Rooftop solar and battery storage gain traction as net metering fades, boosting energy independence and grid stability.

Rooftop solar is becoming more accessible as net metering is being phased out in many markets across the U.S., meaning standalone solar arrays are not capturing value for sending excess electricity production to the grid in exchange for credits on their bill. Home battery energy storage systems are being added to rooftop solar to ensure homeowners can store and consume their locally produced clean energy, avoiding peak demand charges during the afternoon. These distributed energy resources can also be used to smooth out demand across the grid, creating stability in electricity markets and eliminating supply and demand imbalance phenomenon known as the “duck curve”. Virtual power plants (VPP) coordinate these distributed resources, often referred to as virtual power plants. California PG&E customers, Long Island PSEG customers, and many other markets, can earn extra revenues from their clean energy assets through these programs. California’s Pacific Gas & Electric utility runs an Emergency Load Reduction Program, where customers will earn $2 per kWh for electricity stored in their batteries to reduce demand during peak load periods. Long Island’s PESG utility offers a Battery Storage Rewards program, which pays an upfront incentive from installers of at least $250 per kWh of usable battery capacity, with a cap of $6,250 per household.