Do I Need a Solar Battery?
Is a solar battery right for you? Protect against frequent outages in Colorado, save money, and reduce your grid reliance. Ask yourself these 4 questions…
Why Every Home Needs Solar Battery Backup
- May 22, 2024
Think back to the last time your power went out for more than an hour or two. If you are like many Coloradans, it might have looked something like this:
Your kids were screaming, you couldn’t charge your phone, and when the lights finally came back on, you had to throw away all the food in your fridge. To top it all off, your neighbor’s solar battery kicked in right when the power went out and their lights never even flickered.
Extreme weather and an aging electric grid are leading to more power outages than ever. If you don’t want to live through this same scenario again and again, you need to install emergency backup power.
There are a number of options for backup power, but solar panels with battery storage are one of the best.
Benefits of Solar Battery Storage for Colorado Homes
If you have residential solar panels or plan to install them, adding a solar battery is more than worth it.
Emergency Backup Power
The number one benefit of solar battery storage is backup power.
Solar panels don’t provide backup power on their own. Since they’re tied to the electric grid and can send power into it, active solar panels are considered a safety risk during a power outage. To protect utility workers against unexpected power surges while they’re making repairs, all grid-tied solar panels automatically shut down during a power outage.
The exception is solar panel and battery systems. If you have a backup battery, your solar energy system can temporarily disconnect from the electric grid and operate independently during a power outage — this is called islanding. During a daytime outage, your solar panels will power your house and charge your battery like normal. At night, your battery kicks in to keep essentials like your refrigerator running.
Avoid On-Peak Electricity Rates
Most utilities (including Xcel Energy) use a rate structure called time-of-use (TOU) billing. On a TOU plan, electricity rates are higher during certain times of the day when demand for electricity is higher. These are called on-peak hours. On-peak hours vary by utility, but they’re typically in the late afternoon and early evening — right when your solar panels stop producing electricity for the day.
With a solar battery, you can use stored solar energy during on-peak hours, avoiding TOU rates and keeping your electricity bills low.
Get Away from the Grid
Installing solar panels is a chance to distance yourself from your electricity provider and become more self-sufficient. Adding a battery to your solar energy system increases your self-sufficiency tenfold. With solar plus battery storage, you can take full control of your electricity generation and usage so you don’t have to rely on outside sources. That kind of independence is invaluable during a fuel shortage or weather emergency.
Battery Incentives Have Never Been Better
What really makes solar batteries a smart choice—aside from the resiliency and independence we cover above? Battery incentives significantly reduce your costs. We’ve honestly never seen a better lineup of battery incentives than right now. Tour our guide here.
Professional Solar Battery Installers in Colorado
Don’t miss out on the benefits of solar battery storage! Solar Power Pros installs premium solar battery systems including the Tesla Powerwall and can help you find the right fit for your home. We are a local solar installer with over 10 years of experience and we know what works best for Colorado homes. Let us help you take control with solar panels and battery backup for your home. We serve homeowners in Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and throughout the entire Front Range.
