Can You Have Home Battery Backup Without Solar?
Last edited
Author
Andrew Giermak
Solar and Electrification Writer and Editor
Editor
Andrew Blok
Electrification and Solar Writer and Editor
A home battery system can be an important security measure for your home that provides you emergency power for critical devices or appliances in a blackout. But do backup batteries work well even if you don’t have home solar panels?
Using grid electricity to refill home backup batteries will give you a power source in an outage. It may also be a way to cut your utility bills by storing power during low-rate periods, then using the battery power during high-rate periods. Here’s how a home battery backup could work for your home.
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How does a battery work without solar panels?
A home battery can be charged and recharged with electricity from your utility company’s power grid instead of solar power. Having a battery charged by the grid has two primary functions: one, storing power at less expensive times to avoid more expensive electricity later and, two, having emergency power.
To save money with battery power you need to be on a time-of-use rate with peak and off-peak rate periods. Then, it’s possible to store energy at the lowest rate periods and discharge the battery to avoid buying power during the highest-rate periods. Savings from this scheme can be modest and are really only successful in places with significant differences between peak and off-peak rates, like California.
Batteries can also supply backup power to critical devices in a blackout. How much a battery can backup depends on the size and number of batteries you have.
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Will a battery provide backup power in a power outage?
Whether you’re using solar power in conjunction with your battery backup or not, make sure you know your battery’s capabilities before you’re in the middle of a power outage.
With no solar capability at all, your battery will only have the electricity already stored within it before the grid comes back online and it can charge again. A typical home battery may have a capacity of 10 kWh and have a duration of about 24-72 hours, depending on how many devices or appliances it’s charging, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. You’ll need to decide if you want to backup only critical, emergency devices or more of your home.
If you want to power your whole home during an outage, you’ll likely need multiple batteries. To get a very general idea, the average American home consumes about 30 kWh of electricity per day according to the US Energy Information Administration. A typical home backup battery capacity is 10-15 kWh.
With home solar panels, you’ll have the capability to recharge your battery once you have sunlight again, which may well be before your grid power comes back on after a storm or blackout.
Devices and appliances you can run on battery power
| Device | Daily Power Consumption |
|---|---|
| Mini refrigerator | 0.4-0.8 kWh |
| Router | about 0.24 kWh |
| LED lights | 0.03 kWh per light |
| Phone charger | 0.02-0.07 kWh per phone |
| Essential medical devices | 0.24-8.4kWh |
| Microwave | 0.25-1 kWh |
| Toaster | 0.1-0.2 kWh |
| TV | 0.2-1 kWh |
| Refrigerator | 1-2 kWh |
| Oven | 3-6 kWh |
| Water heater | 3-15 kWh |
| Window AC | 4-15 kWh |
| Space heater | 9-18 kWh |
| Heat pump | 6-30 kWh |
| Central AC | 15-50 kWh |
Are there incentives for battery installations?
There are tax credits, rebates, and other incentives available for home battery installations, again, with or without solar panels. The Residential Clean Energy Credit is a 30% federal tax credit for home batteries installed and functional by December 31, 2025. This tax credit has no dollar limit.
Even after the end of 2025, there are state-level and local or utility-level rebates and incentives to know about. For instance, California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) gives rebates for energy storage and solar systems depending on income level. New York’s NY State Energy Research and Development Authority gives incentives for installing energy storage systems on residential or retail commercial properties, though not all companies participate in all incentive programs.
If a virtual power plant (VPP) is available in your area, it may compensate you for discharging your battery at valuable times. VPPs aggregate devices — such as solar batteries, smart thermostats, electric vehicles, and appliances — and coordinate them to reduce demand or increase supply at high-usage periods. Plan members are compensated when their device is called upon.
If you’re interested in saving energy and money at home, the Palmetto app helps you better understand your energy usage at home and earn big savings on energy products, like $1,000 of a home backup battery.
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Frequently asked questions
Are home batteries safe?
Yes, modern backup battery systems are built with advanced internal safety features, monitoring, and thermal controls. Professional installation ensures compliance with local electrical and fire codes.
Can a battery power my whole house during an outage?
A single battery is unlikely to provide power for a whole home for a significant length of time. Multiple batteries, or a battery bank, will give you more power capacity and for a longer duration. You should weigh your budget and your needs during an outage to come to the battery capacity and system that’s best for your home. Palmetto can help you decide what battery, if any, is the best for you.
