Imagine you’re home on a stormy night, watching TV with the washing machine running, and all of a sudden the power goes out. Now imagine the same scenario, except you have a rooftop solar energy system with battery storage. When the power goes out in your neighborhood, you’d be blissfully unaware.
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A common myth about solar power is that you can count on it only when the sun is shining. You do need sunshine to generate electricity with solar, but what about the times when the sun isn’t shining? Most people rely on electricity from the power grid to supplement their solar-generated power. But residential solar energy systems paired with battery storage—generally called solar-plus-storage systems—provide power regardless of the weather or the time of day without having to rely on backup power from the grid. Here are the benefits of a solar-plus-storage system:
You may be sold on the merits but curious about the costs. A solar-plus-storage system costs about $25,000–$35,000, depending on the size of the battery and other factors. It is easier and cheaper to install the panels and battery at the same time. But if you’ve already installed solar panels and want to add storage, you can: The battery will cost anywhere from $12,000 to $22,000. Ask your solar installer if they can add a battery to your system. If you purchase a battery on its own or a solar-plus-storage system, you will be eligible for federal tax credits. Some states provide additional solar battery incentives.
When you picture a battery, the first thing to come to mind is probably the disposable batteries you put in everyday appliances like your TV remote. But did you know you can power your entire house with (much larger) batteries?
You don't need a home solar panel system to reap the benefits of home battery backup. But you'll get the most out of your system when you pair them together—especially if your utility doesn't pay you much for the excess electricity your solar panels generate and send to the grid.
We explain how to decide if backup batteries are right for you and, if so, how to get a battery system that fits your needs at the best price.
Home backup batteries store extra energy so you can use it later. When you only have solar panels, any electricity they generate that you don’t use goes to the grid. But with residential battery storage, you can store that extra power to use when your panels aren’t producing enough electricity to meet your demand.
Most batteries have a limit on how much energy you can store in one system, so you may need multiple batteries if you want to have enough capacity for long-duration backup. Also, most batteries can’t store electricity forever—even the best home battery backups will slowly lose charge over time, whether or not you use them.
You don't need solar to install a home battery, but batteries only store energy, they don't produce it. Pairing your battery system with solar panels allows you to truly increase your grid independence and your electric bill savings. Here's how it works:
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But home backup batteries are becoming an increasingly popular choice over home generators. They offer many of the same backup power functions as conventional generators without the need for refueling. While they're more expensive upfront and require an electrician to install, you can "refuel" them for free with the sun's energy if paired with solar panels. They're also much quieter than generators and don't come with emissions-related health concerns.
Most batteries last about 10-15 years, meaning you'll have plenty of time to break even on your investment. While many homeowners can benefit from installing a battery system, they're not right for everyone. Here are a few questions to answer when deciding if you should add a home battery:
Power outages are an occasional nuisance for everyone, but for some people, they're a far too regular occurrence: According to the Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. electricity customer experienced 5.5 hours of electricity interruptions in . However, customers in Florida, West Virginia, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire experienced average outages ranging from 10.3 hours in New Hampshire to 19.1 hours in Florida.
Under these policies, you could still have a hefty electric bill even with solar. By pairing your solar panels with a battery, you can program your system to export electricity to the grid only when compensation rates are high and pull from your battery when rates are low, maximizing your savings.
Even if you don't have solar, batteries alone can be worth it if your utility uses a complex electricity rate structure. Time-of-use, or TOU, rates are a form of "time-varying rates" designed to better reflect the actual cost of electricity based on the amount of supply and demand. Utilities have used TOU rates for businesses for many years, but they're becoming an increasingly common way to charge homeowners. Under TOU rates, your electricity cost will vary from hour to hour, day to day, and season to season. With a battery, you can use your stored energy to avoid pulling electricity from the grid when it costs the most.
Demand charges are also common for businesses and are becoming more common for homeowners. With demand charges, your utility company tracks your maximum energy pull from the grid during any given hour (or even 15-minute period) per month and charges you based on that maximum demand for the whole month. With a battery, you can lower your peak demand from the grid, driving significant bill savings.
If you want to install a home battery but are overwhelmed by the cost, rest assured there are plenty of incentives available that can significantly lower the price. Depending on where you live, you could break even on your home battery storage investment in less than a year. Here are some of the top battery incentives that will either reduce your upfront cost or increase your long-term savings:
In , a 10 kWh battery costs about $7,000 after the federal tax credit based on thousands of quotes through EnergySage. This price tag is high, but if you've determined that a battery is right for you based on your answers to the questions we outlined so far, it will pay off over time.
But if you live somewhere with net metering and a flat, non-time varying electricity rate, the only financial savings from installing energy storage come from avoiding outages or receiving any available state incentives. In those instances, you won't see any more bill savings from adding a battery to your solar panel system.
Are you interested in learning more about Residential Solar Battery Storage Systems? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!