The hardware consists of a power control platform installed between the solar inverters on the property and the meters that serve individual apartment units or common areas. Sensors read sub-second readings from each meter to see how much power each meter is using. Its power distribution control system then distributes the solar energy available at the time accordingly.
Aliya Bagewadi, Allume's director of U.S. strategic partnerships, told Canary Media that the SolShare system can do much more. "Our software enables building owners to look at the performance of their assets, see where the energy is delivered, what the [grid power] compensation is for my tenants and common areas, and switch where the energy is going," she said.
Bagewadi says owners can use this flexibility to set up their preferred structure for distributing solar energy to tenants. That could include splitting solar usage based on apartment size or other factors, or letting tenants choose whether they want to contract under different terms that make sense for the property and the area's solar economy. They can also transfer power from vacant units to units that are still occupied. Shared power systems can't do this without turning off the meter.
