Enphase Energy, Inc. today announced a comprehensive solution that can improve homeowner return-on-investment (ROI) under California's new net billing tariff, also known as "NEM 3.0." The solution includes the Enphase® Energy SystemTM powered by IQ8TM Microinverters and IQTM Batteries, as well as an energy management system that can maximize ROI for homeowners. In addition, Solargraf℠, Enphase's design and proposal software platform, can help installers design systems that optimize solar and battery capabilities for maximum savings under the new California solar rules.
Under NEM 3.0, the rates for buying and selling energy vary depending on the time of day and month. The new rules incentivize homeowners to use solar and battery systems to avoid buying energy during high utility rate periods, while compensating homeowners for selling energy during high export rate times. Homeowners with an Enphase Energy System can configure their systems to automatically self-consume and sell energy at the appropriate times to create the most value, while still offering backup power when the grid fails.
Enphase Energy is also offering a new "grid-tied" battery system configuration that enables energy self-consumption and saving modes of operation without backup. This new configuration minimizes the overall system components, reducing upfront costs and making it faster and easier to install. In addition, Enphase's new power control system (PCS) software is designed to allow installers to build oversized solar and battery systems without triggering a main panel upgrade, potentially saving homeowners thousands of dollars and further improving the system payback time.
"Our financial analysis shows that with solar and batteries, homeowners can expect bill offsets between 70% and 90% and a payback period between 5 and 7 years for a cash system," said Mehran Sedigh, vice president and general manager of the storage business unit at Enphase Energy. "These are compelling economics for homeowners, and we believe installers can thrive under NEM 3.0 with Enphase Energy Systems."
The updated Solargraf platform offers a simplified experience for designing and generating system proposals, configuring battery sizing by leveraging modularity, building custom consumption profiles, and enhancing system operations for self-consumption and energy export to deliver optimized electricity bill offset and payback. Solargraf will incorporate the exact rates provided by the CPUC to help installers generate more precise customer system designs and proposals.