The solar and energy storage system controller is generally programmed by the installer to direct the energy to the appropriate system to maximize the customer’s rate plan to offset Time-Of-Use time periods. There is a loading order; first, the solar energy is used for onsite usage, any excess goes to the energy storage until it is full, then any excess after that will be exported to the grid. 

Charging: You can store power from either your home or business rooftop solar system, or from the grid when electricity prices are lower, to be used at a later time.  If an outage is imminent due to a storm or shutoff event, some storage providers are able to send a signal to your battery to fully charge ahead of time, so that you will have the maximum amount of backup power possible during the outage. 
Discharging: You can use the energy stored by your battery to power your home or business when the price of electricity from the grid is more expensive, at night when your solar system isn’t producing (if you have solar), or during an outage when you need backup power.

Yes, there are home energy storage incentives for those who do not live in eligible communities and high fire-risk areas. The approved developers will be able to discuss the Self-Generation Incentive Program general market incentives still available to all customers. 

In addition, if you do not meet the qualifications for the Self-Generation Incentive Program, we still have rebate options of $150, up to $200, or up to $600 for products that support your power needs. Visit the SCE Battery Marketplace to research and shop for qualifying Portable Power Station or Portable Generator products.

Available rebates include:

• A $150 rebate for the purchase of a qualifying Portable Power Station, if you live in an area designated as a Tier 2 or Tier 3 high fire risk area. (Limit of 5 per SCE residential address.)
• A $200 rebate ($600 for income-qualified or Medical Baseline customers) for the purchase of a qualifying Portable Generator, if you live in an area designated as a Tier 2 or Tier 3 high fire risk area.
  If you have already purchased a qualifying product within the past 90 days, and would like to apply for a rebate, visit marketplace.sce.com and click on “Product Rebate”. A proof of purchase is required and products must meet the terms and conditions listed on the SCE Marketplace. You can also visit sce.com/rebates to learn about other rebates that may be available to you. 

Visit the SCE Battery Marketplace to explore your options with approved vendors. Once you review quotes and choose a vendor, they’ll help you through the application process. 

By logging in to My Account, you have access to a number of tools and services, including a chart that tracks which tier you’re currently in (as of the previous day), and the tier you’re expected to fall into by the close of the current monthly billing period.

The Rate Plan Comparison Tool can help you identify the least expensive plan based on your typical usage. The tool uses your past usage data to estimate your costs for other plans. However, if you’re able to change how and when you use energy, you may be able to take advantage of even lower rates on other plans.

The rate you are currently on may now be a discontinued TOU rate plan, including TOU-D-A, TOU-D-B, and TOU-D-T. Discontinued TOU rate plans are no longer open to customer enrollment. If you’re enrolled in one of these rates, you can continue to stay on it for now. If you switch to a different rate plan, however, you cannot re-enroll in your previous plan.

Each of California’s investor-owned utilities determines when a PSPS is called and how it will be implemented. California’s three largest utilities, at the direction of the California Public Utilities Commission, coordinate to prepare all Californians for the threat of wildfires and power outages during times of extreme weather. Find more information about this statewide effort at prepareforpowerdown.com.

Once a safety shutoff is in progress, you can expect to receive these notifications:

• Power shutoff: We’ll inform you when power has been shut off.
• Preparing to Restore Power: We will let you know when field crews have begun to inspect our lines to determine whether it is safe to restore power.
• Power restoration: We’ll inform you when power has been restored, at which time our Outage Map will reflect your all-clear status.
• PSPS all-clear: We’ll also inform you about which circuits are no longer being considered for PSPS

Please note: Certain situations may prevent SCE from providing advance notice to customers. Other notifications may occur as needed to keep customers informed.