HOME BATTERY STORAGE SAVINGS
A new study suggests nearly 5 million utility customers in the U.S. are at a financial tipping point that could make adding solar battery storage a good option. At this point in the evolution of energy storage technology, the most sensible application for installing a storage system is when customers are subject to relatively high electricity “demand charges.” This fee is separate from what an organization pays for energy usage, but can still amount to a significant percentage of their monthly electricity bill.
3 Ways Solar Battery Storage Saves on Time-of-Use Rates
Breaking Down Time of Use and Battery Storage
Maybe you’ve heard of Time-of-Use rates before, or maybe you’re just now hearing about them. Either way, Time-of-Use rates, often referred to as TOU, could be behind your ballooning energy bills in the future.
Smart energy storage from Sun Energy Experts can help to offset the higher cost of electricity due to TOU rates. But before we get into that, let’s go over what TOU rates are and how it affects your wallet.
What are TOU rates?
Time-of Use rates are electricity rates that are set by your local utility and vary depending on the time of day. With TOU rates, electricity is most expensive during peak hours, or those when the demand is highest, such as the evening when most people are home. It could be even more costly at the height of summer or dead of winter when folks are cranking up the air conditioner or heater. Conversely, rates are cheaper during off-peak hours, or when demand for electricity is low like in the middle of the day when you typically wouldn’t be home.
TOU rates are put in place to help encourage utility customers to reduce their energy use during peak hours. But when all you want to do is come home and keep cool or stay warm, cook dinner and watch your favorite TV show, the last thing you want to think about is your electricity bill.
Thankfully, Sun Energy Experts Solar + Home Battery Storage offers a solution to Time-of-Use so you can enjoy peace of mind, 24/7.
Why Home Battery Storage?
1. Saves the Power You Make
Saving money on TOU rates is easy if you can save the power your solar system makes. Home Battery Storage funnels your system’s excess power into an LG lithium-ion battery; more on that here, storing solar power in the middle of the day when you’re least likely to use electricity. That brings us to reason.
2. Powers Your Home at Peak TOU Rates
Home Battery Storage doesn’t just stop at solar storage. It maximizes your solar savings by using power generated from Sun Energy Experts solar panels during the day to avoid TOU rates when they’re most expensive, like when you get home from work at sundown. Home Battery Storage helps you avoid buying energy from the grid at peak rates by powering your home with the solar power that is saved in the battery. Home Battery Storage is more than just electricity storage—it’s a smart solar solution that responds to your energy needs.
3. It’s Only Getting Smarter (and Cheaper)
Not only is Home Battery Storage the leading edge of smart solar storage technology, the cost of solar installation is more affordable than it’s ever been. Our custom solar installations paired with flexible financing options allow you to optimize your solar potential while maximizing savings. A solar solution that’s efficient, durable, and affordable? Sounds like a win-win-win.
Does My Utility Use TOU Rates?
Many states offer TOU programs that you can opt into. At the present time, the only state that has mandatory TOU rates for new solar customers in Arizona. Our Home Battery Storage is uniquely tailored to meet Arizonans’ needs, intelligently deciding when it’s most cost-effective to draw energy from your solar panels, your battery, or the grid.
Default TOU rates in California will go into effect in 2019. If you’re a California homeowner, choosing our Home Battery Storage now will make you all the more prepared to offset TOU rates once they kick in. Like in Arizona, our Home Battery Storage will automatically adjust so that you pay the lowest utility payment possible, even when your utility rates rise during peak hours.
FAQ
Residential Battery Storage
A battery storage system for a home generally looks like a small fridge or hot water system. The battery system is typically installed in your garage or outside of your home.
Similar to your mobile phone, battery storage collects electrical energy, which can then be used at a later time. One of the common uses for battery storage in a home is to charge the battery from your solar system and use that energy to power the most important or essential devices* if power from the grid is out.
For homeowners, the main benefits of battery storage are:
• Storing solar energy during the day and consuming that energy later in the evening, after the sun sets.
• Providing backup power to essential devices* if the power or grid goes out
No. This solar battery storage solution is designed to store energy which can provide electricity during the nighttime hours and backup power for essential devices during outages. However, you will still be connected
to the grid.
Every household is different. In the same way that you match the number of solar panels to your household’s energy requirements, your battery storage capacity should also be matched to your needs.
The size of your storage system is determined by:
• Your location, house orientation and type of house
• Your household energy consumption
• Time of day when your household energy consumption occurs
• Your solar system size and production
• How you intend to use your battery
The battery storage system needs an Internet connection to ensure you can monitor the usage on your mobile app and to update battery software. With a temporary loss of communication, the battery will continue to operate. Your battery storage system should not be installed in location without Internet or
cellular service.
No. Your installer will establish the appropriate baseline settings. The battery storage software will operate the system automatically based on your settings. You can use the mobile app to update the settings, if you change your mind.