Whether you’re thinking about upgrading your current solar energy system or you’re shopping around and looking to add solar panels to your home or business, you may be wondering if a solar battery backup system is a good fit for your home. Is adding solar energy battery backup worth it in Arizona?
Here’s a list of the pros and cons of installing a solar battery for your Scottsdale, Phoenix, or Florence home or business.
5 Pros of a Solar Battery Storage System
1. Greater Energy Independence
A grid-tied solar panel system without energy storage will provide power for your home… as long as the sun is shining. On cloudy days, or at night, you’ll still need to rely on the grid and will be at the mercy of your utility company for power. With solar battery installation, you can save excess energy from your solar energy production during the day and use it when you need it, reducing your reliance on your utility.
2. Use Renewable Energy 24/7
One of the biggest benefits of upgrading to solar power is that you’ll be able to power your home from a clean, renewable energy source: the sun. But whenever you’re using power from the grid, you’re using electricity that has very likely come from natural gas, nuclear power, or coal. Adding a solar battery to your home or business allows you to use clean energy more often, lowering your carbon footprint.
3. Keep the Lights On During Power Outages
A grid-tied solar system is just as vulnerable to power outages as a home without any solar panels, even in the middle of a sunny day. If you’re looking to avoid blackouts and outages from storms, adding backup power with a solar battery is a great way to ensure you’ll be able to keep your home up and running while the rest of your neighbors are out of luck.
4. Avoid Expense Demand Charges on Your Utility Bill
Have you ever taken the time to really sit down and look at your electricity bill? In Arizona, utility companies use a rate system called peak demand charging where you pay a higher rate for using energy all at once. If you want to be able to run the dishwasher, watch TV, and keep your AC on at the same time, but don’t want to pay the price (literally) for it, a solar energy storage option could be right for you.
5. Take Advantage of the Federal Solar Tax Credit
As long as all your energy storage is being charged by solar, it’s also eligible for the federal solar tax credit, one of the most important and money saving solar incentives available. Also called the federal investment tax credit, or ITC, you can qualify for a federal tax credit that will help you save on your solar installation and solar battery installation costs.
In 2021, the credit drops from 26% to 22%, and in 2022 it’s eliminated completely for residential solar installations (and dropped to a permanent 10% for commercial solar and solar batteries).
3 Cons of a Solar Storage Battery for Your Home
1. Higher Cost
Adding energy storage to your solar panel system will cost more upfront, though storing energy from a free energy source and using it to offset using power from the grid will allow you to recoup those costs moving forward. The experts at Energy Solution Providers can sit down and review your home’s energy use to find out if energy storage makes the economical sense for your home or business.
2. Multiple Batteries Are Required to Go Completely Off-Grid
Solar battery storage capacity has rapidly increased in recent years, but a single battery still doesn’t have the ability to be able to run your home for multiple days without power. Likewise, if you’re looking to go completely off-grid and disconnect entirely from your utility company, you’ll need a battery bank of multiple solar batteries to store the amount of energy you’ll need to keep your home running 24/7. To ensure your home is as efficient as possible, you may want to consider making some energy efficient upgrades before going fully off-grid to reduce your overall system cost.
3. May Increase Maintenance Needed
Solar panels need very little maintenance or cleaning themselves, so once you have your panels installed, you can pretty much kick back and enjoy decades of free energy. Solar battery types can be a little more complicated, so whether you have flooded lead acid batteries or lithium ion batteries can mean a substantial difference in maintenance and upkeep.
Find Out How Much Solar Batteries Cost in Arizona Today
Want to find out the real cost of upgrading to solar battery storage? Reach out to Arizona’s solar experts at Energy Solution Providers. For nearly 20 years we’ve helped homeowners across the state save money and power their homes with renewable energy. Reach out today for a free solar quote, and talk to a member of our team to discuss your specific situation so we can find the right solar solution for you.