Austin, Texas – September 19, 2026 -- Home energy company dcbel has launched its Ara Core Home Energy Station in Texas, a single system that connects solar panels, home batteries, the public grid and bidirectional EVs to give homeowners up to 85% energy independence and cut utility bills from day one.
Ara Core makes 100 decisions per second to manage power
The station uses an intelligent operating system called Orchestrate OS to decide, up to 100 times a second, whether to consume, store or sell energy. dcbel says this centralized routing cuts power losses and delivers up to 30% more efficiency than conventional, unintegrated home energy setups.
A compatible EV can power a home for up to 10 days during an outage
Ara Core can charge two EVs simultaneously and is built for bidirectional charging, letting homeowners tap a compatible EV's battery for up to 10 days of blackout protection. Homeowners can also sell excess energy back through vehicle-to-grid and energy market programs, managed automatically by the system.
Texas outages and rising demand are driving the push
Texas has the nation's second-highest number of power outages, and energy costs have risen 40% since 2020, according to dcbel. Major weather events caused Texas customers to experience nearly three times more outage hours in 2024 than in 2023, while a recent heat wave pushed electricity demand to new highs for six straight weeks, exceeding the state's previous all-time load record. Electricity demand in Texas is forecast to grow 14% this year, versus a 2% national average, as data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities come online.
dcbel's 2026 Home Energy Independence Report found that 91% of homeowners want greater energy independence, and 77% named lower monthly energy bills their top priority.
The system powers a custom-built showcase home in Fredericksburg
dcbel is powering the 2026 Southern Living Idea House in Fredericksburg, open for tours to builders, renovators, designers and the public from September 18 through December 20. "Whether they're looking to keep the lights on during outages or reduce utility costs, they need a solution that brings everything together," said Marc-André Forget, CEO and co-founder of dcbel.
Add-on solar panels can generate up to 20,000 free EV miles a year
An optional Ara Core +solar package adds panels with a DC microinverter architecture, creating a direct path from roof to road. dcbel says this can add up to 20,000 free miles of EV range annually and keep solar power flowing to a home during a blackout.
The unit carries a 12-year warranty and military-grade encryption
Built in the U.S. with automotive designer Paul Deutschman, Ara Core includes military-grade encryption, UL and CSIP certifications, and a NEMA 3R-rated enclosure for indoor or outdoor installation. Texas homeowners can reserve a unit at dcbel's website with a refundable deposit, after which a dcbel Energy Specialist confirms eligibility, identifies incentives and connects them with a local installer.