SAN JOSE, Calif., April 28, 2026 — FranklinWH announced today that its energy management and storage systems will be installed in homes beginning the week of April 27 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as part of a first-of-its-kind pilot launched by the Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility (A2SEU).
The initiative marks the first time a U.S. city-owned utility is purchasing and deploying residential solar and battery systems to support behind-the-meter energy use. The pilot will test how distributed home energy resources can improve grid reliability, lower energy costs, and expand access to locally generated renewable power.
The opt-in program is available to residents in Ann Arbor’s Bryant neighborhood, where many households are energy-burdened, with some spending more than one-third of their income on utility bills. By pairing rooftop solar with battery storage, the program is designed to reduce costs while improving energy resilience at the household and community level.
“Ann Arbor is demonstrating how cities can lead the transition to more resilient, locally powered energy systems,” said Gary Lam, CEO and cofounder of FranklinWH. “By combining solar and battery storage at the residential level, this model gives communities greater control over energy costs and reliability while accelerating the shift to clean energy.”
Ann Arbor voters approved the creation of the Sustainable Energy Utility in November 2024. The community-owned utility operates as an optional, supplemental energy provider, delivering 100 percent locally generated renewable energy.
As part of the pilot, FranklinWH systems, including the aPower S battery, will be installed in approximately 150 homes, with plans to scale to 1,000 homes in 2027 and several thousand annually in the years ahead.
“In our evaluation, FranklinWH stood out for both technical performance and customer experience,” said Shoshannah Lenski, executive director of A2SEU. “Paired with local solar generation, these systems will help us deliver more reliable, resilient energy across our community.”
Under the program, FranklinWH energy storage systems will be paired with rooftop solar installations from Michigan Solar Solutions, Homeland Solar, and Oak Electric Service. Texture’s distributed energy management software will aggregate the systems into a coordinated, utility-scale resource.
FranklinWH currently participates in more than 25 utility-led virtual power plant (VPP) and demand response programs. The Ann Arbor pilot extends this model to a city-owned, residential scale, offering a potential blueprint for municipalities nationwide seeking to modernize their energy systems.
About FranklinWH
FranklinWH Energy Storage is the manufacturer of the FranklinWH System, a next-generation home energy management and storage solution. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, FranklinWH’s team brings decades of experience across energy system design, manufacturing, sales, and installation. The company is AVL-listed with multiple financial institutions and continues to empower homeowners to achieve true energy freedom. Learn more at franklinwh.com
