PG&E’s Demand Response Emerging Technology (DRET) group initiated a Battery Study to investigate the ability to utilize residential photovoltaic solar systems paired with a Tesla Powerwall home battery systems to support state electric grid reliability in times of high electricity demand by creating a virtual power plant (VPP).  PG&E designed the pilot to assess whether it could enroll residential battery owners in a program to dispatch Tesla Powerwalls to send energy back into the grid during times of high demand.