Shopping for Solar Panels? Don’t Forget a Home Battery
Rising energy prices, increased blackout risk and government incentives are driving interest in residential energy-storage systems.
A contractor installs hardware for a Tesla Powerwall battery unit at a home in San Jose, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergResidential solar and energy-storage systems are fast becoming a popular way to lower your carbon footprint, offset rising electricity prices and keep the lights on during more frequent climate-related power outages. On Monday, nearly half a million Californians remained without power as severe storms struck the state.
Electricity generated by rooftop solar panels can be stored in lithium-ion or lithium-iron-phosphate batteries — the two most popular types of home-energy storage — so that it can be used at night when utility rates often spike. BloombergNEF estimates the amount of energy stored in residential and commercial batteries will jump 40% this year, and many countries provide generous incentives to encourage installation of home battery systems.