How Your Battery Works: What to Expect as a New Owner
When you invest in a solar battery, you’re not just buying backup power—you’re gaining resilience, peace of mind, and more control over your energy use. This guide will help set the right expectations so you know exactly what your battery can (and can’t) do. Download the infographic here
Why Batteries Are Becoming Essential
Solar batteries are no longer a luxury—they are quickly becoming a necessity.
For storms and outages: In Florida and other hurricane-prone regions, batteries keep your home running when the grid goes down.
For the future: With growing demand from data centers, cryptocurrency mining, and electric vehicles, our grid will face new pressures. Batteries let you stay ahead of the curve.
What Different Battery Sizes Mean for Your Home
Not all batteries provide the same level of protection. Here’s what you can generally expect:
10 kWh – Powers essentials (fridge, lights, Wi-Fi, small appliances) for up to 24 hours.
13 kWh – About 30% more runtime than 10 kWh, often 24–36 hours of backup for critical loads.
20 kWh+ – Supports larger homes or more appliances (minus AC) for 2–3 days of outage coverage.
40 kWh+ – Enough to run most of the home, even some HVAC, for multi-day events.
👉 Actual performance will depend on how much energy your home uses daily.
Load Shedding: The Secret to Making Batteries Last Longer
The smartest way to maximize backup power is load shedding—choosing what to power and what to skip.
Keep on: Lights, fridge, sump pump, phone/computer charging, medical devices.
Turn off: Laundry, oven, pool pump, and especially air conditioning.
💡 Tip: Instead of running central AC during an outage, consider installing a small inverter unit. It uses far less power and can keep a room comfortable for long outages.
How Batteries Work With Your Utility
Batteries don’t just shine during outages—they also change how you interact with your utility:
1-to-1 net metering (Duke, FPL, TECO) – Your solar exports earn full retail credit. Batteries help mostly with backup and time-of-use shifting.
Reduced credit utilities (KUA, OUC, SECO) – Batteries save you more because they let you use your solar directly instead of selling it back at a lower rate.
In both cases, your battery puts control back in your hands.
Final Thoughts
Owning a solar battery means you’ve taken a major step toward energy independence. Your system will:
Keep your essentials running during outages.
Save you money in areas with poor net metering.
Prepare you for a future of higher energy demands.
Think of your battery as your personal energy safety net—quiet, reliable, and always ready when you need it most.
Download the infographic here
