Solar energy storage cabinet is installed on the roof

Are rooftop solar panels or battery energy storage systems worth the cost?

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researchers are here to help. Homeowners must navigate a quagmire of complicated policies to determine whether the energy savings from rooftop solar panels or battery energy storage systems (BESS) are worth the high upfront cost.

Are rooftop solar and battery energy storage a barrier to adoption?

Even with the benefits of rooftop solar and battery energy storage, the upfront cost of these systems is still a barrier to adoption. In some cases, especially for BESS, the time it takes for a homeowner to recoup the cost of the system with energy savings is longer than the lifetime of the technology itself.

Is there a guide to rooftop solar & Bess?

To help homeowners tackle this tangle of information, PNNL researchers Jessica Kerby and Bethel Tarekegne published an open-access guide to rooftop solar and BESS in Renewable Energy Focus.

How much would a rooftop solar system cost without Bess?

Without BESS, the same household could install 10 kW of rooftop solar, which would cost $28,700 and save $1,567 per year. PGE and the state of Oregon both offer incentives for rooftop solar and battery energy storage. With the utility, state, and federal incentives, the combined solar and BESS system could be paid back within 11 years.