A lot of people get solar panels installed with home battery storage systems to save money, but, as a recent study out of Stanford University showed, the benefits go well beyond savings. 

The study found that a solar-battery system could reduce electricity costs by 15% on average for about 60% of American families, and 63% of U.S. households could meet about half of their energy needs during a power outage.

Installing solar panels with a battery backup would save virtually every home on electrical bills and help residents get through an outage. The numbers are lower because the study only took into account households in which installing the system is financially viable. 

Going solar is one of the best ways to lower your utility bills while at the same time reducing polluting that causes the planet to overheat. 

Solar power with battery backup is becoming increasingly necessary, not only because utility rates are rising around the country, but also because the warming planet contributes to extreme weather like stronger storms and longer-lasting heat waves that can cause power outages.

If you're interested in slashing energy costs with solar, you can check out TCD's Solar Explorer, which can help you save up to $10,000 on installations by curating competitive bids.

"With electricity rates now rising in most states, shaving utility bills can help people quite a bit, but the ability to ride out local or regional blackouts is becoming very important to many families," said Ram Rajagopal, the study's senior author and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and electrical engineering at Stanford. 

"That's because U.S. electricity infrastructure is old and getting replaced slowly, while the extreme weather events like hurricanes and heat waves that cause blackouts are becoming more frequent, intense, and longer lasting."

Unfortunately, as the study took financial viability into account, the researchers also found that the areas that need solar with battery storage the most are often the ones where most people can't afford it. 

"The solar-battery benefits often fail to align with the areas that need them the most, like certain high-outage-risk states where only one-fourth of households can get affordable backup power from solar-battery systems," said co-author of the study and dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Arun Majumdar. 

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"As weather extremes like heat waves intensify the frequency and severity of power outages, ensuring affordable, secure, and sustainable backup power is increasingly critical for at-risk homes."

TCD's Solar Explorer makes it easy to connect with vetted installers and find the best price for your budget. One Explorer partner, Palmetto, has a solar leasing program called LightReach that will hook you up with solar panels for no money down and allow you to lock in low energy rates.

To save even more money — up to 50% on heating and cooling — you can pair your solar panels and battery backup with energy-efficient appliances like heat pumps. If you're considering an HVAC upgrade, TCD's HVAC explorer can help you find the right solution and installer to fit your needs and your budget.

You can also unlock up to $5,000 in rewards to spend on home upgrades by taking simple actions in your everyday life with the free Palmetto Home app.

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