Small Battery Incentives

Batteries offer more than just backup power. They can also reduce your electric bill and even earn you money. If you switch to your utility’s time-of-use rate, you can save hundreds of dollars each year by storing low-cost power off peak and using it when grid power is most expensive. Plus, Efficiency Maine is funding participating battery manufacturers to pay battery owners hundreds more each year for sharing stored electricity with the grid when demand for power is peaking.

Incentives

• Battery sharing payments vary by participating battery manufacturer. Click here for details or see below for examples.
• Electricity bill savings depend on standard and time-of-use electricity rates, which vary by utility.

Examples

Battery Sharing Payments + CMP Time-of-Use Rate Savings Over 10 Years

Examples based on CMP’s Rate A and Rate A TOU rates. Assumes 90% capacity discharged; 3-hour events; 4 events per month; 10-year lifetime; 80% incentive pass through; 90% round-trip efficiency; $0.067/kWh off-peak delivery; $0.136/kWh Rate A delivery; and $0.13/kWh Standard Offer Supply. Your savings and earnings may differ. 

Battery Sharing Payment Eligibility

1. Customer
   1. Any person or business can participate.
2. Battery
   1. Click here to find participating battery manufacturers.
3. Building
   1. Must be interconnected to the grid per utility guidelines.
   2. Must be on a Maine utility Residential, Small General Service, or Small Commercial rate.
   3. May have solar power, but it is not required.
4. Installer
   1. Click here to find installers. (Battery does not need to be installed by a Residential Registered Vendor.)
5. Events
   1. There will be at least 2 events per month, 12 months per year, maximum 60 events per year.
   2. Events last 3 hours and are typically weekday evenings.
   3. Customers can opt out of any event. If they do, the event will count as a zero towards the annual average discharge.
6. Timeframe
   1. Battery manufacturers determine when they pay incentives. Efficiency Maine pays them each June for power shared the prior April 1 to March 31.
   2. Battery manufacturers determine the duration of their contract with customers. Efficiency Maine signs 10-year contracts with manufacturers.

How to Earn Battery Sharing Payments

1. Find a battery installer (click here to find one near you).
2. Install a battery from a manufacturer that offers a battery sharing program in Maine (click here for a list).
3. Enroll in the manufacturer’s program using their mobile app.
4. The manufacturer will automatically discharge electricity from your battery to the electric grid whenever demand is high.
5. Each year, your battery manufacturer will send you a payment for the electricity you’ve shared.

How to Save on Your Electric Bill

1. Sign up with your utility for Time-of-Use rates.
2. Program your battery to charge off peak and to power your home or business on peak.

Financial Examples

10-Year Cost Comparison

	Standby Generator	15 kWh Battery, Average User (600 kWh/mon)	30 kWh Battery, EV/Heat Pump User (1,260 kWh/mon)
Installation Price	$13,000	$20,000	$30,000
Battery sharing payments	N/A	– $5,000	– $10,000
Time-of-Use Savings	N/A	– $5,000	– $10,000
Fuel/maintenance	+$4,000	N/A	N/A
Total 10-year cost	$17,000	$10,000	$10,000

Assumptions: 80% of battery capacity discharged, 4 events per month, 3-hours per event, participation in all events, 90% round trip efficiency, TOU off-peak delivery rate = $.067/kWh, Rate A delivery rate = $.136/kWh, Standard Offer supply = $.13/kWh, $160/kW/year incentive passed on to customer.

Your costs and savings may vary.

Terms and Conditions

Battery sharing payment agreements are between the battery manufacturer and the battery owner. Efficiency Maine is not a party to these agreements and does not guarantee payments or product performance.

Click here to become a Program Partner (battery aggregator or manufacturer).