Maintain Power During an Outage with Solar Battery Storage

We’re only into the month of October but that means it’s Nor’easter season once again here in Massachusetts.

Many homeowners and businesses from Central Mass to the North Shore and South Shore of Massachusetts go hours or even days without power when a blackout occurs; but did you know that with the right solar PV system, you can continue powering your home and keep the lights on with clean energy during power outages and power surges?

Keep the Lights on During an Outage with Battery Storage

Many people are surprised to learn that a typical grid-tied solar PV system cannot power your home or building during an outage. This is because, due to safety regulations, utility companies must shut off the power coming from residential solar PV systems to protect any technicians who are working to repair power lines.

While some may look to a generator to power their home or building during a power outage, there is another way to keep the lights on: battery storage. 

Battery storage (also known as energy storage or solar batteries) stores the excess energy a solar PV system generates during the day for later use, such as at night. In the event of an outage, as long as your solar battery has backup energy stored, you can use that energy to maintain access to power — even when your neighbors don’t have power.

Boston Solar Is a Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer

One of the most trusted and talked about battery storage options for solar PV systems is Tesla Powerwall. Tesla Powerwall can detect an outage, disconnect from the grid, and automatically restore power in a fraction of a second — and then continue to provide power for up to seven days (or possibly even longer).  That fraction of a second is over 100x faster than typical standby generators and all your appliances will continue to run without interruption. And Powerwall is so quick to kick-in that you can forget about needing to reset your clocks or alarms. 

Boston Solar is now a Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer, meaning we can help you add Tesla Powerwall to your existing solar PV system or design a solar + energy storage system for your home that includes Tesla Powerwall. 

With more than 4,000 solar installations to date, we have extensive experience helping Massachusetts homeowners and businesses alike achieve their solar energy goals. If you have questions about protecting your home or business from power outages and power surges with the help of battery storage, get in touch with our team!

Mass Energy Efficiency Incentives for Battery Storage

If you’re considering investing in solar-plus-storage, or you want to add battery storage, such as Tesla Powerwall, to your existing solar panel system, you should know that there will soon be valuable incentives for battery storage here in Massachusetts. At the end of January, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) approved a new three-year energy efficiency plan that includes incentives for battery storage.

Thanks to these incentives, homeowners, and businesses who invest in battery storage, such as with Tesla Powerwall, can earn incentive payments based on how much battery storage reduced their electricity load during peak demand times. Battery storage owners will be compensated for their battery storage usage during winter and summer seasons at fixed rates and based on the average kW discharged to the utility. For residential customers, the incentive rates are $225 per average kW in the summer and $50 per average kW in the winter. 

The DPU’s new energy efficiency plan also makes HEAT loans available to customers who are looking to purchase battery storage. Mass Save® is offering a seven-year HEAT loan at zero-interest towards the purchase of a solar battery (whether on its own or with a solar + storage system).  

With these incentives and financing options, adding solar + storage for your home or business is more feasible than ever. 

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Learn more about how solar-plus-storage can give you access to power, even during an outage. Call 617-858-1645 or contact us to get a free quote!