🔥 PSPS Wildfire Season · California Battery Backup · 2026
When the Grid Goes Down,
Your Solar Goes Dark Too.
A Battery Keeps You On.
Grid-tied solar shuts off automatically during PSPS events — it's required by law. A home battery with island-mode keeps your panels running and your home powered for days. Here's what California homeowners on PG&E, SCE, SMUD, and SDG&E need to know in 2026.
⚠️ Your Solar Won't Keep You Powered During a PSPS — Without a Battery
Grid-tied inverters are legally required to disconnect when the grid goes down.
Only a battery with island-mode lets your system run independently.
Already have solar? See how to add backup →
See My Battery Savings — Free
Ready to talk? Get your free battery estimate →
No credit pull · No obligation · Free ·
Local follow-up within 1 hr · CSLB #1065773
2–4
Days of backup
on a full charge
on a full charge
$5,400
SMUD rebate
per Powerwall*
per Powerwall*
30%
Off system cost
via prepaid lease
via prepaid lease
$0
Down — LightReach
battery lease
battery lease
Serving:
PG&E
SMUD
Pioneer
SCE
SDG&E
⚡ NEM 3.0 · Solar Billing Plan · PG&E / SCE / SDG&E
Why Battery Backup Is No Longer
Optional Under NEM 3.0.
California's updated net metering rules changed the economics of solar fundamentally. Without a battery, you export your cheapest power and buy back the most expensive. With a battery, you flip that equation entirely — and you're protected when the grid goes down.
Two problems, one solution. A home battery solves both your PSPS vulnerability and your NEM 3.0 bill gap simultaneously. The same battery that keeps your lights on during a wildfire shutoff cuts your utility bill every single day by storing cheap midday solar for your most expensive evening hours. See the full NEM 3.0 savings breakdown →
Solar Without Battery vs. Solar With Battery
Same system. Same panels. Completely different bill impact under NEM 3.0 — whether you're on PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E.
⚠️ Solar Only — No Battery
Midday export credit~$0.05/kWh
Evening peak rate~$0.31/kWh
Gap per kWh~$0.26 loss
PSPS backup❌ None
Est. monthly bill~$140–$170
✅ Solar + Battery
Midday solar storedFull value
Evening discharge~$0.31 saved
Self-consumption value6x export rate
PSPS backup✅ Full home
Est. monthly bill~$30–$60
Illustrative estimates only. Actual savings vary based on system size, usage, rate plan, and battery configuration — confirmed at time of quote.
🔋 Installed Battery Options · California
Three Batteries.
One Right Fit for Your Home.
We install Tesla Powerwall, SolarEdge, and Enphase batteries — sized and configured to your home's usage, roof, and utility territory. Every proposal shows your battery bill savings vs. solar-only side by side.
Most Popular · SMUD VPP Eligible · PSPS Ready
Tesla Powerwall
13.5 kWh · 11.5 kW Peak Power
- Whole-home island-mode PSPS backup
- Storm Watch — auto-charges before outages
- SMUD rebate up to $5,400 + $440/yr VPP
- 10-year warranty included
- Tesla app monitoring and control
- NEM 3.0 peak discharge scheduling
Best for SolarEdge Systems · PSPS Ready
SolarEdge Battery
9.7–19.4 kWh · DC-Coupled
- Island-mode PSPS backup available
- DC-coupled for maximum efficiency
- Native integration with SolarEdge inverters
- Scalable — add modules as needs grow
- SolarEdge monitoring platform
Most Flexible · PSPS Ready
Enphase IQ Battery
3.84–15.36 kWh · AC-Coupled
- Island-mode PSPS backup available
- AC-coupled — works with any solar system
- Modular — start small, expand later
- Pairs with Enphase microinverters
- Whole-home or critical load backup
Four Ways to Finance Your Battery
Every financing option is shown side by side in your proposal — including projected monthly bill impact and PSPS backup configuration — before you sign anything.
Best Long-Term Savings
Prepaid Lease — 30% Off
Pay 30% less than full system cost at signing. The commercial ITC passes directly to you through third-party ownership. Full ownership transfers after 5 years. No personal tax filing required.
30% off upfront · own in 5 years
$0 Down · Battery Only
LightReach Battery Lease
Lease a battery with $0 down through LightReach. PSPS backup and NEM 3.0 self-consumption bill savings without ownership cost. Available as standalone battery or bundled with a solar PPA.
$0 down · no ownership · no credit check
Own Outright · 650+ Credit
Solar Loan Financing
Finance your solar + battery system and own it from day one. Monthly payments typically less than your current utility bill. GoodLeap and EnFin available. 650+ credit score required.
From 5.99% APR · own from day one
No Credit Score Required
PACE Financing
Property-assessed financing tied to your home — not your credit score. Repaid on your property tax bill. Available in 360+ California cities. Homeowners only need to be current on property taxes.
No credit check · 360+ CA cities
Already Have Solar? Add Battery Backup Without Touching Your NEM Agreement.
NEM 2.0 homeowners on Sunrun, SunPower, or any existing system can add a battery through a non-export secondary system — keeping your grandfathered rate and NEM status completely intact. LightReach also offers a $0-down battery-only lease for existing solar owners.
See How to Add Battery to Existing Solar →
See What Your Home
Actually Saves — Free.
Actually Saves — Free.
60 seconds. No credit pull. No obligation. We'll show you every battery option with PSPS backup configuration, NEM 3.0 bill savings, and full monthly impact built into your free estimate.
Calculate My Battery Savings — Free
Prefer to talk it through?
