Protecting the Whole House with Home Battery Backup Systems

Energy is becoming more crucial to daily life as modern life depends on it more and more. We have more cars, bigger houses, more household appliances, and increased power needs. Technology makes modern life quite convenient for us to live, and energy is what makes everything work.

Traditional energy, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, are limited and unsustainable. Their price will continue to increase. That's why a transition to renewable energy is unavoidable.

Solar is the most common and easiest renewable energy source that ordinary people can equip with. It's limitless and free.

As the nation’s electricity grid is outdated and not operating in the best conditions, many areas of the country suffer power outages at different frequencies.

To keep a comfortable, sometimes safe life, having a battery backup system that works to power the whole home is becoming a necessity.

In this article, we will provide a thorough introduction to whole home energy management systems that support household demands, so that you will understand what might help your home.

What is a Whole Home Battery Backup?

A whole home energy system with battery backup is a smart choice that can store and manage energy to provide backup power for the needs of the entire house.

Such a whole home energy solution integrates solar production systems and battery backup, storing excess solar energy to use during the night or power outages.

An intelligent energy management system can even plan for a power outage based on notice from grid companies or weather forecasts and charge itself fully automatically. When an outage happens, the backup system will immediately start to supply the home’s loads. You will experience an uninterrupted power supply.

How Does Battery Backup Power the House?

The daily use of a home energy management system is to increase the productivity of your solar energy production. The batteries store solar power during the day when sunlight is sufficient.

Even without solar generation, you can also store energy from the grid during low demand, low price, times and then use it during peak demand, high price periods. This lowers your utility bills.

That means your household energy needs are managed all the time, even without the critical backup power the batteries supply during outages.

Components of an Energy Management and Backup System

A whole home energy management system usually contains two central parts: an energy manager and battery storage.

Energy management allows you to control and monitor the system so that you will know the real-time power status in your home and manage it for the best efficiency. Modern systems provide remote access to that capability through smartphone apps.

Energy storage is made up of batteries which store power from energy sources such as solar, grid, and generators.

Benefits of Household Battery Backup

Power during outages

Most people who choose home energy management systems focus on having power to use when there is a grid outage. Modern life is highly dependent on electricity, the lack of which can cause serious inconvenience or even serious problems for people.

For example, without electricity, food in the refrigerator will spoil, we need to hand-wash our clothes, our EV will not charge, and the computers and smartphones we rely on will all lose power.

That's why a whole-home battery backup is necessary so that we have the power to use during outages, and we needn't suffer that much.

Uninterrupted power supply

If there are essential appliances that you must keep running, you need a system to rapidly switch to battery power in case of an outage. For example, an oxygen bump in the fish tank provides oxygen to fish which could be the most precious thing to your daughter.

A battery backup system in your house can provide unmeasurable value.

Utility bill saving

In states such as California, electricity bills continue to rise. Battery storage can lower bills by storing solar energy at off-peak hours and using it at peak hours.

Families that use battery backup systems to offset electrical bills can save as much as 90% each month.

Energy freedom

With a battery backup system in your home, you will always have power waiting for supply. You will experience a sense of energy freedom, knowing that you generate, store, manage, and control your home’s power.

Contribute to a sustainable future

As more houses add solar energy production, that will help replace grid power for most of your house’s needs, which is clean and sustainable.

Since the transition is a must, the earlier you make the transition, the more you will contribute to the environment and your own quality of life.

Installation and Integration with Solar Power

As we introduced above, a home energy management system will generate the best value when battery backup is combined with a solar system.

As the cost of solar systems has continued to dramatically drop over the years, many families continue to install solar panels on their roofs.

But solar systems alone can only help so much. A solar system alone cannot address a power outage or provide uninterrupted power to important household appliances.

That's, in part, why battery technologies were invented to maximize the efficiency of solar systems.

FranklinWH Whole Home Energy Management and Storage System

FranklinWH provides a whole-home energy management and battery storage system. The aGate intelligent controller integrates multiple energy sources, such as solar, grid, battery, and generator, and stores and manages all the home power.

With a big storage of 13.6 kWh, FranklinWH aPower batteries can be stacked up to 15 units per aGate, providing an astonishing 206 kWh total storage, which is far beyond most whole-home electricity demands.

The FranklinWH system has three special features that make it great for homes.

1. Smart Circuits

   The FranklinWH system provides cost-effective optional Smart Circuits so homeowners can manage appliances remotely from anywhere and anytime.
   

