 10 MWh to 1 GWh.
The transaction closed on June 26. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.