Home Solar Batteries: Do You Need One?
A battery can store solar power for the evening or keep some lights on in an outage. Whether it's worth it depends mostly on your utility's rules and how often your power goes out.
Call to see if your home qualifies(877) 565-3409Home Solar Line connects you with an independent solar provider. We don't sell or install anything ourselves. Calls may be recorded.
- Free call
- No forms to fill out
- Independent local providers
- No obligation
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
What happens when you call
- Answer a few quick questionsDo you own the home, how much is your power bill, how sunny is the roof.
- Get connectedIf your home fits, you're put through to an independent solar provider who serves your area.
- Talk it through, then decideThey look at your roof and usage and explain options. No obligation to buy.
What a battery does
Stores daytime power
Solar power you don't use during the day charges the battery instead of going to the grid, and the house uses it after sundown.
Backs up the house
In an outage, a battery can keep chosen circuits, or with a bigger setup most of the house, running.
Works with time-of-use rates
Where evening power is expensive, the battery can cover the house during those hours.
Solar alone shuts off in an outage
A standard grid-tied solar system shuts down when the grid goes down, so it doesn't send power into lines that crews are repairing. Without a battery, or a specific backup setup, your panels won't power the house during an outage, even on a sunny day.
When a battery tends to make sense
- Your utility credits exported power at a low rate.
- Your rates are much higher in the evening.
- Your area has frequent or long outages, or you need power for medical equipment or a well pump.
When it may not
- Your utility offers full net metering.
- Outages are rare and short where you live.
- The budget is tight: panels alone cost less, and a battery can often be added later.
Questions to ask about a battery
- How much usable storage and how much power output does it have, and what will that run in my house?
- Which circuits are backed up, and does it need a separate backup panel?
- What does the warranty cover, and for how many years or charge cycles?
- Is it connected on the AC side or the DC side, and does that matter for my system?
- Can I add it later if I skip it now?
- Where will it be installed, and what permits and inspections does it need?
- Does my utility have a battery program or special rate?
See if solar makes sense for your house.
One free call. Tell a provider about your roof and your bills, and decide from there.
Who this is for
Check all five before you call:
- You own the home (not renting)
- It's a single-family house or townhouse
- The roof gets full sun or only light shade
- Your power bill is over $100 a month
- The home doesn't already have solar panels
Renting, in a condo, apartment or mobile home, under heavy shade, or already have panels? This line can't help with those, so please don't call.
Questions
Do I need a battery to go solar?
No. Most home systems are grid-tied without one. A battery is an add-on that makes sense in some situations.
Can a battery take me off the grid?
It is possible but rarely practical for a typical home. Most solar homes with batteries stay connected to the grid.
Are you a solar company?
No. Home Solar Line is a free phone line that connects homeowners with independent solar providers. We don't sell, design or install systems, and we don't set prices.
Does the call cost anything?
No. The call is free, and there's no obligation to buy anything from the provider you talk to.
Who qualifies?
Homeowners in a single-family house or townhouse with a roof that gets full or mostly full sun, a power bill over $100 a month, and no solar panels already. If that's not you, the provider won't be able to help.
How do I check the provider?
Ask for their contractor license (if your state requires one) and proof of insurance before signing anything. It's on you as the homeowner to check.