Solar Array Energy Storage Resources & Help

100% of anything is very expensive. Don’t feel like a failure if you use some utility power. The point of Net-zero is to contribute as much as you’ve taken by the end of the year. A typical house is expected to need ~5KW (15 to 18 panels), and if you’re charging an electric vehicle, add another 7-8 panels to have enough for a daily charge. If you size a system for your needs during the winter or air conditioning in the summer, you are likely to have a big excess in the spring and fall when you’ll be doing neither (and an excess for which you’ll receive very little from your utility).

We have clients asking about batteries, but a continual supply of a home’s usual load requires a huge and expensive battery. For those worried about emergencies, we suggest a critical load panel for your furnace fan, communications, and a few lights and then powering even these with a portable generator (maybe a Honda EU 3KW). Our utilities are not that unstable. The economics will change as battery prices continue to drop. Prices haven’t budged recently. The supply is going out to California to combat the wind-driven outages and forest fires for the foreseeable future.