Battery storage is often mentioned as a critical component of electrification, but we should discuss why that is and how including a battery storage solution in your electrification project can save you money. As we move into a new year defined by rate hikes and increasing costs, the case for electrification becomes stronger by the day. It is an inarguable fact that as of January 1st, the cost of your energy bill increased, with no material benefit to you the customer.
On top of that, the utility is planning a second and potentially third rate increase for the first half of this year alone, meaning your already high bill is going up. In the current market, you need to be smart in how you navigate your home finances. Today, we’re going to discuss battery storage, and how it enables your entire electrification project to function at a greater level of efficiency while also supercharging your savings potential.
Onsite solar battery storage involves the installation of batteries as part of a residential solar system. The batteries allow you to store generated solar energy on site, to be used when needed at a later date. This usually involves powering electrical appliances at night or during peak energy pricing hours.
When incorporated into your solar installation, battery storage serves to collect and store any excess energy generated during the day. Without a battery storage solution, your excess solar energy would instead flow back into the grid, and with a net metering agreement the utility would then give you a credit for the energy exported to the electric grid. However, with a battery storage system, you have much more control over what happens to the power you generated, and you can leverage that power strategically to save yourself even more money.
One way of doing this is by storing generated energy during the day when the cost of energy is low, and then utilizing that energy in the evening and night once the cost of energy goes up. Traditionally, you’d have to pay market rate for power when you use it, and given that price goes up in the evenings and after the sun goes down, it costs more to power your home at the end of the day. If you had net metering but no battery, you’d only be able to send power to the grid when you generate it, and you’d be on the hook for those high prices in the evenings when you need power. With a battery, you can either cover your own energy usage in the night, saving money on high energy prices, or you can export that stored energy to the grid at a premium, covering the installation costs and ultimately making you money.
Level Up Electrification with Battery Storage
As we’ve previously discussed, electrification projects involve a two stage saving strategy. You first save on the efficiency of modern electric appliances, which use less energy to operate overall. Older appliances are just less energy efficient overall, so upgrading to current equipment is going to net you an energy savings right off the bat. Then, you save a second time once you start to operate your energy efficient appliances with clean, renewable solar energy. That multistage savings strategy works on its own, but it’s made even stronger with battery storage.
Because battery storage allows you to save and use power when you want to, you can maximize the efficiency of your electrification project by using generated power whenever possible. Especially if you’re planning to leverage something like an EV Charger or a heat pump, it pays to operate those high energy items when you have power saved up. That way, you’re not paying a premium to charge your car or warm your home.The goal of these electrification projects is to create an elevated home, one where you have efficiency of energy usage and control over how your system helps you save money. Battery storage unlocks so much potential in your solar enabled electrification project.
No electrification project is complete without at least considering the inclusion of solar + storage. They pair so nicely with the goals and results of electrification that it just doesn’t make sense to try and achieve one without the other. Solar generation and battery storage enable your energy independence and savings every step of the way, and with the present and future price hikes looming over utility customers, now is the time to get started and save. As luck would have it, our expert consultants can help you make a plan for an electrification project that utilizes solar and battery storage!
