Have solar at home? Supercharge that investment with this other crucial component

J Studios/Getty ZDNET's key takeaways Sixty percent of households saw multiple power outages last year Those with solar are most likely to seek whole-home backup Fifty-seven percent of solar users also want a battery for self-supply Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers. Some of today's solar-equipped households are facing a mean case of energy envy. On the plus side, they've cut their monthly electric bills -- in some cases, north of 75%, according to new data from research firm Habitilligence. Their self-consumption during sunlight hours provides some buffer against price swings, and they're more than likely contributing energy back to a strained power grid. All good stuff. On the flip side, though, every time the power goes out, they helplessly stew over the amount of energy they're not tapping into without any mechanism to store what they produce. In some states, they're also locked into a "buy high, sell low" crediting system with their local utility based on when and how they use power. Also: The best home battery and backup systems of 2025: Expert tested Defined in a recent home energy framework, these homes are at CORE level 3 - Resilient -- which means they can generate their own power (e.g. rooftop solar panels) or store energy for later use (e.g. home battery backup systems), but not both. These folks acknowledge that technology alone can't protect against every pitfall associated with their electrical environment, but resilient homes have an added layer of adaptability and strength, professionally installed and hard-wired into their home, providing some relief against the cost volatility and uncertainty of the operational level. A small percentage of Level 3 households operate with a stand-alone battery, but the bulk of these homes are solar-equipped with no energy storage capabilities, some with decades-old technology. The solar timing mismatch Even for those who work from home, but especially for people who are out during the day, solar panels are probably generating the most power when the home needs it least -- the middle of the day. Then, in the late afternoon and evening when it's time to turn on the lights, cook dinner, or crank the air conditioning, solar output drops and the home is mostly back on the grid. Also: Unplugging these 7 common household devices greatly reduced my electricity bill In areas with favorable energy crediting policies (e.g. retail-rate net metering), this timing matters less as you get a 1:1 credit for any excess solar energy you send back to the grid. So you generate more during the day, bank energy credits, then essentially cash in those credits when the sun goes down. In other areas, though, especially ones that charge different rates based on the time of use, the specter of modern supply and demand will rear its head and bill you more for usage during peak hours while paying you less for what you send back to the grid during the day. This mismatch creates frustration for some, but also highlights an opportunity for those willing to up their home energy game. Backup and beyond Some solar-equipped households don't lose much sleep over these timing woes. They've made their investment, reduced their grid-based power consumption, and they're seeing some monthly cost reductions. Others, though, are facing new realities that drive them toward a connected system of solar and battery storage combined. Also: Installing a home battery or solar before tax credits end? Use this to assess your home first In a new research study from Habitelligence, "The Home Energy Landscape," findings show that almost two-thirds of solar users experienced multiple outages in the previous year. In a similar vein, a look back at level 2 - Operational households shows that the top frustration is a lack of backup power in an outage. So when asked about the most enticing aspect of an installed battery storage system, it tracks that backup would be at the top of the list -- but it wasn't as much of a runaway as one might think. The research shows that other energy management capabilities are climbing the priority list. Most desirable home battery benefits Habitelligence There is also a recency effect of solar installation that seems to be a factor in future investment plans. Prior findings from Habitelligence show that households that have installed solar within the last five years are twice as likely to list home battery storage as a consideration for near-term investment. Not only are they considering battery storage, but more than half are looking to back up their entire home in the event of an outage. This trend underscores the growing importance of the type of highly controlled and automated backup process that installed batteries provide, above and beyond more traditional generators or portable battery options. Want to follow my work? Add ZDNET as a trusted source on Google. It's not just about powering more of your home's creature comforts in the event of an outage. Certain systems and appliances in your home can't (or shouldn't) be unplugged and stuck in a different outlet. Most battery systems today, in addition to greater overall visibility into power usage, provide automatic failover and the capability to power panel-wired critical infrastructure when the grid goes down. Waste not, want not Battery capacity speaks to the total amount of power that can be stored and delivered over time, usually measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Most single-home battery systems can power essential loads -- or sometimes an entire home -- for roughly half a day with normal energy consumption, or considerably longer when paired with solar and with modest energy management tactics in use. So while some people might have eyes a little bit bigger than their wallets -- uninterrupted whole-home backup from a stand-alone battery system would be cost-prohibitive for most of us -- the desire for energy storage as a household capability is nevertheless alive and well, especially for those with recent solar investments. Also: Stop waiting for an emergency to upgrade your home's tech - there's a better way More to the point, the push for whole-home battery backup implies a greater purpose lying under the surface. Those who generate their own power like to use it for their own houses, and the ability to store power gives them options. Solar energy working in concert with a battery storage system would extend the usage of critical systems in the event of an outage, but also provide the ability to mitigate the timing conundrum, providing options for when and where battery power versus grid power would be distributed to the house. Tech Bonus -- more options, more impact Whatever your starting setup, you have more options than ever before to design an efficient system that can save you money and boost your home energy resilience. At the risk of oversimplifying with a small batch of alphabet soup -- your home uses AC power delivered from the grid. Solar panels generate DC power, and home batteries store DC power. An inverter -- most of them roughly the size of a toaster oven, or smaller in the case of a microinverter -- is the key piece of hardware that converts solar DC power into AC for home use, or back and forth between the two when supporting energy storage as well. Also: Why I travel with 3 different portable power stations (and can't get out of the habit) This type of mental schematic building can get confusing fast (and there is an AC/DC joke in here somewhere), but the important thing to note is that today's hardware components support a wide range of home energy scenarios. If you have solar already, you can explore an AC-coupled battery that should mesh well with your existing hard-wired setup. If you're starting from scratch, you can look at a DC-coupled system that links the solar panels and battery directly, reducing the amount of additional hardware, as well as the number of DC-AC conversions, which can cause efficiency loss. In either scenario, you're weighing the cost and complexity of installation versus the max output, duration, and efficiency of the power you're storing. In the not-too-distant past, most of these scenarios would have been impossible, and in an outage, you'd be back in black. In dreaming up your perfect home energy scenario, tech innovation has taken a lot of homes from a "hard no" to a "resounding yes," and most people today would be thunderstruck by their options. This article is part of a series exploring home energy maturity within US households. Based on recent research from Habitelligence, each article takes a closer look at the challenges and opportunities associated with different stages of power and energy readiness. From the energy-limited house to the automated self-sufficient smart home, people are starting to take a more active role in managing and improving the critical infrastructure that runs their everyday lives. Read other articles in the series: Rate your home energy maturity on the C.O.R.E. scale of 1-4 | Level 1 - Constrained | Level 2 – Operational