If you choose to install solar at your home or business, you may be interested in learning more about adding a battery backup, also known as energy storage, to your solar project. Installing a battery backup allows you to store the solar energy generated by your system for future use.
As you may expect, a typical solar system will only generate electricity when the sun is shining. Therefore, on a bright sunny day during the afternoon you will be able to generate the power you need for daily use. However, at night or on a cloudy day, you will need to supplement your solar energy power with power from the utility grid. The exception to this is solar systems installed with sufficient storage. Battery backups allow you to store excess solar energy that you utilize when the sun is not shining. You can also utilize the power stored in your battery backup system when the power goes out, giving you resiliency and more independence from the utility grid. It is a common misconception that all solar systems operate if the electricity grid goes down due to inclement weather. However, this is only the case if you have a battery backup system.
Owners of solar systems that are not connected to the utility grid can utilize battery backups to store the electricity generated by their solar system. They can use this electricity during the times the sun is not shining and therefore not producing electricity.
According to energy.gov, a battery backup can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $22,000, so deciding to include storage with your solar system is a significant financial decision. Battery systems are eligible for the federal ITC (investment tax credit). For more information on the ITC please visit the Solar Grants and Incentives page.
If you are interested in adding a battery backup to your existing solar system or you would like to install a new solar system with a battery backup, we recommend contacting a solar installer to get a quote and learn your options for storage.
