How Much Do Battery Storage Systems Costs?

Solar energy systems are excellent for providing households with daytime power. However, you need a mechanism to store some of the energy that your solar panels produce during the day if you want to be able to use solar energy at night. One of the most common ways for doing it is with battery storage systems.

Cost will be a key consideration when shopping if you intend to add a battery storage systems(or several) to your house. We’ve created the following article for that reason. For figuring out everything, it is known about the price of solar batteries, keep reading.

Cost of Solar Batteries Overview

The cost of your solar batteries for storage could range from $200 to $15,000 per battery. The chemistry of the battery and its characteristics will determine how much you pay. The cost of solar batteries might fluctuate quite a bit. As what we mentioned above, we will know many of the elements that can affect your bill.

For the being, just be aware that, on average, you should prepare to pay $1,000 per kWh of power provided by a battery. Solar batteries for homes typically cost between $7,000 and $14,000.

Factors Which Impact Solar Batteries’ Prices

Battery Quality

Prices for solar battery storage are comparable to those of other products: you get what you pay for. Costlier than batteries made with less stringent production standards are batteries that have undergone extensive testing and are manufactured with the best materials.

Battery Quantity

Some home owners decide to upgrade their homes with several solar batteries. Your overall expenditures will undoubtedly increase if you choose to do this for each additional batter that you add, but if you buy in large quantities, a lot of businesses are going to give you a favor. One battery might cost $10,000 to add to your home, but two batteries would cost $18,000, and three would cost $36,000.

Inverter or No Inverter

Some solar batteries have integrated inverters that transform DC electricity into usable AC electricity. It normally costs more because your battery has its own inverter. However, you will need an inverter somewhere else in your solar energy system if your solar battery lacks one.

Battery Chemistry

The majority of solar batteries use a form of lithium-ion chemistry. NMC and lithium iron phosphate are two of the most popular forms of LFP. LFP battery often costs between 30 and 50% more than NMC batteries since they typically last longer.

Brand Reputation

Your solar battery purchase price may be significantly influenced by the manufacturer’s brand. Batteries made by companies with strong reputations and those recognized for producing excellent results might fetch higher prices.

Warranties and Guarantees

The quality of warranties and other guarantees you receive from the battery manufacturer may also have an impact on the price of your solar battery. An organization can, for instance, provide you with a fantastic discount on a solar energy storage battery without providing you with any guarantees regarding how long it will endure in the form of a warranty.

Additional Charges for Solar Batteries

A solar battery will cost you money in addition to the battery itself. Additional costs like as installation and potentially additional supplies will also be incurred. A summary of those two charges is provided below.

Installation

When it comes to solar batteries, installation is by far the biggest extra expense. Depending on the business you choose, the cost of having your batteries installed will vary significantly.

Whether you install your battery alone or in conjunction with a whole solar panel system might also have an impact on your installation costs. Installing everything at once can save you money because it will cut down on the number of visits an electrician has made to your house.

Additional Materials

It’s also conceivable that your installer will want you to buy other supplies in addition to your solar battery. For the material the installer wishes to use to hold the battery in place, for instance, you could have to pay more. Your overall cost for solar batteries will go up as a result.

Rebates and Incentives

Being in hand of the solar battery incentives that are offered in your area, the cost to install a solar battery may also change.

The SGIP solar battery incentive program in California can pay for approximately a fourth of a battery installation’s expenses. Other states with cheaper upfront fees include Oregon, which also has solar battery programs.

Additionally, even if the battery isn’t linked to solar panels, you can receive an additional 30% off the cost of your battery installation if you meet the requirements for the solar tax credit of federal.

Labor Costs

The cost of a home solar battery installation will also depend on how much labor is needed to build your battery system.

For all of the permitting necessary and electrical work for both the battery system and solar system will be finished, the labor costs may be slightly lower if the batteries are installed at the same time as the solar panels.

However, after installation, if the solar panel system adds battery, labor costs may increase because new permits must be obtained, additional incentive forms may be needed, and additional electrical work may be necessary for the battery and the solar panels to be connected that are already in place.

Backup Load Panel

Solar batteries typically aren’t able to power your entire house.

The essentials, such as your lights and refrigerator, will continue to operate, but you’ll need to add several batteries to have enough energy to run your air conditioner during a power outage or if you’re off the grid.

You may need to construct a sub-panel because a battery cannot power your complete home. This will allow the battery to back up only the essential components of your home in the event of a power loss. A sub-panel installation, also known as significant load panel or backup load panel or will increase installation expenses by $1,000 ~ $2,000 in total.

Number of Batteries Installed

Typically, solar batteries can’t supply enough energy to run your complete home. You won’t lose access to the necessities, like your lights and refrigerator, but you’ll need to add more batteries to have enough power to run your air conditioner in case of a power outage or if you’re off the grid.

For batteries cannot supply energy for your house, you might need to build a sub-panel. In the event of a power outage, this will enable the battery to backup only the crucial parts of your house. The cost of installing a sub-panel, referred to as a backup load panel or a critical load panel sometimes, rise by $1,000 ~ $2,000 overall in the future.

Understanding the Federal Tax Credit for Battery Storage

The most popular tax credit utilized by Americans who purchase solar panels is the federal investment tax credit (ITC). However, a lot of people are unaware that it may also be used to offset the cost of a solar battery purchase.

The ITC grants a 26% credit on qualifying purchases for 2021 and 2022. By 2024, that lowers to zero (22% in 2023), though the government may decide to extend the ITC before then.

Accordingly, if you paid $10,000 on a solar battery, this tax credit would allow you to save $2,600. However, in the beginning, what you have to confirm is you are eligible.

Eligibility Criteria for the Federal Tax Credit for Battery Storage

The method by which you charge the battery you purchase is the main criterion for eligibility for the energy storage ITC. It must be powered by a renewable resource, such as solar cells.

You should be eligible for the ITC provided that you solely charge the battery with renewable energy, such as from a household solar system, in order to comply with this eligibility requirement.

Commercial Qualification Rules

Commercial energy storage clients have slightly varied eligibility requirements. Only 75% of the time must be spent using renewable energy sources to charge your solar battery if it is used in a commercial setting.

The percentage of renewable energy you utilize to charge the battery will determine how much of an ITC credit you are eligible for. For instance, you will be eligible for 75% of the ITC if you charge the battery with renewable energy 75% of the time. You will be eligible for 100% of the ITC if you always recharge the battery with renewable energy.

When the ITC Doesn’t Apply

Combining a solar battery with a renewable energy source is crucial for energy storage to be eligible for the ITC. If you acquire a solar battery and charge it only from the utility grid, you will not be eligible for the ITC

The Bottom Line on Battery Rebates and Battery Storage Tax Credits

Solar batteries are now far more inexpensive thanks to initiatives like the federal tax credit for battery storage and other state-based battery subsidies.

For instance, residents of California may be eligible for a 26% discount through the federal ITC and an additional $2,000 through the state’s SGIP. These tax benefits taken as a whole could help you save more than half of the cost of a solar battery.

However, the state you live in and its rules will determine the precise amount you can save through battery storage tax credits. Thus, you have to make a purchase after doing your homework.

Conclusion

The good news is that solar battery technology’s cost is going down, and soon solar batteries will be standard equipment for all solar energy systems.

Make careful to seek quotes from several reliable battery storage installers if you want to combine solar power with storage to get the best installation at the lowest cost.