   When there is a power outage and your FranklinWH system automatically starts to supply power for the home, you can turn off big loads through Smart Circuits, to make sure the energy stored is used for the most essential appliances. You can also turn on appliances such as air conditioners, remotely as you approach home.

2. Black Start
   

   The Black Start function can automatically restart your solar system and manage your solar during outages. For instance, during a long outage, your batteries might use all charges and shut down the energy management system. In the morning, the FranklinWH system will check to see if the solar system is producing and then return to providing power to the home.
   

3. Storm Hedge
   

   The Storm Hedge feature receives notifications of extreme weather forecasts from the national system and automatically switches the FranklinWH to backup mode, working to fully prepare for a power emergency.

Hire a Professional or DIY?

Electricity is dangerous.

While some people have installed solar by themselves, and promoted their successful projects on social media, full home energy management and batteries are a different level of effort and danger. These systems are complicated and you’re working with higher voltages than when only connecting solar. This requires comprehensive and specific knowledge and experience. Simple mistakes or careless acts can be very dangerous.

We strongly recommend that you look for professional installers to install your home energy management systems and batteries.

Whole Home vs. Partial Home Backup

There are two types of backup plans: whole home backup and partial home backup.

The whole home backup is for powering the entire house during an outage or for fully off-grid living. Partial home backup is for powering some essential appliances.

If you suffer occasionally from shorter grid outages, partial home backup may be a reasonable option. If you intend to live off-grid sometimes, or just want full home power security during an outage, whole-home backup would be a better option.

Calculating Power Needs and Sizing Your System

After deciding which backup type you prefer, the next step you need to take is to calculate how much power you will need for your backup system.

If you choose to go with partial home backup, you should determine which house appliances and circuits are necessary during an outage.

If a whole-home backup system suits your situation, you should list all the household appliances and calculate the total power.

You can calculate your house power consumption here.

FAQs

1.    How long can whole-home battery backup provide power?

It depends on the battery storage and the power of the loads that it supports. Take the FranklinWH energy system for example, the storage of a single FranklinWH aPower is 13.6 kWh. For the whole home backup size, it is recommended to install at least three batteries, which will add up to 40.8 kWh of storage, and 15 kW power capacity.

To learn more about calculating home battery storage needs, read How to Calculate How Many aPower Batteries You'll Need?

2.    Can I install a whole-home system myself?

We do not recommend that you DIY. A whole home energy management system is far more complex and you’re working with much more energy than with a solar installation. An experienced, certified, technician can safely and quickly install a home system for you.

3.    Can a whole home energy system be upgraded?

Yes, as power needs or technology changes, an energy management system can adapt. Take the FranklinWH solution, for example. It’s easy to add more batteries, the software is constantly being upgraded, and other modifications are constantly happening to enhance homeowner satisfaction.

One key area of software upgrades directly affects the homeowner’s finances. As more states and utility companies switch to time-of-use billing, and as incentives from the federal government, states and municipalities constantly are added or modified, the FranklinWH App is upgraded constantly to support grid packages and financial incentives that directly benefit you.

4.    Are there any government incentives or rebates available for installing battery backup systems?

Yes, all levels of government have begun to encourage the installation of home energy management systems with battery backup, and there are many available incentives. You can refer to this article for an overall understanding at the federal level: US Government Policies and Incentives for Home Energy Storage.

5.    What safety measures should be considered when using batteries in a residential setting?

When using an energy system with battery backup, some regular maintenance is needed. The battery should be kept in a dry and clean environment, kept away from fire, and tested regularly for normal performance.

This is also another reason why it is good to use a professional installer. The FranklinWH system includes constant monitoring and notifications to both homeowners and installers so that maintenance issues can quickly be addressed and resolved.

Final Thoughts

As home battery technology matures, more families will install home energy management systems and battery backup, for more energy security and independence.

Combined with solar, a whole-home system can create enormous value for the household and benefit the environment.

The transition to renewable energy is inevitable. Start today and build a clean future together.

Explore Energy Freedom with FranklinWH

If you are interested in a whole-home battery backup system, FranklinWH can be the best choice for you since it is designed with the homeowner in mind.

We invite you to explore the robust FranklinWH energy management and storage system at the FranklinWH portal.

We have a professional team for home energy solutions. Connect with them now to get a proper energy solution for your home: Contact FranklinWH.

Still have questions? Contact us to get the answers!