{"id":113466,"date":"2026-01-27T01:04:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T01:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113466\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T01:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T01:04:13","slug":"this-brooklyn-bagel-shop-is-saving-money-with-plug-in-batteries-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/113466\/","title":{"rendered":"This Brooklyn Bagel Shop Is Saving Money With Plug-in Batteries"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story was originally published by Canary Media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the back of Black Seed Bagels in northern Brooklyn is a\u00a0giant catering kitchen filled with industrial-size condiments and freezers full of dough. A\u00a0tall, silver electric oven, named the Baconator, stands in a\u00a0far corner, cooking thousands of pounds of meat every week to accompany Black Seed\u2019s hand-rolled, wood-fired bagels.<\/p>\n

The Baconator is connected to a\u00a0battery the size of a\u00a0carry-on suitcase, which is plugged into the wall. While the morning rush is underway, the 2.8-kilowatt-hour battery can directly power the commercial oven to reduce the company\u2019s reliance on the electric grid, Noah Bernamoff, Black Seed\u2019s co-owner, explained recently at the company\u2019s Bushwick shop. Two more batteries are paired with energy-intensive refrigerators in the\u00a0front.<\/p>\n

Businesses like Black Seed often pay hefty demand charges<\/a> on their utility bills that reflect the maximum amount of power they use during a\u00a0month\u2014costs that can represent as much as half their total bill, on average. By shifting to battery power during key times, Black Seed aims to lower its peak grid needs and reduce monthly fees from the utility Con Edison in the process.<\/p>\n

Black Seed is part of a\u00a0battery pilot program run by David Energy<\/a>, a\u00a0New York\u2013based retail energy provider. The startup supplied the batteries for free last August and, using its software platform, controls exactly when the three appliances draw on backup power. Vivek Bhagwat, David Energy\u2019s head of engineering, said he expects that tapping batteries for the refrigerators\u2014which are always humming\u2014will be especially helpful during the hottest months, when the shop\u2019s air conditioners run around the\u00a0clock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty optimistic about our ability to curtail energy in the summer, when it really matters most, through this machine,\u201d he said while standing beside a\u00a0doorless fridge holding water, juice, and\u00a0soda.<\/p>\n

For Black Seed, even modest benefits from batteries could make a\u00a0difference if multiplied across the company\u2019s 10 locations in New York City, Bernamoff said. By way of example, he noted that saving US$80 at every shop every month could add up to almost $10,000 a\u00a0year in avoided utility costs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the game of nickels and dimes,\u201d he said of the bagel business. \u200b\u201cSo we\u2019re always happy to save the\u00a0money.\u201d<\/p>\n

James McGinniss, David Energy\u2019s CEO, thinks this \u200b\u201cdo-it-yourself battery\u201d strategy has some serious potential to help small businesses combat rising electricity costs, both in New York City and beyond. Along with Black Seed\u2019s Bushwick shop, his company has installed batteries at fast-food restaurants, a\u00a0day spa, and a\u00a0dog grooming store, where the battery is cushioning the power draw of a\u00a0fur-drying machine. As of mid-January, David Energy has signed deals with customers to put plug-in batteries in about 50 locations, adding up to more than 500\u00a0kilowatt-hours of energy storage capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Black\"BlackOutside Black Seed\u2019s shop in Brooklyn\u2019s Williamsburg neighborhood (Stephanie Primavera\/Canary Media)<\/p>\n

The startup\u2019s plug-in battery pilot is building on the growing interest in DIY energy technologies worldwide. McGinniss cited the example of balcony solar systems that can plug into standard household electrical outlets, which are big in Germany<\/a> but aren\u2019t yet allowed under most current electrical codes in the U.S.\u2014although state lawmakers in New York<\/a> and elsewhere are pushing legislation<\/a> to change that.<\/p>\n

Backup batteries, however, are ready for market. Portable batteries from companies like Jackery<\/a> and EcoFlow<\/a> are increasingly affordable and popular options for households that are looking for backup power during blackouts but can\u2019t, or don\u2019t want to, install fossil fuel\u2013burning generators. A\u00a0handful of startups like Pila Energy<\/a> have plug-in batteries meant to operate around the clock to reduce utility bills as well as to keep refrigerators and other critical appliances running through power outages.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"A plug-in battery helps power a doorless fridge in Black Seed\u2019s Bushwick shop. (Maria Gallucci\/Canary Media)<\/p>\n

As a\u00a0retail energy provider<\/a>, David Energy competes with large utilities and other energy retailers to provide customers with cheaper electricity plans. It does so primarily by purchasing electricity from wholesale markets and then reselling it to businesses and households. But the battery pilot is part of the company\u2019s broader long-term goal to \u200b\u201crun the grid 24\/7 on clean energy,\u201d McGinniss said.<\/p>\n

As solar and batteries have become \u200b\u201cthe cheapest electron we can create,\u201d giving customers access to those technologies has become a\u00a0business priority for David Energy as well\u2014\u201cbecause people like cheap energy,\u201d he said. Plug-in batteries, in particular, enable the company to \u200b\u201crapidly scale our storage under management, even in the existing regulatory construct,\u201d according to McGinniss.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That last point underscores the challenges that New York City businesses face in installing the type of wired-in and utility-interconnected battery backup systems that are more common in other parts of the country. For years, concerns about fire risks<\/a> have led the New York City Fire Department to subject stationary lithium-ion battery installations to strict fire-safety regulations<\/a> that have made them impractical for most building owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last fall, the New York City Buildings Department issued new rules<\/a> that industry experts say could make these projects more cost-effective. But that still leaves building owners and battery installers with the task of navigating complex and time-consuming utility interconnection processes<\/a>\u2014steps that simple plug-in batteries can\u00a0avoid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Can free plug-in batteries pay their\u00a0way?<\/p>\n

