Green Power Energy is now officially a Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer, and in doing so can completely upgrade their battery backup experience. Green Power Energy has offered solar battery backup systems to solar customers since 2011.
Back in 2011, battery backup systems in New Jersey involved multiple batteries, each about the size of a car battery, strung together in series. These systems also required a charge controller to manage the charging and output of the battery system, and a smart inverter which would create an isolated circuit on site allowing the battery system to work without interfering with the local grid. In addition to the clunky components, the experience for customers was difficult due to high cost and short term warranties.
Most customers in New Jersey have installed solar panels through third party solar finance programs.
With the high equipment costs in battery backup technology, it was previously not possible to install a battery system for a solar finance project and be in a position of positive cash flow. It was still easier and more economical to install solar panels separate from any backup source. Most solar customers chose to pursue a traditional gas powered generator in lieu of the available battery equipment at the time. Solar customers in New Jersey have been in the unique situation of having their own miniature power plant on their roof while having the inability to utilize this power source in the event of a grid outage. With the old system, due to safety concerns, when the utility’s grid goes down, the solar will no longer operate. This would leave solar customers out of luck and frustrated as they watched the sun hit their solar panels without any benefit to them during an outage.
Today, we have Tesla Powerwall. This battery system features a sleek and compact design, and is made with a rechargeable lithium ion battery.
Powerwall can mount neatly on a wall, and the only additional component it requires is a “backup gateway”. The backup gateway is important to the customer experience as it shows detailed battery production and output, grid notifications, and weather warnings. Solar customers in New Jersey can choose to have multiple Powerwalls and have a Powerwall system for whole house back up, or they can opt to have a Powerwall charge only critical loads. New Jersey customers interested in Powerwall should discuss their goals in an outage with their Green Power Energy consultant to come up with the most optimal personalized experience.
In New Jersey, we have a unique respect for storms and the fragility of our electrical grids. In 2012, New Jersey was hit with Superstorm Sandy. At one point during this major weather event, three million people were without power in New Jersey. People were left without the tools to communicate as phones and computers lost their charge, food was left to rot in the fridge, there was no running water, and as the hours turned to days and days turned to weeks, the situation got quite desperate for some. Even with backup generators, some people in New Jersey were still out of luck. Gas stations require electricity to pump gasoline. It took some gas stations over a week to get back online, and when they finally did, lines were long and inventory was limited. Once the containers of gasoline were used, most homes were back to square one.
With the memory of this experience, it is clear to see why solar panels with battery backup technology are the most reliable solution for home power backup in New Jersey. When coupled with a solar panel installation, Powerwall can continue to recharge off the home’s solar energy indefinitely. Since roof mounted solar panels require an architect stamp to certify they will be secure during hurricane force winds, and with Powerwall’s 10-year product warranty, customers can have the peace of mind to know their product will be reliable and work even after multiple recharge cycles and through the worst storms.
In addition to the technological components and reliability, solar battery backup customers in New Jersey can stand to benefit economically through the 30% (ITC) Investment Tax Credit.
Just like any other renewable energy project, the battery component of the solar battery backup system will be eligible for the 30% tax credit. That means that you can potentially see 30% off the price tag in the form of a tax credit. Contact Green Power Energy today to get your custom solar energy and Tesla Powerwall quote and give your home the gift of reliable, on demand, clean energy.
