If your goal for solar is to ‘Go Green’ adding battery storage is the best way to close the gap. When your system isn’t producing at night (or any time), instead of pulling ‘dirty’ energy from fossil-fueled power in the grid, a battery system allows you to pull stored, clean energy from solar reserves in your battery.
Another benefit of having battery storage is when the grid goes down and would usually shut off your system, the battery and gateway allow you to essentially create a ‘microgrid’ closed circuit for your home. Battery storage automatically and seamlessly takes over in an outage – you likely won’t even notice you lost power!
With the increase in working from home, having uninterrupted and stable power is becoming more and more essential. Why not generate that reliable power consistently from your solar system?
In addition to sending clean, stored energy back into your home for use, batteries can be used to charge your electric vehicle. More perks of battery storage include no moving parts, no noise, no exhaust, no regular maintenance, and 70% capacity at year 10. Batteries also qualify for the 30% federal tax credit.
Customers who install and register Tesla Powerwall(s) between June 15, 2023, and October 31, 2023, will also receive a $500 rebate for each Powerwall. You can install a single Powerwall or multiple Powerwalls. After your Powerwalls have been installed, connected to the internet and registered, you will be notified from the Tesla app to submit your rebate request. Once confirmed, Tesla will send you a check of $500 for each Powerwall.
Adding Battery Storage to an Existing Solar System
We often work with folks that have an existing solar system and have questions about adding batteries. Batteries CAN be added to your solar system that is already deployed. We typically recommend a battery that can communicate with your existing solar system. Some people have split systems (where they have added on to their original system using different materials) that may not communicate with each other, requiring two separate system apps. Battery systems can allow you to merge and unify split solar systems into one seamless monitoring space.
Battery Storage & The Utility Company
In addition to batteries creating a seamless monitoring app experience, Tesla just released the latest version of their monitoring app. V 4.19. which allows you to prioritize excess energy, utilizing it to always top off an EV before sending it to the grid, resulting in fewer partial credits from the utility company. The Tesla Powerwall can also be programmed to charge (from the grid) during lower-rate periods. It will then distribute the stored power during more expensive rate periods. This time-based-control feature may be especially useful as we see changes in North Carolina’s Net Metering structure.
Storm Watch Mode
Severe weather is the leading cause of grid outages. Storm Watch Mode allows you to maximize savings by keeping a low backup reserve. If your Tesla Powerwall isn’t completely full as a storm approaches, it will charge to full capacity from the grid. Most of our customers have said that they didn’t even notice that they lost power until receiving an app notification when Storm Watch mode was activated. You can also manually control what amount of backup reserve is set on your battery based on preference.
Pairing SPAN Panels with Battery Storage
SPAN smart panels are capable of balancing large home electrical loads by automatically shedding heavy loads based on a list of priorities. Through this ‘load shedding’ process, SPAN panels extend your battery storage ability up to 40% more. SPAN panels are currently compatible with the highly recommended, Tesla Powerwall and Tesla Powerwall+. A SPAN panel purchase also qualifies for the 30% tax credit.
About Yes Solar
Adding energy storage to your home’s solar power installation is a smart investment, especially in areas where blackouts are a common risk. But it is even more so important to make sure you are working with the right company. In 2017, Yes Solar Solutions was the first installer to be certified by Tesla and we have installed more Powerwalls than any company in North Carolina.
Yes Solar Solutions is leading North Carolina in providing energy storage capabilities for homeowners across the state, and we guarantee our work. With over 2,000 projects installed, and as the only NABCEP accredited solar company in North Carolina, Yes has earned a reputation for integrity, quality, and responsiveness. Yes Solar is also a certified installer of EV charging systems for Tesla, ChargePoint, and other solutions.
If you have questions, a Yes Solar Energy Specialist can walk you through exactly what you might need and provide you with an estimate. For a free, no-obligation consultation, call us at (919) 925-4707 today, and let’s start working together on getting you to a place of energy independence!