If you are considering investing in a home battery system with solar, this blog will show you how to measure their worth as it may apply to you. So fall into place, and let’s find out if batteries are worth it.

2 common battery types in the market

The most common reason people want a battery system with their solar is to have power during an outage. This is where proving a battery’s worth gets easier.

When it comes to battery types you can install for home backup purposes, there are several types of batteries. They are also referred to as battery chemistry. The two more prevalent battery chemistries are lithium ion and lithium iron.

These two battery types are offered by several companies on the market as of this writing. Household names are Tesla. Though nowadays, inverter manufacturers like Enphase and solar edge are getting into providing battery backup solutions for your home. It should be noted that buying a battery system from the same company as the inverter manufacturer is keen. It lessens the number of parties involved with after-purchase care.

Why do people install batteries, and why do you want one? 

To understand if batteries are worth it, we first have to get to the bottom of what you want to get out of batteries or your expectations. 

Everybody will have their own reasons why they may want a battery system, but there are two common reasons why people choose to invest in a battery.

The first reason is to avoid electricity use from the grid when the rates have increased during peak demand hours. This is known as energy arbitrage. We won’t quantify savings for you because different factors come into play for savings, namely how much electricity you can avoid using during peak demand hours. Whether or not this makes sense for you depends more on your utility.

The most common reason people want a battery system with their solar is to have power during an outage. People often think, why have solar if you can’t use it if the power goes out. This alone may make batteries worth it for you.

Are home batteries worth it?

Installing a home battery for energy savings 

Depending on the battery configuration, you may optimize installation for cost savings.

Some utility rates are subject to rate increases based on time of use, as explained in this video. By storing power in the battery, you can use the stored power later in the day when rates have increased in cost. 

As rates continue to increase in the future, so will the value of the regularly stored power, especially when you replenish it with solar panels. 

Now get this; The most common reason why people install battery backup is for power outages.

The three most populated states in America as of this recording, California, Texas, and Florida, suffered an average of six power outages per year, affecting 50,000 or more electrical customers from 2000 to 2021. In the west, we would place a gentleman’s bet that fire-related power outages are likely to average up, unfortunately. 

You’re not alone if you’re thinking of a battery system to back up your home in an outage. Protection from power outages are the biggest reason people install electricity backup systems. Whether it’s backup via a generator fueled by liquid gasoline or other gas products or, as more people are doing now, using batteries of one kind or another. 

What you want to backup matters

Now say the power went out right now – what all do you want to back up with the battery system? If you’re going to back up something of high demand like a 5-ton air-conditioning unit, it will require more capacity than if you wanted to back up a home office, air diffuser, and all.

Sometimes people have a notion that you can literally back up anything and everything in their home. And while technically speaking, you can do that, you’re still facing the reality of the home battery system’s capacity. The more things you back up with the battery and the longer you run those things, the less time the battery will serve you.

We like to simplify this for people by using water because that’s something we touch daily and is easier to quantify. Trust us when we tell you, you don’t want to be quantifying or handling electricity to understand how much you use. Think of electricity as water and your battery system as a storage tank of that water. Suppose your water goes out and you continue regular water usage habits. In that case, you’ll use that stored water almost immediately even if you had panels on your roof turning air into water, refilling your storage, which does exist.

The things you have in mind to back up will be factored in how to assess the worth of a battery system as it applies to you. 

Real-world expectations

So let’s assess expectations to demands. First, any kind of temperature control system tied to a battery will likely drain the battery rapidly. So it’s recommended that you dedicate a home battery specifically for this purpose and other parts of the house if you want to back up your AC unit. 

The happiest battery owners are those whose expectations were to power the essentials of their homes rather than the entirety of their home. Especially if the battery system was coupled with solar because you get more battery life. Also, most battery systems offer a degree of customization. It includes when it charges, and what it backs up, so you can change things according to what you want. Like if you’re going to charge/discharge with backup capacity as a priority vs. allow the battery to discharge more during peak rates. Or even turn off specific circuits if an outage extends battery life, like your phone’s low battery mode section, to prolong battery life. 

What people typically back up

Now, what to power? They say the kitchen is the heart of a home, and judging by the number of people that start with backing up the kitchen, we would agree. This would include most circuits in the kitchen and, of course, the refrigerator.

People typically back up parts of the home with additional refrigeration, like a basement or a garage. You can usually get away with a bedroom or two and an office. Anything more than that, and you’re stretching the battery’s lifespan in a single day if the power goes out. 

For the most part, today’s batteries installed with your solar systems will give you the capacity to support an average house for days if the battery system is paired with solar and electricity usage is reserved.

So is the battery system worth it?

Ok, so now let’s say a battery system can meet your expectations, be they what they are. That’s one half of the equation; we still don’t know if it’s worth it.

To get to the bottom of that, let us ask you the following:

If you can lower your cost of electricity and have some kind of home backup in the event of outages for a lower monthly payment than what you’re potentially paying the utility, would that be worth it?

But hey, let’s not sugar coat it because we are not operating that kind of business. If you can back up your home at an equal or greater cost than your current utility, is it still worth it? 

And if you are a cash customer, installing a battery system adds a few years to your solar payback period. Still, you can power a flux capacitor in the event of an outage. Or more likely, keep your meat freezer frozen, the kitchen going, and the internet running, is that worth it to you? 

For reference, batteries tend to be more commonly defined as ‘worth it’ in places where utility rates are higher. So that’s just another variable in your feeling the worth or not. 

Consumer guide & call to action

DroneQuote Consumer Guide (downloadable)

We have an excellent consumer guide that will help you find the right installer. We assist you in hiring the best installers should you want to get more information about solar and battery systems in YOUR area. You can use this guide with any installer you talk to and download it here.

So is a home battery worth it for you? A more specific approach to understanding if a battery system is worth it for you are getting quotes from DroneQuote. Our completely online model is easy, educational, and transparent to give you the best experience and the best prices for home battery systems. Click here to start with DroneQuote and see how we go above and beyond to serve homeowners.