When the power goes out, your home doesn’t have to.
A properly designed battery backup system can keep critical parts of your home running during an outage—and when paired with solar, it can recharge from clean energy produced on your roof.
What can battery backup protect?
- Wi‑Fi and home network
- Refrigeration and freezer loads
- Central A/C (with proper sizing and planning)
- Selected lighting and kitchen outlets
- Sump pumps and critical circuits
Actual backup capability depends on battery size, home loads, equipment selection, and final electrical design.
Most homeowners start with a practical, right-sized backup.
The most common system we install is a 10kWh battery in a partial-home configuration. This covers essentials like Wi‑Fi, refrigeration, select lighting, kitchen outlets, and—when designed properly—even central A/C. From there, additional loads can be added with planning.
Power What Matters
Battery backups can keep essential circuits like refrigeration, lighting, internet, sump pumps, and heating controls available when the grid is down.
Use Solar at Night
Store excess solar energy during the day and use it later when your home needs it most, including evenings and outage events.
Quiet, Clean Resilience
Unlike portable generators, batteries operate quietly, avoid fuel storage, and can integrate directly with your solar system.
Solar plus storage is better than storage alone.
A battery by itself is like a water tank: once it is empty, it needs a source to refill it. Solar gives the system a way to recharge during daylight hours, which can extend backup capability during longer outages.
That does not mean every home should be designed the same way. The right system depends on your priorities, outage concerns, utility rules, budget, and what your electrical panel can support.
Common solar + battery goals
We primarily design with Enphase battery systems for their seamless solar integration and strong warranty support. We also offer Tesla, Franklin, and Generac solutions depending on project needs.
- Keep essential loads running during outages
- Store solar energy for evening use
- Reduce dependence on noisy fuel-based generators
- Add resilience to an existing solar system
- Prepare for future electrification like EVs or heat pumps
Battery backup should feel like it belongs in the home.
Customers often understand battery backup better when they can see the equipment. These systems are designed to be clean, wall-mounted, and visually organized whether installed in a garage, basement, utility space, or approved exterior location.
See how the system works together
This short animation is ideal for quickly showing that battery backup is not just a box on the wall—it is an integrated energy system.
Clean indoor installations
For many homeowners, battery equipment can be installed neatly in a garage, basement, or utility area.
Exterior options
Some homes allow equipment to be placed outdoors depending on site conditions and code requirements.
Scalable designs
Systems can be designed around your backup goals, available wall space, and future expansion plans.
Modern equipment
Today’s battery systems are more compact, integrated, and homeowner-friendly than earlier backup options.
Battery technologies we install
Every home and backup goal is different, so we work with several trusted battery platforms. Our recommendations are based on solar integration, warranty strength, backup goals, electrical complexity, and long-term serviceability.
Enphase
Our primary battery platform for most solar-connected homes. Enphase offers smooth solar integration, strong monitoring, modular design, and excellent warranty support.
Tesla
A strong option for homeowners looking for a sleek, high-capacity battery solution with whole-home backup potential when designed with the right electrical setup.
SolarEdge
A natural fit for homes with SolarEdge solar equipment, especially when battery design benefits from tighter inverter and storage integration.
Generac
A familiar backup power brand with battery solutions that can work well for certain homes, especially where backup expectations and electrical design are carefully matched.
FranklinWH
Coming soon. FranklinWH offers promising whole-home backup capabilities and is being evaluated as another option for customers seeking robust backup performance.
Designed around your home
The right battery is not just about brand. It depends on what you want to back up, how your home is wired, whether you already have solar, and how much runtime you expect.
Whole-home backup vs. partial-home backup
Partial-Home Backup
Partial-home backup focuses on selected critical circuits. This is often the most cost-effective and practical approach for homeowners who want security without overbuilding the system.
- Typically supports refrigeration, sump pumps, lighting, internet, and key outlets
- Better battery runtime because fewer loads are connected
- Often lower project cost and simpler electrical design
- Best for homeowners who want reliable essentials during outages
Whole-Home Backup
Whole-home backup is designed to support a much larger portion of the house. It can be an excellent solution, but it requires careful expectations and often more battery capacity.
- Can support more loads, but large appliances may drain batteries quickly
- May require multiple batteries or load-control equipment
- More complex engineering and higher cost
- Best for customers who want broader coverage and understand runtime limits
Our design process
Battery backup only works well when expectations, electrical design, and real-world usage are aligned.
Define your priorities
We identify what you most want protected during an outage.
Review your loads
We evaluate electrical usage, panel layout, and equipment needs.
Model backup options
We compare partial-home and whole-home approaches clearly.
Build a practical plan
We design around solar integration, permitting, utility rules, and budget.
Why professionally installed battery systems cost more than DIY options
It’s common to see lower-cost, DIY-style battery products online. While they may appear similar on the surface, there are important differences that impact safety, performance, and long-term value.
Long-Term Performance & Warranty
Premium systems like Enphase are built for longevity, offering 10+ year warranties and significantly higher charge cycle capabilities. This means more usable energy over time and better long-term performance compared to many DIY options.
UL9540A Fire Safety Certification
Many installed systems meet UL9540A safety standards, which can eliminate the need for additional fire-rated enclosures in many jurisdictions—simplifying installation and improving safety compliance.
Automatic Backup Transfer
Integrated systems include automatic transfer switching, meaning your home transitions to backup power seamlessly during an outage without manual intervention.
Bottom line: The difference is not just the battery—it’s the engineering, safety certification, system integration, and long-term reliability that comes with a professionally designed backup solution.
Talk with a Project Manager
Our team includes battery specialists serving both Madison and Waukesha County, ready to design the right backup solution for your home.
Contact a Project Manager
Ron helps homeowners design reliable backup systems that match real-world usage, priorities, and expectations.