Top 4 Benefits of Solar Batteries in 2023

Solar batteries can help homeowners achieve more energy independence, save money on electricity bills*, increase property value and reduce their carbon footprint. But the benefits of a solar battery can vary significantly depending on your home’s energy needs and the energy policies in your area.

Learn more about the benefits of solar batteries in 2023 and decide if a home battery is a worthwhile investment for you.

1. Getting closer to energy independence

As the cost of traditional energy rises and extreme weather events threaten the power grid, a solar battery can provide resilience against grid instability and power costs.

Without a battery, your solar panel system sends excess energy from your panels back to the electric grid. But with a battery, you can store energy from your panels to power your home when it’s cloudy, at nighttime or during a power outage**. This reduces your reliance on the energy grid, even if you don’t have a completely off-grid solar power system.

2. Saving money on electricity

Whether a solar battery will help you save on electricity depends on your energy needs, local power costs and policies in your area.

If your utility company charges time-of-use (TOU) rates, meaning you pay more for electricity depending on the time of day, battery storage can help you avoid paying higher rates during high-demand periods.

Net metering policies, which allow you to send excess energy your solar system produces to the grid in exchange for billing credits, also influence how much a solar battery can save you. Net metering programs that pay the full retail rate for energy are the most beneficial because they offer a one-to-one exchange to help offset electricity bills1. But if net metering in your area doesn’t pay the full retail rate, you will pay more for the grid energy you consume when your panels aren’t producing. Solar batteries help you get around this by minimizing your need to use energy from the grid, saving money on your electricity bill.

Some changing net metering policies are making solar batteries more valuable. For example, California changed its net metering policy to NEM 3.0 in April 2023, significantly reducing how much homeowners can earn for their excess solar energy. (1) This policy change has increased demand for solar battery backup systems as a way to save on energy bills.

Although most states currently offer net metering, many are looking to adopt similar policies as California, which could drive demand for solar batteries in the near future.

We recommend speaking with one of our solar experts about net metering policies in your area to determine if a solar battery can help you save money.

3. Increasing the value of your home

How much a home solar system with a battery increases your property value depends on your local real estate market and buyer preferences. Generally, the more money your system saves you on energy bills, the more valuable your system will be to potential buyers.

Solar batteries are particularly valuable in areas with frequent power outages, time-of-use electricity rates or limited net metering programs. In these cases, solar batteries offer homeowners more savings and peace of mind, increasing the appeal to buyers.

A survey by Japan’s Sharp Electronics Corporation reported that eight out of 10 U.S. residents want home builders to include solar panels as an option for new properties, with half of respondents saying they would pay up to 10% more for a home with a solar system. (2)

4. Reducing your carbon footprint

A solar panel system with a battery can reduce a household’s carbon footprint by up to 85%. For comparison, homes with a solar system and no battery reduce emissions by just 45%. (3)

With a solar battery, you won’t need to rely on fossil fuels to power your home when the sun isn’t shining. Instead, you can use the energy stored in your battery.

Batteries also use electricity from your solar system more efficiently: Instead of excess power traveling back to the energy grid and then to another home, you use all the energy generated at the source.

Should you buy a solar battery?

Solar battery storage can keep your power on during blackouts and offers more energy independence, making it a great investment for many homeowners. However, a solar battery is not always worth it from a financial standpoint.

If you are eligible for a full-rate net metering program, you won’t save much on your energy bill by adding a battery to your solar system. However, as net metering policies evolve and offer energy exchange rates less favorable for homeowners, installing a solar battery can help recoup costs.

We recommend speaking with an ADT Solar Energy Specialist to determine if a solar battery is worth it based on your needs and local programs near you. Even if a solar battery doesn’t fit your current needs, changing net metering policies and high energy costs might make it worth it in the near future.