Close up slanted view of installed solar panels and blue sky

solar batteries

Keep your home powered with solar backup batteries

Solar batteries for home ensure that the power you
produce is put to use, storing up solar energy to protect
you from power outages and rising electricity prices. 

vivint smart energy

How do solar batteries work?

Solar batteries complete your solar energy system by providing backup protection so you have power no matter what. Batteries for solar panels store your excess solar energy for use if the grid goes down, the sun’s not shining, or during peak times to cut utility costs. Learn more about solar batteries with Vivint academy.

benefits of solar batteries

What solar batteries can do for you

  • Battery Icon
    Recharge automatically

    Keep appliances running for days with solar batteries that recharge in sunlight. No need to stress about controls. If the grid goes out, your solar batteries will turn on and power your home automatically.

  • blue alarm icon
    Reduce your grid reliance

    Avoid using the unreliable grid and paying peak-hour prices. Solar panels with solar backup batteries ensure that any excess energy produced by your solar panels will be used in your own home.

  • Blue Shield Icon
    Protect you from outages

    Avoid the pitfalls of traditional portable backup generators. Keep the lights on during an outage with clean, renewable energy and backup energy storage that can last through the night.

Go solar and save. Find out how.

To ensure a smooth experience, have your electric bill on hand.

A house with Vivint solar power system products in front of it

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smart energy storage

Emergency power when you need it

Only solar energy storage batteries, combined with solar panels, will guarantee your home has power even if power stops flowing from the grid. With a Vivint energy system and solar batteries, you can keep essential appliances running when you need them most. 

your investment is covered

Your panels will perform—that’s a promise

Get an industry-leading production guarantee or warranty when you go solar with Vivint. Work with your installer to find out what is available to you. Enjoy the benefits of a smart energy system, backed by the best solar panel protection in the business.

Call 844.481.8630 now to get a free quote

smart energy financing

Plans for every home
and every budget

To make it easier and more cost-effective to get started with your new solar system, Vivint offers three simple financing options. Discover power independence with a plan that works for you.

  • Solar PPA/Lease: Pay a fixed rate per kWh.
  • Solar Loan: Purchase and finance your system.
  • Solar Cash Purchase: Own your system outright.

Click below for more details about financing your Vivint smart energy system.

solar energy from Vivint

Make your solar power even smarter. Bundle it.

A Vivint home combines energy-savings and award-winning protection for total peace of mind. See how much you could save by switching to Smart Energy from Vivint and bundling with a smart home security system. 

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  • Professional installing solar panels
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    Learn more about solar batteries and how your smart energy system is set up to help save you money.

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FAQ

How long do solar batteries last?

How long your solar battery lasts depends on how you use it. If you only use a solar battery for emergency power during a power outage, it can last virtually forever. If you use it regularly for overnight power when your solar panels have no output, a solar battery can last between 10–20 years. If used as a main power source, a solar battery may last less than 10 years.

Solar battery options provided by Vivint are built to last: The standard Tesla Powerwall warranty is 10 years at 70% capacity. This means, if the Powerwall loses more than 30% of its storage capacity within 10 years it would be covered. The LG Chem RESU battery is warrantied to retain at least 60 percent of its capacity by the time you hit a lifetime of 10 years or an energy throughput of 22.4 MWh, whichever happens first.

How much do solar batteries cost?

Solar battery installation isn’t as simple as list price. Installation costs for residential solar batteries can vary depending on your system setup, type of battery, number of components, inverter, and battery life, among other factors.

Give us a call today to customize the perfect smart energy system including battery storage for your home. We’ll help you find the right financing for your budget, and applicable solar power incentives such as tax credits and rebates to apply to the cost of your system.

The 26% Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) drops to 22% in 2023, so now’s the best time to go solar with battery storage. This incentive is only eligible for batteries if they are connected to a solar power system.

How do solar batteries work?

