ESP has created the ESPGPT to help sales representatives determine the year 1 bill swap using batteries under NEM 3.0 rates.
This tool is intended to be used with other sales tools like QuickBase, Quativa, SOLO, Energy Toolbase, etc. It does not claim to guarantee savings, and should not be interpreted as a perfect predictor of future outcomes. Values from other tools may differ from the values shown here, and homeowner behavior is the key driver of long-term results.
While we always want to make it a great experience, note that initial Site Surveys for battery-paired systems will be lengthier and more intrusive depending on the system sold. With partial back-ups, the survey will take longer because we need to identify the exact locations of the loads the customer needs to back up and see what exactly is on the breakers they wish to back up inside the home. It’s in our best interest to collect the label information of the loads (i.e. manufacturer make & model on any appliances) they wish to back up as well, so we can ensure the system will cover the loads for the expected duration of their back up.
Battery location is important and we need detailed notes of your conversation with the homeowner, so we can discuss and confirm at the Site Survey and later stages. It causes an extreme delay in the project when battery locations change after Permitting, even more so than normal PV project change orders. The sooner ESP and the homeowner can determine an agreed-upon location that suits everyone, the better.
Expect this survey to take about 90 minutes to complete. A little over an hour would be the quickest so don’t overpromise that it’s just a quick visit. The more prepped the customer is on-site inspection day, the smoother and faster the survey will be.
The more accurate your documentation and sales tee-up, the fewer changes will likely occur during our Acceptance phase. Ideally, we would prefer a system that meets the sizing requirements of their preferred configuration (self-consumption vs. designated backup loads). With discrepancies between the size of the system sold and the size of the loads after the survey, we will need to either upsize the system or, if already oversized, we can propose changing the system to a full backup if conditions permit such a configuration.
As you can expect, the more complex the PV system, the more complex the design plans must be. We must be very detailed to satisfy AHJ and Building & Safety department requirements. The fewer revisions ESP and the homeowner make to the plans, the quicker our submission & approval times will be. Verifying battery location and all PV equipment should be common practice before project and permit submission.
The ‘big day’ gets even bigger with batteries involved, and will usually extend to take a couple days or more. Installing battery backup systems almost always involves a sub-panel installation that takes time and can get messy. A system configured for self-consumption does not include the backup interface and so will not take as long to install. We always clean up after ourselves but set the proper expectations with the customer and remind them that it is a construction project, not just a shiny new gadget we’re plugging in.
Our crews have detailed step-by-step instructions on commissioning and activating battery systems. Different battery systems will require different steps and take varying amounts of time. Most manufacturers we use will take several hours to commission. Once this happens, the homeowner is ready to run on sunshine and keep a little extra for themselves after sundown (or at least self-consume more cost-effectively)!
Always discuss with the homeowner where they expect to house the battery system. Each type of battery has a different configuration and will take up varying amounts of space inside or outside the home. Installing batteries outdoors within six (6) feet of the main service panel is most cost-effective. Battery systems cannot be installed where they will receive direct sunlight. At least six (6) linear feet of wall space is required for a single battery and four (4) more feet for each additional battery.
ESP QuickBase Battery Quiz - Recommended
SolarEdge Training - Recommended
Enphase Training - Recommended