Enphase Energy IQ Battery Systems Included In San Diego Community Power’s Solar Battery Savings Program
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San Diego Community Power has included Enphase IQ Batteries in its Solar Battery Savings program. San Diego Community Power customers can get up an upfront rebate and performance incentives when installing new solar-plus-battery systems or adding an eligible battery to an existing solar or solar-plus-battery system.
“Community Power’s mission is to provide clean, affordable energy while reinvesting in our local communities, and Solar Battery Savings is that mission in action,” said Karin Burns, chief executive officer at Community Power.
Colin Santulli, Senior Director of Programs at San Diego Community Power, answered some questions about the program for CleanTechnica. (The very last question in the list was answered by Andy Newbold, Head of Corporate Affairs at Enphase Energy.)
What does San Diego Community Power do and who does it serve?
San Diego Community Power, a Southern California community choice aggregator (CCA), is a not-for-profit public agency that brings cleaner, locally controlled electricity to the San Diego region.
We serve nearly 1 million customer accounts in the Cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, and National City, as well as the unincorporated communities of San Diego County.
As a not-for-profit, Community Power focuses on people rather than shareholder profits, allowing us to reinvest in the community through local clean-energy programs like Solar Battery Savings.
What is the Solar Battery Savings program?
Solar Battery Savings is a $55 million investment designed to help thousands of homeowners get access to solar and battery storage systems. The program offers substantial upfront rebates to lower the cost of installing a new solar-plus-battery system, or adding a battery to an existing solar setup. Participants receive ongoing performance incentives that reward customers for helping power their communities.
The program is designed to lower bills, provide backup power during outages and build a cleaner, more resilient energy grid. Single-family homeowners who are Community Power customers qualify to participate.
What are the potential rebates, and how much are they?
San Diego Community Power customers can save up to $10,000 through upfront rebates on qualifying systems, plus performance incentives when their battery dispatches during the evening weekday window.
Customers installing new systems can receive up to $350 per kWh of usable battery capacity, while customers adding batteries to an existing solar system can receive up to $250 per kWh, with larger rebates available for nonmarket rate customers. Participants also earn a $0.10 per kWh performance incentive for the energy their battery discharges during the weekday evening dispatch windows, typically between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when electricity is most expensive.
How do homeowners earn cash back?
Rebates are applied at the point of purchase and upon project installation and approval, the upfront rebate is mailed as a check from Community Power. Rebate amounts vary based on the size of battery systems; whether a customer is installing a new system or adding a battery to an existing one. To retain the full upfront rebate, customers must remain enrolled in the program for at least five years.
Participants then earn performance incentives once the customer’s battery is running. The system will automatically discharge at least 50% of its capacity each weekday during the evening dispatch window, which will be calculated monthly and paid annually to the customer.
Are they point of purchase or when filing taxes?
Rebates are applied at the point of purchase. Upon project installation and approval, the upfront rebate is mailed as a check. Community Power will not issue a Form 1099, but we do recommend seeking advice from a tax professional.
What are the additional potential federal clean energy bonuses?
Homeowners may qualify for other clean energy incentives, which can be combined with the Solar Battery Savings rebate, depending on eligibility.
How does Enphase’s new design power an entire home without major rewiring?
The 4th-generation Enphase Energy System supports whole-home backup with its flexible design, which allows scalable energy storage and system configuration for full-home power backup during outages without requiring significant changes to existing electrical panels or infrastructure.
The IQ Battery 10C integrates 240 V and 120 V microinverters, providing backup functionality and removing the need for additional neutral-forming hardware. The IQ Combiner 6C consolidates interconnection equipment into a single enclosure and streamlines IQ Series Microinverters and IQ Battery 10C installation by providing a consistent, pre-wired solution for residential applications. The IQ Meter Collar enables full home backup with IQ Battery 10C, Enphase PV, and IQ Combiner 6C. The back-up capability allows installers to quickly design the right system size to meet individual customers’ needs.
Enphase offers an AC-coupled battery system that, when combined with its IQ Meter Collar, connects directly to a home’s existing wiring, eliminating the need for a backup subpanel or circuit reconfiguration. The IQ Meter Collar is installed between the utility meter and the main panel. It provides integrated metering and auto grid disconnection during outages, allowing IQ Batteries to power the entire home seamlessly through the existing electrical system.
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