• Black Seed Bagels in Bushwick has three carry-on-suitcase-sized batteries plugged into the wall behind its catering kitchen. • One powers a commercial oven called the Baconator (thousands of pounds of meat a week). • Two more run energy-hungry fridges. • The batteries are 2.8 kWh each, supplied for free by David Energy , a Brooklyn-based retail energy provider running a pilot program with NYC small businesses. • The target here is demand charges … those nasty fees Con Edison bills based on your peak 15-minute power draw in a given month. • For NYC commercial customers, demand charges can run 15% to 50% of the total bill.
Article Summaries:
- Brooklyn bagel shop Black Seed Bagels has installed three plug‑in batteries (2.8 kWh each) behind its catering kitchen to cut demand‑charge costs. The batteries power a commercial oven and two fridges during peak 15‑minute windows, reducing the shop’s maximum grid draw. Co‑owner Noah Bernamoff estimates an $80‑per‑month saving per location, or nearly $10 k annually across ten shops. The batteries are supplied by David Energy, a Brooklyn‑based retailer running a pilot with about 50 NYC businesses and 500 kWh of storage. David’s software manages appliance switching, and the company sees the system as a step toward virtual power plants and demand‑response participation. Plug‑in units sidestep strict FDNY lithium‑ion regulations that limit stationary installations.
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