How It Works
How Battery Backup Installation Works in Western Washington
A battery stores excess energy for later use, so your home has a steady electricity supply even when grid power fluctuates or goes out entirely. During normal operation, the battery charges from surplus solar production during the day, or from off-peak grid power if you don’t yet have solar installed.
Then, during peak demand hours or an outage, that stored power flows into your home to keep essentials running: lighting, heating, refrigeration, and anything else on the circuits you choose to back up. Because it’s optimizing when and how you draw from the grid, a battery can meaningfully lower your monthly utility costs even outside of an outage.
Full-Home System
Tesla Powerwall 3
Tesla’s current-generation battery pairs 13.5 kWh of usable capacity with an integrated inverter and up to 20 kW DC of solar input, so it can support most of a typical Western Washington home’s solar array without a separate inverter. Because the inverter is built in, installation is simpler and more compact than earlier Powerwall generations.
Modular System
Enphase IQ Battery
Enphase’s IQ Battery units give homeowners a modular, panel-level approach to backup power, built on the same microinverter technology many Western Washington solar systems already use. Because each unit is modular, the system scales cleanly to match your household’s energy demand, and it integrates directly with Enphase microinverters for panel-level performance monitoring through the same app you’d use for solar production. Ask us for a side-by-side comparison of Tesla Powerwall 3 vs. Enphase IQ Battery for your specific home.
Beyond Backup Power
Pair Your Battery With Solar, EV Charging & a Smart Panel
Solar Panels
A battery pairs naturally with solar, storing daytime production for use at night or during an outage.
EV Charging
Charge your car at home from the same energy system that powers your house and backs it up.
Battery Backup vs. Generator
Not sure which backup option fits your home? See the real cost, runtime, and maintenance tradeoffs side by side.
Powerwall vs. Enphase IQ Battery
Comparing brands? See how Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase IQ Battery 5P stack up on capacity, cost, and warranty.
Battery Incentives & Rebates
See what’s actually current in 2026: the federal credit’s status, the WA sales tax exemption, and PSE’s Flex Batteries rebate.
Smart Electrical Panels
Circuit-level control that often lets you add a battery without a full electrical service upgrade.
Battery Backup Cost in Seattle & the Eastside
Real installed price ranges for Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase IQ Battery 5P.
Battery Backup Sizing & Runtime FAQ
How long a battery lasts, how many units you need, and solar pairing questions answered.
Common Questions
Battery Backup FAQ
What is the difference between Tesla Powerwall 2 and 3?+
Powerwall 3 delivers up to 11.5 kW of continuous power, compared to Powerwall 2’s 5 kW, and it has an integrated inverter with multiple MPPTs for better solar integration. It also uses Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry instead of the NMC cells used in Powerwall 2, which is generally considered a safer, more thermally stable chemistry.
How long does 13.5 kWh last during an outage?+
It depends on your home’s energy use. For an average household, 13.5 kWh typically powers essential loads for about 6 to 12 hours. Running only low-power devices during an outage can stretch that further, while higher consumption shortens it.
Can one Powerwall 3 run a whole house?+
A single Powerwall 3 can often power essential circuits in a smaller home. For larger homes, or if you want every appliance running simultaneously, you may need multiple units. It ultimately depends on your total load and how many circuits you want backed up.
Do I need solar to install a battery?+
No. A battery can charge from off-peak grid power on its own, though most homeowners get the most value by pairing it with solar. We design both together when you’re starting from scratch, or add a battery to an existing solar system.
