Solar battery storage

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Rooftop solar plus solar battery storage is like a safety net for your home energy.

If you live in California, you can get peace of mind from power outages and potential savings (during higher time-of-use rates) with battery storage. Plus, battery rebate offers in California can help you cover the cost. California is becoming a leader in energy storage. Thanks to the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) you can get a rebate for a large portion of your solar battery storage installation in California, and it’s about to become a lot easier for homeowners to access. Here’s everything you need to know about SGIP rebate in 2018.  It pays to be an early adopter as rebate incentives go down based on the number of batteries deployed in the state.

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Here are three big reasons why rooftop solar with battery storage is a smart way to manage your electricity costs:

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1. Reductions in peak demand charges

Time-of-use electricity rates are rolling out to all of California. That means peak times (varying between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.3) could cost energy users around twice as much.

The idea is to incentivize behavior that offsets grid strain. Think of it as going to a coffee shop near a college campus during finals week. Want to jump on that shared public WiFi? Good luck.

Too many users pulling from the same source at the same time causes instability. In the coffee shop example, we might be talking about slow internet speeds and dodgy connectivity. In the power grid, we could be talking major power outages.

Rather than paying double for your electricity or living in the dark, using a backup battery storage system like LG Chem or Tesla Powerwall gives you the option to pay less. Your battery will charge during off-peak hours and then dispense the saved energy during peak times.

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2. Reliable backup power in case of a major outage

Another way you’re outsmarting the system is by having your own dedicated power source – like using a personal hotspot with your smartphone in the coffee shop. In this case, you’ll have a solar battery storage backup system for energy if your neighborhood goes dark.

That way if the WiFi flakes out or if the grid flatlines, you’ll still be surfing the web and cruising to the fridge for an evening snack. Your house can run on the sun (even at night) with a smart energy system on its own.

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3. Net metering versus battery storage

Wasted excess power used to be a major downfall of renewable energy sources. Net metering, which provides fair credit to solar customers for the excess energy their panels produce, has made good use of that extra energy.

Solar battery storage takes it a step further by not just crediting for excess power feeding the grid and neighbors’ homes, but actually saving the power remotely. Batteries can react quickly to grid fluctuations, which helps smooth out and stabilize the power grid. That could mean more reliable energy as a whole. So, it’s good for everybody!