Consumers Energy Co. will use Sunverge Energy Inc.'s distributed energy resource platform in a residential battery storage pilot, according to an Oct. 23 news release.

"In this pilot, we are testing to understand the different values that batteries could provide to the overall grid, such as potential investment deferral, resiliency and reliability, while also providing backup of critical loads for pilot participants," Ryan Kiley, executive director of product development for Consumers Energy, said.

The utility, with analysis from Sunverge, selected a circuit in Michigan's Grand Rapids area suitable to test the potential benefits from behind-the-meter battery storage.

Consumers Energy is a CMS Energy Corp. subsidiary.