Achieving Energy Independence With a Battery Backup

CONCORD — Here in California, energy independence and electrification are becoming popular concepts among homeowners, especially in regard to solar power. During the last year, PG&E began implementing public safety power shutoffs during periods of high wildfire risk. This created significant challenges for affected homeowners, who in some cases were without power for days at a time. Unsurprisingly, this has increased the interest in and demand for energy independence solutions.

But what does it take to achieve energy independence? Many homeowners assume owning a solar energy system is enough, but this isn’t the case. In order to maintain power during an outage, the addition of a battery backup is required. A battery backup stores energy generated by the solar panels, which can be used to power the home during an outage. A battery backup can also be used during peak times of day when electricity is more expensive, thus lowering energy costs. By adding a battery backup to your solar energy system, you’ll rest easy knowing your lights will stay on when the grid goes down.

A great way to maximize the impact of installing a battery backup is to convert your home to all-electric power, also known as electrification. This will ensure you have access to all appliances and amenities in your home during a power outage. To learn more about energy independence, battery backups and electrification, talk to your local, qualified solar contractor.