Request your free battery estimate →
Common Questions
Straight Answers for
California Homeowners.
Questions specific to solar battery backup in California — PSPS outage protection, NEM 3.0 savings, SMUD rebates, and how to choose the right battery for your home and utility territory.
When PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E initiates a PSPS event, the grid de-energizes in your area. Without a battery: your solar panels shut off automatically — grid-tied inverters are legally required to disconnect when the grid goes down to protect utility workers. Your home has no power. With a battery in island-mode: your system seamlessly disconnects from the grid and continues running independently. Your solar panels keep generating during daylight, charging the battery. The battery powers your home through the night and into the next day. A properly sized system with two Powerwalls can run a typical California home for 2–4 days with minimal solar recharge. Tesla's Storm Watch feature automatically charges your Powerwall to full capacity when a PSPS event is forecast — before the grid goes down.
Solar alone — no. Standard grid-tied solar panels automatically shut off during a PSPS event or outage. This is a required safety measure so utility workers aren't endangered by live backfeed on downed lines. Solar + battery — yes. A home battery with island-mode configuration lets your system run independently from the grid. Your panels charge the battery during daylight and the battery powers your home through the night or multi-day outage. Battery options with island-mode capability include Tesla Powerwall, SolarEdge, and Enphase IQ Battery. See which battery fits your home →
NEM 3.0 — also called the Solar Billing Plan — replaced NEM 2.0 for new California solar customers on PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E. The key change: the credit you earn for exporting solar to the grid is now based on a wholesale rate roughly 75–80% lower than what you pay to buy power back at peak hours. Under NEM 2.0 you got nearly dollar-for-dollar credit. Under NEM 3.0 that gap is much wider. A battery closes the gap entirely — by storing midday solar and discharging during the 4–9pm peak window, you self-consume at full retail value instead of exporting at wholesale. Every kilowatt-hour you self-consume saves you 6x more than exporting it would earn.
Yes — SMUD customers in Sacramento, Folsom, and Elk Grove qualify for up to $5,400 per Powerwall through the My Energy Optimizer Partner+ program ($500/kWh minus 20% holdback on 13.5 kWh). The household cap is $10,000. Two Powerwalls = up to $10,800 in rebates. Tesla Powerwall units also qualify for the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program at $440/yr per unit ($110/quarter). Enroll within 90 days of Permission to Operate on the SSR rate. Rebate amounts are subject to change — always verify current amounts at smud.org. Full SMUD battery rebate details →
All three are quality installed battery options — the right choice depends on your existing or planned solar system. Tesla Powerwall is the most popular choice for California homeowners — 13.5 kWh, whole-home backup, island mode, SMUD rebate and VPP eligible, Storm Watch auto-charging before PSPS events. SolarEdge Battery is DC-coupled and integrates natively with SolarEdge inverter systems for maximum efficiency — best if your system uses SolarEdge equipment. Enphase IQ Battery is AC-coupled and modular — works with any solar system including Enphase microinverters and allows you to start smaller and expand later. We size all three to your home and show you the comparison at time of quote. Get a free battery comparison →
Yes — a battery can be added to most existing solar systems. The best option depends on your current inverter and equipment. Enphase IQ Battery is AC-coupled and the most flexible for retrofits — it works with virtually any existing solar system. Tesla Powerwall can also be retrofitted to most systems. SolarEdge Battery requires a SolarEdge inverter. We assess your existing equipment during the free estimate process and recommend the most compatible option. Adding a battery later is possible but typically costs more than bundling at initial installation — if you're planning to add one eventually, bundling now is almost always the better financial decision.
It depends on how the battery is added. If a battery is added through a new NEM interconnection agreement — which some installers propose — yes, it can affect your NEM 2.0 status and trigger a review of your existing agreement. If a battery is added as part of a non-export secondary system, configured to consume power entirely within your home without exporting to the grid, your existing NEM 2.0 agreement remains completely untouched. LightReach also offers a $0-down battery-only lease that can be added to most existing systems without any interconnection change. Full guide: adding battery to existing NEM 2.0 solar →
Battery costs vary by brand, capacity, and installation complexity. A single Tesla Powerwall installed typically runs $12,000–$15,000 before incentives. SMUD customers can reduce that significantly with the up to $5,400 rebate. Financing options include the LightReach Battery Lease at $0 down, the Prepaid Lease at 30% off upfront, low-interest solar financing from GoodLeap and EnFin (650+ credit), and PACE financing with no credit score required. Every proposal shows your full cost and monthly bill impact side by side before you sign anything. Get exact pricing for your home →
Monthly savings depend on your utility, current bill, and system size — but the numbers are significant. A typical California homeowner on PG&E or SCE with solar + battery can reduce their monthly bill from $200–$300 down to $30–$60 by self-consuming stored solar during the 4–9pm peak window instead of buying from the grid at peak rates. SMUD customers stack even more — the up to $5,400 rebate per Powerwall reduces your system cost upfront, and the $440/year VPP payment adds ongoing savings on top of lower bills. Every proposal we build shows your projected monthly bill impact for your specific home, rate plan, and usage — before you sign anything. See your estimated monthly savings — free →
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (ITC/25D) expired for individual homeowner expenditures after December 31, 2025. For installs placed in service on or after January 1, 2026 — which covers most current installations given typical 30–45 day timelines — the 30% tax credit is no longer available to homeowners directly. However, third-party owned systems (Prepaid Lease and PPAs) are structured so the third-party owner claims the commercial ITC through 2027 and passes the 30% discount directly to you at signing — with no tax filing required on your part. See your options →