PARTNERS
Why Stem?
What We Offer as the Industry’s Leading Full-Service Storage Partner
As the energy storage market leader, Stem has deployed more systems in more markets than anyone else. But for us, leadership isn’t about our accomplishments – It’s about yours.
Over more than a decade, Stem has built the technology, relationships, and know-how needed for successful projects. Creating value and above-average market returns for our partners and customers is our sole focus and primary mission.
To learn more about Stem’s Channel Partner Program and how Stem can help you maximize your energy strategy, please reach out anytime. We’d love to answer your questions and help you determine a solution that works for you.
Stem vs. Battery OEMs
We often hear this from developers, owners, and installers: “Why partner with Stem instead of going directly to a battery OEM?”
The short answer is that no OEM, and no other storage provider, is better equipped to help ensure the success of your project than Stem. With 1.4GWh+ across 950+ sites operating or contracted, no one knows better than us how to navigate challenges, get projects built on time and on budget, and monetize the project for years to come.
We’re also better positioned than anyone to help you right-size your system, minimize risk, and avoid mistakes that can diminish ROI. Our market-leading Athena software doesn’t just maximize your investment over the lifetime of a project – its adaptability and scalability help you capture new opportunities and get projects in the ground faster. And because Stem partners with top tier battery suppliers, we can select the hardware that best suits your needs and use our buying power to get you the best deals.
What OEM would admit their product wasn’t right for you and suggest a competitor? None. With an OEM, you’re on your own.
Avoiding Costly Pitfalls
Partners sometimes approach us after a negative experience somewhere else.
Like the developer who designed the wrong-sized system for themselves, but kept it because they didn’t want to restart the lengthy interconnection process. That project will earn significantly less revenue over its lifetime because it wasn’t optimally sized.
Or the developer who negotiated their own warranty terms with an OEM and, never having done it before, took on significantly more risk than necessary. If disaster strikes, they’ll be on the hook.
OEMs don’t help design your system. They sell hardware. And it’s not in their best interest to negotiate against themselves. At Stem, our experts have extensive experience reviewing contracts and can ensure you get the best possible terms.
Why learn the hard way? Stem can help you get the right project designed, installed, and operating as quickly and easily as possible.
“Stem’s strong knowledge and flexibility to navigate the ISO New England market makes them a preferred energy storage services provider for us. Their outstanding service and understanding of warranties simplifies the process for us as we collaborate on effective reporting and monetization of revenues through Athena.”
Andrew Bernstein • Managing Partner, Kearsarge Energy L.P.
Others Overpromise and Underdeliver
Partners find that OEMs can overpromise. In a worst-case scenario, an OEM will sell you a battery and not be able to realize any value from it at all.
That was the predicament faced by a Stem customer, a transportation logistics provider. They’d contracted one of the world’s largest battery OEMs to install and operate a storage system to manage electric vehicle (EV) charging station loads.
But the OEM’s deployment inexperience led to costly delays, and their software couldn’t manage the complex value stacking optimization an EV charging station requires. The company brought in Stem, and our experts quickly got the project performing up to expectations.
OEMs don’t have nearly the support resources that Stem does, and may not even offer support beyond a hardware fix or replacement part. And even the largest OEMs may lack the deployment and software expertise you need.
“Stem has the most experience and longest track record of any energy storage company in the world, as far as I can tell. After bumping heads with some providers that went out of business before we even got the product, we wanted a company that would be around for the long run.”
Kirk Story • President, Stockmans
Software Drives ROI
Maximizing value from energy storage systems (ESS) isn’t about the battery – it’s about the software that operates it.
Optimizing the ESS has been Stem’s core business focus since the company’s founding in 2009. Whereas battery OEMs achieve breakthroughs in hardware performance and cost, Stem’s breakthroughs involve making the industry’s best optimization software even better.
Our results speak for themselves. Stem has taken over more than 100 systems from battery OEMs that failed to live up to expectations, and recently achieved a 30% performance improvement in one of our large new portfolios. With tens of millions of system runtime hours, Athena is the most utilized, validated, and successful AI-driven energy optimization software in the world.
Software is key to maximizing project ROI. Partnering with Stem doesn’t just get you access to Athena®, our industry-leading AI intelligent software solution. It also comes with a dedicated 24/7 support team and the human experts behind Athena’s optimization algorithms.
“We chose Stem for its best-in-class Athena software, which will help our customer realize maximum value from on-site solar and backup power over the lifetime of the project. We hold our projects to high standards and Stem’s extensive track record and customer service match well with our core values.”
Griffin Dooling • CEO, Blue Horizon Energy
More Services, More Value
With hundreds of customers in active and emerging storage markets, Stem has unmatched insight into what makes energy storage projects successful. By offering a full range of services reflecting the breadth and depth of our experience, we give our partners the most opportunities to maximize value from energy storage and solar plus storage installations.
Full Lifecycle Support
Stem’s expertise, networks, and dedicated support make energy storage easy.
As the industry’s leading end-to-end storage partner, Stem supports developers, owners, and installers through every step of the project lifecycle. Everything we do – from helping you design, procure, and install your system, to making sure it’s performing at or above expectations, to freely sharing our technology and market expertise – shows our commitment to your success.
“Partnering with a leading integrator like Stem allows us to provide our customers with energy storage systems in an adaptable and efficient manner. We look forward to a continued partnership with Stem and further delivery of clean energy to our customers.”
Tony Savarino • Co-Founder and Chief Construction Officer, Altus Power
Project Spotlights
Engineering, Procurement & Construction
Energy Storage, Backup Power, Utility Bill Optimization
Stem helped Stockmans, a small EPC, land its first major energy storage project: a 1.8MWh system at a water treatment plant that will lower costs, provide up to four hours of backup power, and reduce GFG emissions under California’s Equity Resiliency program.
Project Developers
Solar Plus Storage, MA SMART Optimization, Wholesale Energy Markets
Stem partnered with Syncarpha Captial to develop a 28MWh solar plus storage portfolio across five locations in Massachusetts, where our Athena software is maximizing revenues under state programs and automating participation in wholesale energy markets.
Electric Co-op
Solar Plus Storage, Coincident Peak Mitigation, Renewable Integration
In Arkansas, Stem is working with a customer to integrate a 14MWh, front of meter energy storage system with solar PV to reduce wholesale demand charges for a local electric cooperative and provide renewable energy to multiple off-take co-op members.
Project Developer
Solar Plus Storage, Utility Bill Optimization, Backup Power
Stem is helping Blue Horizon Energy develop and install one of Minnesota’s first large behind-the-meter solar plus storage systems outside the footprint of an investor-owned utility. Working through Stem’s distributor partner, Werner Electric, we are developing a 500kWh energy storage system that will provide a manufacturer with bill savings and clean backup power.
