How much are solar batteries?
We get this question a lot – especially from those who are finally fed up with their local utility company (which is actually a surprising number of prospective solar customers).
It’s a very sensible question. After all, with enough on-site storage capacity, you can unplug from the utility grid completely. How liberating it must feel to get 100% of your electricity from a clean, renewable, and free energy source?
And yet – we usually tell potential customers to hold off on buying solar batteries. We applaud their enthusiasm and support their desire for a cleaner, sun-powered lifestyle. But there are a few reasons why solar batteries are still not a great idea.
1. Solar Batteries Are Crazy Expensive
Today’s solar batteries can add an extra 33% to 50% to the total cost of your solar installation. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that prices continue to drop as battery manufacturers around the world invest ever-greater resources into creating better storage technologies.
We even did a blog post about one of our favorite contenders – Tesla. If its storage gamble pays off, this could help make solar batteries infinitely more affordable for average homeowners and businesses.
2. Solar Batteries Are a Hassle
The batteries themselves are fine. Most systems are just plug and play. The hassle comes from utility companies.
We recently read some horror stories about how local utility companies were forcing solar customers to buy super expensive hardware before connecting their batteries to the grid. Utility companies also frequently try to tack on extra surcharges and fees for customers who embrace solar technology and on-site storage.
It’s not difficult to understand why utilities are freaking out. The grid only survives because high costs can be spread out over a large number of subscribers. But as more and more homeowners opt out of the grid, utilities must either change their business models or spread their costs over fewer subscribers.
We almost feel bad for these monopolies.
3. Solar Batteries Are Not 100% Necessary
Like you, we can’t wait until solar batteries become ubiquitous. But at the present moment, they’re not 100% necessary. San Diego already has a fantastic net metering program that offers virtual storage for qualifying installations. To learn more about how net metering works, click here.
How Much Will Solar Batteries Be Tomorrow?
Solar batteries are expensive, a hassle, and not entirely necessary. But as solar PV technology becomes more mainstream throughout California (and the world), on-site storage will become cheaper and better.
Ready to speed up that transition?
Contact us today for a free consultation. Not only will your going solar help speed up battery R&D all over the globe, but it will also help you save money today, tomorrow, and 20 years from now.
Don’t believe that solar can do all of these things?
