Battery Backup in the Northwest
Northwest homeowners face unique challenges, including heavy storms, winter outages, and the increasing likelihood of time-of-use billing by utilities, where electricity costs more during peak hours. A home battery backup system ensures:
- Power During Outages: Seamlessly switch to stored energy during grid failures, keeping your essential appliances running.
- Weather Resilience: Batteries charge from your solar system during the day, so even during storms or multi-day outages, you have reliable power.
- Future Savings: With time-of-use rates being tested, home battery backup store energy when costs are low, helping you avoid high electricity prices.
What Can I Power with Home Battery Backup?
We will work with you to identify the most important circuits in your home to connect to your home battery backup system. Whether it’s your refrigerator, lights, or an EV charger, we’ll guide you through the process of selecting the critical circuits from your master service panel, ensuring your home stays powered where it matters most during an outage.
Refrigerator and Freeze
Lighting
Reduce Electric Bill
Medical Equipment
Wi-Fi
Home Appliances
Home Security Systems
Sump Pump
Home Battery Backup FAQ
How Does A Battery Backup System Work During A Power Outage?
During an outage, your system will isolate itself from the grid and begin utilizing the stored energy from the batteries. This is an important requirement that helps to protect utility workers as they work to restore power to the grid. Energy generated by solar can continue to be used to supply your home with electricity and/or recharge batteries.
Can I Use A Battery Backup System Without Solar Panels?
Yes, you can use the FranklinWH and Tesla Powerwall without having solar panels installed. Both battery storage systems can be set up to charge directly from the grid, providing backup power during outages. However, there are some key considerations:
Grid Charging for Backup Power
Both systems can store electricity from the utility grid and automatically provide backup power during an outage.
In areas with frequent power outages, this setup ensures reliable backup power without solar.
Time-of-Use (TOU) Savings
If your utility company has time-of-use (TOU) rates, you can charge the battery when electricity is cheaper (off-peak) and use it when rates are higher (peak hours), helping reduce electricity costs.
Whole-Home Backup vs. Critical Loads
Franklin Whole Home battery backup can power most or all of your house during an outage.
The Tesla Powerwall typically backs up selected critical circuits, though multiple units can provide whole-home backup.
What Are The Benefits of Pairing Battery Storage with My Solar System?
Pairing a home battery backup system like the Tesla Powerwall or Franklin Whole Home with a homeowner’s existing solar energy system offers several key benefits, including energy independence, financial savings, and resilience during power outages.
Provides Backup Power During Outages
Without a battery, most solar systems automatically shut down during a grid outage for safety reasons.
With a battery, excess solar energy is stored and used to power your home when the grid goes down, keeping essential appliances running (e.g., refrigerator, medical devices, lights, Wi-Fi).
Maximizes Solar Energy Usage (Self-Consumption)
A battery allows homeowners to store excess solar power produced during the day and use it at night instead of drawing from the grid.
This increases energy self-sufficiency and reduces reliance on utility companies.
Reduces Electricity Costs with Time-of-Use (TOU) Savings
In areas with time-of-use (TOU) rates, electricity is more expensive during peak hours (e.g., late afternoon/evening).
A battery can store solar energy when electricity is cheap (midday) and discharge it when rates are high, lowering electricity bills.
Protection from Utility Rate Increases
A solar-plus-battery system reduces dependence on the grid, making homeowners less vulnerable to rising electricity rates.
Homeowners gain more control over their energy usage, ensuring a steady power supply even during utility disruptions.
How Long Can A Battery Backup System Power My Home?
The duration a home battery backup system, like the Tesla Powerwall 3 or Franklin Whole Home, can power a home during an outage depends on battery capacity, home energy consumption, and available solar production. Please reference our blog post on How Tesla Powerwall Works in a Power Outage for more details.
What's the Difference Between Solar Battery Backup and A Generator?
For long-term, reliable, and clean backup power, a solar battery backup system (Tesla Powerwall, Franklin Whole Home) is the superior choice. It’s automatic, silent, safe, and sustainable—and when paired with solar, it can keep your home powered indefinitely. Gas generators may provide a short-term solution but come with fuel costs, noise, maintenance, and environmental concerns.
Automatic & Silent Operation
Solar Battery Backup: Turns on instantly and automatically when the power goes out. No noise, no fumes.
Gas Generator: Takes time to start manually unless it’s a standby generator. Loud and requires fuel.
No Need for Fuel or Ongoing Costs
Solar Battery Backup: Runs on stored electricity and recharges using solar panels. No fuel costs.
Gas Generator: Requires gasoline, propane, or diesel, which must be refilled. Fuel prices fluctuate.
Clean, Renewable Energy vs. Pollution
Solar Battery Backup: Uses 100% clean energy from solar power or the grid.
Gas Generator: Emits CO₂, carbon monoxide, and pollutants. Not environmentally friendly.
Long-Term Cost Savings
Solar Battery Backup: Higher upfront cost but saves money long-term with solar energy and reduced electricity bills. Qualifies for tax credits & rebates.
Gas Generator: Lower upfront cost, but higher long-term expenses due to fuel, maintenance, and potential repairs.
Are Battery Backup Systems Effective During Oregon & Washington Winters?
Yes, they work well! While shorter daylight hours, cloudy skies, and rainy weather reduce solar panel efficiency in winter, a properly sized battery system can still provide reliable backup power during outages.
Stored Energy From the Grid:
In Washington and Oregon, batteries can charge from the grid (if allowed by utilities), ensuring power even when solar generation is low.
If a storm is approaching, you can pre-charge the battery so it’s full before an outage.
Solar Still Works in Cloudy & Rainy Weather:
Solar panels still generate electricity on cloudy days, though at reduced output (~25-50% of peak production).
In winter, a 9 kW solar system may generate ~22.5 kWh/day, enough to help sustain essential home loads and recharge a battery.
Batteries Extend Solar Power Availability:
Without a battery, excess solar power sent to the grid during the day goes unused at night.
A battery captures that energy, allowing homeowners to use solar power even after the sun sets.
Emergency Backup for Power Outages:
The Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) or Franklin Whole Home (13.6 kWh) can provide several hours to multiple days of backup power, depending on energy use.