I live in the Southwest where utilities are underground, and I recently bought a house with a 14kW grid-tied solar system. My grid reliability is impressive at 99.8%, but every solar battery company I contact keeps pushing the idea of needing batteries for that tiny 0.2% of downtime. I feel that the real benefit of batteries would be to offset my grid usage at night, potentially lowering my monthly bill to just $10-$15. Shouldn't that be a stronger selling point instead of prepping for some catastrophic event? Also, I'm specifically not interested in Enphase batteries, as they seem overpriced for my needs. With the rise of AI data centers and their impact on energy costs, I can see a future where battery backup might be essential. Am I missing something here? Am I wrong in my thinking?
5 Answers
Absolutely agree with you! Energy arbitrage (using time-of-use rates) can really benefit those who are savvy. It seems like some companies might not prioritize that angle because most customers just don’t care about the savings. They push for reliability instead.
I feel you on the importance of offsetting costs! In my area, electricity is already hitting 50 cents per kWh. It's becoming just as crucial, if not more so, than ensuring grid reliability. If battery technology can help save on bills, that's definitely a win!
Well, at the end of the day, it really depends on how critical your power consumption is and what you can sell back for. Finding that balance is key!
The situation does vary greatly. Here, the rate you get for feeding energy back into the grid is often much lower than what you pay to purchase it, which creates a tricky situation. Also, remember that batteries can become quite costly when you factor in their lifespan and the expenses associated with using them compared to direct solar use.
I went for batteries mainly so that my solar could work during outages, but honestly, it's super expensive to set up for longer blackouts. A generator is much more practical and cheaper for those rare instances. If only we could combine wind and solar to tackle those days with no sun and strong winds!
Where are you seeing those costs so high?