sonnen Appoints Ani Backa as U.S. Director of Regulatory Strategy and Utility Initiatives

An expert in U.S. utilities and regulations, Ani Backa will further sonnen’s mission of using residential battery storage and the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform to support grid integration and enhance customer experience

APRIL 23, 2018 (Los Angeles, CA) –  sonnen, the global market leader in intelligent residential energy storage, announced today that Ani Backa, former attorney and government affairs manager for Xcel Energy, has joined sonnen as U.S. Director of Regulatory Strategy and Utility Initiatives.

Ani’s responsibilities at sonnen will include working directly with regulatory bodies and utilities across the country to promote the implementation and expansion of the sonnenCommunity model and help drive innovative electricity services that connect clean, decentralized energy.  In this role, she will foster strategic partnerships with developers and stakeholders committed to the deployment of residential battery storage and sonnenCommunity projects across the U.S. and in other key regions around the world.

“As an outspoken champion of the transition to clean energy, Ani shares sonnen’s mission of delivering clean and reliable energy for all, specifically by promoting the benefits of distributed energy storage resources and VPP innovations,” said Blake Richetta, Senior Vice President and leader of the Company’s U.S. presence.  “With an impressive career as a lawyer in the energy field and as a significant player in the utility space at Xcel Energy, Ani will be a key asset in promoting energy storage regulation. This will support the success of sonnen’s partnerships in implementing VPP technology for sonnenCommunity projects, such as the Mandalay Homes Jasper Community. Under her leadership and continued work with local regulatory and utility partners, we will further sonnen’s foothold as the premier energy storage provider in the United States.”

With deep knowledge of micro and macro energy market trends and breakthrough technological platforms, this new role combines Ani’s extensive experience in energy with sonnen’s worldwide leadership in home energy management.  Her experience in the regulatory space will support sonnen’s efforts in working with utilities as the company continues to successfully deploy VPP initiatives, and bolster existing grid infrastructure to create more clean, resilient and reliable energy communities throughout the U.S. To this end, sonnen will demonstrate to its partners a continued commitment to end-users at all stages of the process with unparalleled customer support.

“I am thrilled to join sonnen at such an exciting and transformative time in the residential energy storage market,” said Ani Backa, U.S. Director of Regulatory Strategy and Utility Initiatives at sonnen. “Grid modernization is the key to a sustainable energy future for citizens around the world. sonnen’s continued innovation and commitment to grid integration will play a pivotal role in helping utilities increase the flexibility of their existing grid infrastructure, while better managing distributed renewable resources.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in Europe, Australia and South America to drive sonnen’s growth through strategic partnerships with energy and utility providers, with the overarching goal of advancing the customer experience.”

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