Technical Article
How Developers Can Navigate the New Energy Storage Landscape
At RE+ Northeast 2026 in Boston (February 3–5), Elexity and GridVest Energy participated in a "Live! Dispatches from the Energy Transition" session. The discussion focused on strategies for developers to navigate the evolving energy storage landscape, specifically addressing the integration of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for commercial and industrial applications.
The energy transition requires a smarter, stronger, and more flexible grid that can integrate intermittent renewables like solar and wind.
Our episode showed how combining reliable, accessible battery hardware with advanced energy management software provides a streamlined solution, turning buildings into virtual power plants and accelerating the deployment of resilient clean energy systems.
Your Dispatches Co-Hosts Robert W. Cross, Principal of Outfit and Lucas Miller, Senior Engineering Consultant of Mayfield Renewables, were joined on stage by fellow industry subject matter experts, Mike Grenier, Principal of Elexity and Alex Shoer, Managing Partner of GridVest Energy.
Developer Challenges
Commercial and Industrial (C&I) buildings present an emerging and growing market opportunity. However, project developers and building owners face significant challenges, including complex procurement processes, financing gaps, logistical hurdles, and the need for sophisticated management to maximize economic benefits, such as demand charge management, time-of-use shifting, and grid services revenue.
“Financial hurdles, that is definitely where GridVest specializes. It is, I think, the part that’s hardest for C&I now in particular.” - Alex Shoer
Traditional lending is often unpalatable for C&I mid-market solar-plus-storage due to slow, cumbersome processes and rigid underwriting that penalizes developers with weaker credit profiles. Furthermore, banks often view battery technologies as risky, unproven collateral, leading to high equity requirements and complex, non-recourse structures that deter investment.
GridVest bridges the gap between available, high-performance battery technology and the need for accessible capital, enabling developers to focus on project execution rather than securing financing.
“We’ve kind of flipped the model where we’re focusing on asset backed finance. So we’re looking at the batteries as the asset.” - Alex Shoer
Elexity Energy Management Software
Elexity provides an advanced, predictive energy control platform that acts as the "brain" of a commercial building's energy system.
Their software automates the optimization of solar, battery storage, HVAC, and EV charging in real-time, responding to dynamic grid prices and the building’s energy needs without compromising operational comfort.
“You can generally speaking, improve project economics by about 50% when you can sort of magically orchestrate what the load's doing with what the solar's doing, what the rest of the building's doing, what the battery's doing, and what the real time grid prices are, whether those be import prices or export prices.” - Mike Grenier
Elexity's platform enables customers to maximize energy savings (e.g., boosting solar ROI by 25%) and generate revenue by participating in grid services programs (e.g., demand-side response), effectively managing complex energy profiles on autopilot.
GridVest Benefits
GridVest simplifies the complex process of procuring and financing high-performance battery energy storage systems (BESS) for the mid-tier C&I market.
They act as a one-stop solution, bundling tier-1 equipment sourcing, flexible payment terms (starting with a 10% deposit), and logistical support, including equipment storage to accommodate project delays.
Their approach de-risks projects for EPCs and developers, making advanced battery storage accessible and affordable to a wider range of businesses and communities.
Key Takeaways
How do C&I project developers take advantage of the opportunity? Working with industry experts and vetted partners is a good starting point.
Elexity is transforming Commercial & Industrial (C&I) energy management by shifting from simple, standalone solar-plus-storage projects to an integrated, predictive software platform that controls building loads (HVAC, EV chargers) alongside storage. By coordinating these assets, Elexity maximizes ROI and overcomes the "CFO screen" by significantly reducing operational expenses and enhancing grid revenues.
Value stacking and revenue stacking are crucial for maximizing battery storage economics by combining multiple income streams—such as frequency regulation and demand charge management—into one project. A sophisticated energy management system (EMS) acts as the essential "brains" to manage these opportunities. Leveraging load management alongside, while securing, the best equipment costs is key to unlocking value and overcoming high market markups.
GridVest Energy makes energy resilience and sustainability accessible to commercial and industrial businesses by offering high-performance Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at a fraction of traditional costs, paired with flexible financing options tailored to specific cash-flow needs. By focusing on the mid-tier market, they provide a one-stop solution that includes sourcing, financing, and technical services, often requiring as little as a 10% deposit and offering customized payment schedules.
Please Connect
And that’s a wrap from Boston.
To learn how you can leverage these integrated solutions for your next project, visit the GridVest website and explore Elexity's energy management platform on the Elexity website.
You may reach our participants via their contact information below:
- Mike Grenier at mike@elexity.io
- Alex Shoer at alex@gridvest.com
- Robert W. Cross at robert@weoutfit.co
- Lucas Millar at lucas@mayfield.energy
Join us in Houston for our next Live! Dispatches at RE+ Texas l Microgrids on March 11th.
