The Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES) solution as envisioned by SunShot will have the following features:
- Be grid-connected
- Consist of the solar PV plant and energy storage
- Utilize smart inverters
- Be capable of operating in conjunction with smart loads (such as optimized operation of HVAC systems and other appliances)
- Enable demand response
- Incorporate solar and load forecasting into decisions
- Be interoperable internally and externally using standard protocols that satisfy communication and control capabilities as required by the local utility, home/building energy management systems, and/or the building/community where it is installed
Awards were announced in January 2016. See a list of projects here.