Setup
No electrician. If you can clip a cable and open an app, you can do this.
- Step 1
Locate the data port on the battery or its hybrid inverter. Tesla, Enphase, LG and sonnen all have one.
- Step 2
Clip the gateway on and wait for the app to read the state of charge.
- Step 3
Set a reserve, the charge you always want kept for outages. 20% is typical.
- Step 4
Set a floor. Battery sellers can afford a higher floor because they sell at the peak.
A battery is the best thing on the board, because it lets you choose when to sell.
The noon-to-evening shift
Solar makes power at noon when prices are lowest. Demand peaks at dinner time when prices are highest. A battery bridges the two: it charges from the roof through the afternoon and sells into the evening peak. That single shift is why battery sellers earn the most.
No solar? Still works
If you have a battery but no panels, you can charge from the grid overnight on an off-peak plan and sell during the peak. The gap between the two prices is your margin. The app shows you whether the gap is worth it in your region.
Backup comes first
Your reserve is never sold. If the grid goes down, the battery is yours.