In short, solar batteries store solar energy for later use. Here is how solar batteries work with a residential solar panel system, in a few basic steps:

  1. Solar panels derive energy from the sun and generate electricity
  2. This electricity, called direct current (DC) electricity, flows through an inverter to produce alternating current (AC) electricity
  3. AC electricity is what powers your home
  4. Any extra electricity that is not used in your home charges your solar batteries
  5. When the sun goes down, your home and/or appliances are powered by the stored energy in the solar battery
How many solar batteries are needed to power a house?

This can depend on energy usage in the home, what the homeowner wants to power, and for how long. Considering that the average solar battery is roughly 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in size:

  • To maximize savings, 2-3 batteries may be enough battery storage to cover your energy usage when your solar panels aren’t producing.
  • If you just want backup power when the grid is down, one solar battery should be enough.
  • In order to go off-grid completely, you will need much higher storage capacity, which may mean 8-12 solar batteries.

A Vivint smart energy expert can help you identify the right number of batteries for your home, needs, and budget.

What happens to solar power when batteries are full?

The short answer is that the extra power will be diverted once the solar batteries are full. Where this power is diverted to depends on your system setup. In an off-grid setup, your inverter would receive the extra power and convert the DC electricity to AC electricity, which can be used by any load connected to the circuit. However, the solar energy system will only generate enough power to match all available connected loads.

In a grid-tied system, your inverter would send the AC electricity to the home first. If the home cannot utilize the power coming from the inverter, it can push any remaining power back to the grid.

How can I increase my solar battery life?

Though solar energy systems with batteries require little to no maintenance, a few simple tips can help you protect your investment by extending solar battery life:

  1. Limit the number of batteries
  2. Limit your battery bank to 16 batteries or less if possible. More batteries mean more connections, each one increasing resistance, which can cause uneven charging.
  3. Rotate your batteries
  4. A large bank of batteries requires periodical rotation. Batteries in the middle of the bank may receive a different charge than batteries on the outside, so rotating them can help balance this out. An installation technician can help you do this.
  5. Don’t leave batteries uncharged for long
  6. To avoid causing damage to the battery, try not to leave it uncharged for extended amounts of time. Leave your charging source on to allow for a continual charge.

For more questions on how solar batteries work and how to maintain them, give us a call and we can ensure your solar storage system is in the best shape.

Go solar and save. Find out how.

To ensure a smooth experience, have your electric bill on hand.

A house with Vivint solar power system products in front of it

Clicking the button below constitutes your electronic signature and consent for Vivint and its parent company NRG to use automated technology, including calls, texts and prerecorded messages, to contact you at the number provided about Vivint and NRG offers. Consent not required to make a purchase. Up to 10msg/month. Reply 'STOP' to opt-out. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

*Requires customer’s execution of a Smart Home Agreement with Vivint for professional monitoring services and a Solar Contract with an eligible Vivint Energy service provider. Offer includes free Vivint Smart Home System Essentials Plus Package (1 Vivint Smart Hub, 1 Doorbell Camera Pro, 1 Element Thermostat, 2 Door / Window Sensors, 1 Motion Sensor, 1 Smart Door Lock, 1 Garage Door Controller, and 1 Outdoor Camera Pro with professional installation) + free professional installation + free Vivint monitoring service for 12 months. After the term of the Smart Home Agreement expires, customer may either cancel Smart Home Agreement or pay for continued monitoring starting at $54.99/mo. If customer cancels the Solar Contract, they will no longer qualify for Solar Promo Offer #1 and will owe $54.99/mo for the remainder of their Smart Home Agreement term. Taxes and local permit fees may apply. New customers only. Visit vivint.com/legal/energy for full Offer Terms & Conditions.

*Freedom Forever 25-Year Production Guarantee:

Subject to the terms of each customer's individual Supply and Installation Agreement with Freedom Forever, including all conditions and exclusions set forth therein, Freedom Forever provides a 25-year production guarantee that a customer’s Solar PV System will produce a certain minimum number of kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Terms, conditions, and exclusions may vary from customer to customer. Click here for more details.