Reno PV Energy Storage

While solar arrays allow homeowners in the Reno area to generate their own power, solar modules alone won’t store it. That’s where battery backup comes into play. Many Nevadans have turned to net metering for their storage needs. However, it isn’t a permanent solution. Nor does it help during a power outage, when self-generated power would prove the most helpful. Many don’t feel they can afford to add PV energy storage to their system without breaking the bank. However, Nevada has incentives in place that make adding storage to your Reno home a possibility. 

Federal Storage Incentives for Nevadans

To combat the price of adding solar batteries to a home, Reno, Nevada homeowners and business owners alike can take advantage of federal incentives. The Investment Tax Credit (ITC), as of 2020, can cover up to 26 percent of the costs. To take advantage of the ITC and ensuring it is applied to the home battery, the homeowner needs to charge at least 75 percent of the battery with solar. To determine the amount for which the storage system can qualify, multiply the current incentive by the renewable charging capacity of the system. If the solar array charges 75 percent of the battery, this would equal roughly 19 percent.

How Reno, NV Businesses Can Save More

Reno companies adding solar and energy storage can save even more with the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS). Businesses that take part in this depreciation incentive can qualify for a 5-year or 7-year depreciation schedule, even if the business is located in a residence and meets qualification criteria.

NV Energy Residential Storage Incentives

In addition to federal incentives for solar storage, in 2017, Nevada mandated NV Energy to provide a storage incentive program. Within the Nevada storage programs, the residential storage program has two different inducements depending on whether the customer has time-of-use (TOU) or non-TOU metering. Customers with TOU can receive $0.19 per watt-hour or up to $3,000. Non-TOU customers receive $0.095 per watt-hour or up to $1,500. Individuals who either already have a renewable energy system or have it in the works can qualify for this program, which is one reason why solar has become the most popular form of renewable energy for residential use and is often paired with battery backup.

Adding Energy Storage to Your Nevada Solar Home

Adding energy storage to your solar home can become a challenge if your solar installer doesn’t offer the home battery you want. Given the insurance issues, most solar installers won’t install their battery backup options on a solar home they didn’t install. To avoid this headache, homeowners who plan on adding battery backup should look into the battery backup options the solar installer has in consideration of other offers. Go Solar Group has a solar product suite with three battery backup levels, one of which includes Tesla’s home battery, the Powerwall.