“The current electric power paradigm is broken, utilities are going bankrupt, public safety power shut-off is becoming a common scenario, and the duck curve is worsening, prompting solar curtailment,” articulates Perkins. To that end, IO has taken it upon itself to ensure that consumers are not at the receiving end. IO provides the framework for islandable distributed energy resources for affordable, resilient, and equitable microgrid and nanogrid projects. In fact, one of the taglines of the company is: “When power is a priority, insist on Instant ON.” To ensure continuous power for consumers, IO partners with cities, municipalities, existing and new housing developments, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, solar PV installers, and energy service companies. “So, it is not just us but also our partners and collaborators combining engineering expertise and experience to find ways to make things more efficient and optimized,” remarks Perkins.

IO commits to decisive collaboration because resiliency is the need of the hour. Today’s requirements go beyond old sustainability paradigms, and IO is here to help. IO’s mission is to only integrate technology that is optimized, scalable, and deployable.

Overcoming the Market Volatility

While a number of factors such as being technology-agnostic and customer-focused play a critical role in IO’s growing success, what truly sets the company apart in the marketplace is their approach toward solving consumer and business needs. “We don’t look at the competition, we rather look for ‘co-opertition,’ which is cooperation and competition as a unit because we want people to push us to become better,” exclaims Perkins. “When we do it together, it allows both parties to create a better solution and better opportunities for themselves and their customers.” It is this attitude of abundance and ‘co-opertition’—where the teams involved constantly work hand-in-hand to push the bar and create advanced solutions—that drive IO to be at the forefront of innovation.

Creating a New Sustainability Standard

For the road ahead, IO has several plans. The firm is currently actively engaged in commercial energy efficiency pilot projects with utilities to test new technologies and models that relate to the recent energy demand response and renewable energy policies. IO is also collaborating with several companies—domestic and international—to integrate the latest technologies into some of IO’s pilot projects. In light of this, one of the big pilot projects IO is presently working on is a commercial energy efficiency program for a connected community in Perris, CA. IO will be integrating solar, 40kWh battery and its IO Hub control system in each of the homes as well as a megawatt energy storage system in the community center combined with either a fuel cell or a combined heat and power (CHP) system to help create a safe and sustainable environment. “Several companies are approaching us to see if they can incorporate their product as a pilot to demonstrate the viability and the ability to enhance the results for homes and businesses. And that helps us stay at the cutting-edge of what the market is looking for,” concludes Perkins.

The entire energy landscape has, in the last decade, changed beyond all recognition. The use of renewable energy sources is growing. With companies like Instant ON, which leverage renewable sources, the way energy is being generated, stored, and consumed is bound to change for the better.