When we put solar on a home, much of the energy it produces ends up back on the power grid, earning credits that offset electricity purchased from the utility at other times of day. But one GRID homeowner now has a way to bank her own power.
In January, GRID teamed up with long-time equipment partner Enphase Energy to try out a new solar+storage system for Seeley, California resident Ofelia Eguia. Her 4kW system was installed in January with support from Enphase, trainees from Imperial Valley College, and additional funding from Citizen’s Energy. It combines rooftop solar panels with Enphase’s modular, wall-mounted AC batteries and an AC combiner box, also from Enphase, that fit easily in her garage. The system is moderated by the Enphase Envoy-S Metered, which manages when the batteries charge and discharge to maximize in-home use of the power generated from the solar system, reducing the total amount of electricity Ms. Eguia buys from her utility. That’s important for Ms. Eguia, because her utility made major changes to its net metering rules in 2016 that dramatically decreased the compensation for solar.
The system will now save her about $800 per year, nearly twice as much as she would have saved with solar alone. Thanks to our partners at Enphase and our friends at Citizen’s Energy for helping to bring this exciting project to life! See more photos from the installation here.