Does rooftop solar need to be equipped with energy storage

Are rooftop solar panels or battery energy storage systems worth the cost?

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researchers are here to help. Homeowners must navigate a quagmire of complicated policies to determine whether the energy savings from rooftop solar panels or battery energy storage systems (BESS) are worth the high upfront cost.

Are rooftop solar and battery energy storage a barrier to adoption?

Even with the benefits of rooftop solar and battery energy storage, the upfront cost of these systems is still a barrier to adoption. In some cases, especially for BESS, the time it takes for a homeowner to recoup the cost of the system with energy savings is longer than the lifetime of the technology itself.

How much would a rooftop solar system cost without Bess?

Without BESS, the same household could install 10 kW of rooftop solar, which would cost $28,700 and save $1,567 per year. PGE and the state of Oregon both offer incentives for rooftop solar and battery energy storage. With the utility, state, and federal incentives, the combined solar and BESS system could be paid back within 11 years.

Why is rooftop solar so important?

But as climate change drives hotter summers and more extreme winter storms, reliable access to power will become more vital to everyday life. Rooftop solar and BESS can provide both energy to homeowners as well as relieve some load on the power grid as a whole.