A battery paired with your solar system can give you peace of mind during an outage by powering critical loads and enhancing the savings from solar production.

Batteries or Energy Storage Systems are able to store power generated by your solar system to power your home in the event that there is a power outage. Most Coachella Valley residents that have lived through an extended outage can attest to the fact that they are no fun. With batteries, we are able to make these events a bit more comfortable.

In most cases, a single battery is unable to run your entire home. However, it is able to power some of the most critical loads such as your garage door, refrigerator, security system, and other small appliances or plugs that you deem necessary. If you are interested in being able to run your air conditioner or other appliances that require lots of energy, it is likely that you will need two or three batteries to achieve that level of comfort. Call today to discuss what you would like to be able to power during an extended outage and we can help you determine what setup is right for you.

Understanding how batteries enhance your solar savings

Under NEM 2.0, solar customers are required to enroll in time-of-use (TOU) rates. Historically, some of the highest rates were at times when solar production was very strong. However, in March 2019, SCE closed the rates with the most favorable time periods for solar and introduced new rates with the most expensive energy or on-peak periods from 4-9 PM or 5-8 PM. Shown below are the SCE rates released on 1/1/20.

As you can see, the most expensive rates are in the evening when there is little or no solar production. Without a battery, solar customers would primarily export additional power onto the grid during “off-peak” rates and receive a credit. However, customers with a battery are able to store the excess generation that would have otherwise been sold to the utility at off-peak rates and store it onsite to be used a few hours later to offset “on-peak” charges. In the very near future, customers will also be able to discharge power from the battery to the grid. How much you want to store and discharge will help determine what rate schedule is best for you. Detailed energy usage and production analysis are free from Renova Energy, so you can see just how much more you can save with a battery.

To speak with a member of our team, contact Renova Energy today. We can provide you with a free quote.