Pilot with Brooklyn SolarWorks and new Pila Neighborhoods program expand access to backup power and manage energy usage for homeowners and renters
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Announced today during New York Climate Week, Pila Energy, maker of the first plug-in mesh home battery, is launching two new ways for New York City residents to access battery storage for backup power and manage energy usage: a pilot program with Brooklyn SolarWorks pairs rooftop solar with plug-in battery storage, and Pila Neighborhoods, a community program where neighbors unlock group savings on batteries for their block or building.
Across the five boroughs, residents have been unable to access backup battery storage, as code restrictions and complex permitting have kept traditional whole-home batteries out of reach. Pila's plug-and-play design reimagines home battery backup as an appliance, without the construction or electrical work required by traditional systems. With or without solar, Pila can charge when electricity costs less and supply connected appliances when rates are highest. Paired with Brooklyn SolarWorks' decade of engineering rooftop solar for the city's most difficult buildings, the combination helps New York households use more of the power they generate and keeps essential appliances running from stored energy when the grid goes down.
Pila Neighborhoods and the Brooklyn SolarWorks pilot arrive at a moment of mounting pressure on the grid. U.S. electricity bills hit an all-time high this July, and this summer the Department of Energy declared an emergency across 17 states to prevent rolling blackouts. Federal projections also warn that outage risk could grow one-hundredfold by 2030 as demand from data centers and electrification outpaces new generation. In New York, aging infrastructure and extreme weather add to the strain, as most households have no practical way to protect essential appliances during outages or reduce their reliance on the grid during the highest-cost hours.
"New York is one of the hardest places in America to electrify a home, and we've spent a decade proving it can be done," said T.R. Ludwig, CEO and co-founder of Brooklyn SolarWorks. "We've put solar on rooftops other companies wouldn't touch, but storage has always been the missing piece. This pilot shows New Yorkers can finally have both."
Smarter power beyond the outage
Pila plugs into a standard 120V outlet and protects vital appliances, such as refrigerators, Wi-Fi routers, window air conditioners, or medical devices in the event of an outage. Households in Brooklyn and Queens are already pairing existing Brooklyn SolarWorks panels with Pila batteries, storing power their panels generate for use during peak hours when electricity is most expensive, and creating a backup layer that allows rooftop solar to keep serving essential devices if the grid goes down.
Pila's value isn't limited to emergencies, single-family homes, or households with solar. While the grid is running, Pila can charge when electricity is cheaper and supply connected appliances when rates are highest. Pila's mesh network coordinates those batteries across the home to balance energy among appliances, increase backup capacity, and lower bills. At scale, Pila turns homes, apartments, and multifamily buildings into grid resources, helping store local solar, shift demand away from peak hours, and support the local power grid during the moments it is under the most stress.
Backup power, block by block
For those outside the Brooklyn SolarWorks pilot, Pila Neighborhoods is a national program that opens a second path to backup storage. Inspired by the connected technology of Pila's mesh network, Pila Neighborhoods brings communities together to organize around shared demand, unlocking group savings as more households on a block or in a building join.
"Resilience compounds. One Pila protects a family; a building full of them starts to protect the neighborhood," said Ashman. "New York has always looked out for its own, across stoops and shared walls. Pila Neighborhoods turns that instinct into a practical path to backup power — neighbors organizing together, lowering costs together, and building resilience together."
Ahead of the policy curve
The Brooklyn SolarWorks and Pila Energy pilot arrives as lawmakers across the country race to expand access to plug-in solar and home batteries. In New York, the SUNNY Act, which would allow residents to buy plug-in solar panels and connect them through a standard outlet, has passed both chambers of the state legislature and awaits the Governor's signature.
The pilot will expand to additional households this fall, and both companies will mark the launch at a public event at Brooklyn SolarWorks' headquarters on September 22 during New York Climate Week, where attendees can join the pilot waitlist and see Pila running on Brooklyn SolarWorks' solar canopy.
About Pila Energy
Pila Energy builds intelligent, plug-in home batteries that make energy resilience accessible to everyone, renters and homeowners alike. Founded by former Tesla Powerwall and SPAN engineers, Pila's mesh home battery plugs into a standard outlet, protects essential appliances during outages, lowers energy bills by storing off-peak power, and scales into distributed grid infrastructure as adoption grows. Pila is a CES 2026 Innovation Awards Honoree and a Fast Company Next Big Thing in Tech, and is shipping nationwide today. Learn more at pilaenergy.com.
About Brooklyn SolarWorks
Founded in 2015, Brooklyn SolarWorks is a solar design and installation firm focused on solar built for New York City. By designing residential, commercial, and co-op solar systems specifically for urban rooftops, and expertly navigating the city's complex permitting and infrastructure, Brooklyn SolarWorks makes solar possible where others can't. As a NYC Accelerator Approved Service Provider with over 3,000 installations across New York City's five boroughs, the team is driven to build a cleaner, more resilient city powered by solar. Learn more at brooklynsolarworks.com.
Media Contact
Meaghan Praznik, Pila Energy, 1 9259496091, [email protected], www.pilaenergy.com
SOURCE Pila Energy
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