Still, how can a\u00a0retail energy provider recoup the cost of supplying batteries to customers for free? McGinniss didn\u2019t disclose the current financials for David Energy\u2019s no-cost battery program. But he did say that the devices offer money-saving opportunities for customers and money-making ones for his business that can expand over\u00a0time.<\/p>\n

For customers, the fundamental proposition is the opportunity to reduce a\u00a0big, hard-to-manage portion of their monthly utility bills\u2014the demand charges. Unlike the per-kilowatt-hour \u200b\u201cvolumetric\u201d charges that most households pay, these particular fees are assessed based on the maximum amount of power a\u00a0business draws from the grid during any 15-minute period within a\u00a0month. The structure is designed to incentivize customers to reduce peak electricity use, which drives much of the cost for utilities of building and maintaining grid infrastructure.<\/p>\n

For New York City businesses, these demand charges can add up to between 15% and 50% of a\u00a0typical commercial customer\u2019s monthly bill, McGinniss explained. Using stored battery power for big appliances that tend to need a\u00a0lot of energy during those times can significantly reduce those peaks, he said, as shown in this sample graph from Black Seed\u2019s Bushwick location on Sept. 17,\u00a02025.<\/p>\n

\"Chart\"Chart(David Energy)<\/p>\n

The results can vary greatly from customer to customer, though McGinniss estimated that every kilowatt shaved from that peak could cut about $50 from a\u00a0monthly bill. That\u2019s a\u00a0good way for David Energy to entice and retain customers, he said. But the startup can also use the same stored battery power to earn revenues for itself.<\/p>\n

One option is participating in so-called demand-response programs<\/a>, which pay customers to reduce power use during, for instance, hot summer evenings when demand for electricity is putting power plants and grid infrastructure under stress. In New York City, David Energy can participate in programs run by Con Edison and by state grid operator NYISO, McGinniss said.<\/p>\n

Retail electricity providers like David Energy can make (or lose) money depending on how cleverly they manage their ever-changing mix of purchases on wholesale energy markets against their commitments to provide their customers with retail power at competitive prices.<\/p>\n

In Texas, the country\u2019s most open and competitive electricity market, energy retailers are building gigawatt-scale \u200b\u201cvirtual power plant\u201d platforms, offering customers free smart thermostats<\/a>,rooftop solar-and-battery systems<\/a>, and stand-alone backup batteries<\/a>. In exchange, these programs ask customers for permission to use those systems to pursue arbitrage opportunities\u2014essentially hedging their wholesale energy-market positions by using batteries to store power when it\u2019s cheaper and avoid pulling it from the grid when it\u2019s more expensive. David Energy is pursuing similar opportunities in Texas<\/a> as well as in its primary markets in New York and elsewhere in the Northeast.<\/p>\n

The economics of this customer-facing arbitrage expand as the scale of deployments grows, McGinniss said. \u200b\u201cAs you add these things up, it\u2019s a\u00a0portfolio effect,\u201d he said. \u200b\u201cThere\u2019s a\u00a0lot more value to unlock down the\u00a0road.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

To be clear, relying on systems installed at customers\u2019 homes and businesses puts a\u00a0lot of risk on the companies fronting the money to install them. These companies need to have technology to communicate with and control the devices to ensure they\u2019re storing and shifting power at times when that\u2019s valuable. And they need contracts that fairly share the savings and revenues with their customers\u2014and build in options for when customers might want to switch to a\u00a0different energy retailer that comes along with a\u00a0more attractive offer.<\/p>\n

On that last front, portable batteries are a\u00a0lot less risky than systems that need to be wired into building electrical panels and interconnected under utility rules, McGinniss noted. \u200b\u201cIf they don\u2019t like the service, we can come pick it up. That\u2019s a\u00a0remarkable fact about these batteries that changes how you think about financing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, Bernamoff at Black Seed Bagels said he\u2019s excited by the longer-term possibility of installing large-scale batteries in the Bushwick store\u2019s basement\u2014particularly as city and state policymakers in New York push to electrify buildings<\/a>. Today, Black Seed primarily uses fossil-gas appliances and heating systems in its stores. If the company is required to switch to electrified versions, then adding batteries could help it manage its higher electricity bills and limit strain on the local grid, he\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe industrial battery side of it all could be really interesting,\u201d Bernamoff said while seated at a\u00a0caf\u00e9 table, beneath a\u00a0poster advertising the store\u2019s scallion-kimchi cream cheese.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the extent that we\u2019d be able to reduce peak power at the service level, instead of piece by piece, now we\u2019re really talking,\u201d he added. \u200b\u201cBecause then every outlet, every light bulb is being better managed and reduced.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This story was originally published by Canary Media. In the back of Black Seed Bagels in northern Brooklyn…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,50496,9,24,63],"class_list":{"0":"post-113466","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-brooklyn","9":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","10":"tag-brooklyn-news","11":"tag-byline-external","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-city","14":"tag-nyc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}