Publish Date: November 9th, 2023

Home solar battery backup systems are one of the biggest new pieces of technology for residential solar and they are quickly gaining in popularity. Just like when you’re making the decision to go solar, it’s smart to do your research to make sure adding solar battery backup is the right choice for your energy goals. We’ll break down some of the details in this blog, but if you have more questions, reach out to one of our solar advisors. They don’t work on commission and take a no-pressure approach, so you can get answers without the pushy sales pitch.

What is solar battery backup?

Solar battery backup (also known as energy storage) is playing a big part in shaping the future of renewables and how people consume energy. With solar + storage, you can use the energy that your solar system generates during the day to charge your battery(s) and then discharge that energy in the evenings, when time-of-use (TOU) pricing is the most expensive. Your battery backup system will also provide power to your home in case of a power outage.

Solar allows you to lower your electricity bills and gain independence from the utility, and with home solar battery backup you gain peace of mind that you’ll have power when the grid is down. Our experts can design a home battery backup system to power essential loads, such as your fridge, freezer, lights, and internet, or your whole house, depending on your needs and budget.

What batteries will and will not do

When you’re considering solar battery backup, ask yourself why you want batteries and what your energy goals are. Here are some questions to consider:

• Do you experience frequent power outages?
• Are you on TOU billing with your utility?
• Do you want to use more of your self-generated solar power instead of pushing it onto the grid?
• Do you enjoy being an early adopter with new technologies?

We believe that if you have two or more of the above goals, adding a battery backup system can make sense for the investment required. A basic battery backup system costs about $14,000, depending on complexity, and large-scale systems can run up to $42,000 or more. These average costs take into account the 30% tax credit, which is available for battery backup systems through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in 2022. For Colorado residents living within Xcel’s electricity grid, purchasing select batteries, like the Tesla Powerwall, can qualify you for Xcel’s Renewable Battery Connect incentive program, where you can save on both your battery installation and annually for your participation in the program. And most battery purchases qualify for significant rebates in the cities of Denver and Fort Collins.

Namaste Solar and home solar battery backup

Namaste Solar has been carefully watching the battery market to provide our customers with the best products and technology to help you meet your home energy goals. We offer the Tesla Powerwall as our current battery storage option to pair with your solar system. It allows you to store energy for later use and works with your solar system to provide more independence from the grid. Tesla Powerwall systems come with energy monitoring, metering, smart controls for customization and EV charging.

As non-commissioned advisors we try to set realistic expectations about what batteries will and won’t do. At this time, some homeowners choose not to move forward with a battery backup system because it isn’t meeting enough of their goals to make it an effective investment. For example, in the Colorado market, TOU rates are not yet high enough for the battery backup system to pay for itself before the warranty on the system has expired. That is sure to change over the coming years though as battery prices decrease and electricity rates continue to rise. That said, we work with consumers who choose to adopt solar + storage to reduce their overall reliance on fossil fuels and the power grid. 

If you’re thinking about adding a battery to your existing solar system or installing solar plus storage, we would love to have a conversation with you to answer your questions and provide you with a free quote plus additional resources to help you make the best decision to meet your home energy goals.