MCE is no longer accepting applications for our residential Energy Storage Program. We will continue to provide assistance for our existing customers in securing their home energy storage system. We apologize for any inconvenience. For questions, please contact info@mceCleanEnergy.org.
Energy Storage Rebates for Your Home
Maximize Your Home Solar System with Energy Storage
MCE can help you install a home energy storage system (commonly known as a battery) so you can:
Keep your electricity on when the power goes out
Reduce your energy bill by using stored energy to power your home when electricity is most expensive
Help the environment by using your stored solar energy in the evening
Benefits
Once you purchase and install a battery from one of our program partners, you’ll be enrolled in MCE’s Energy Storage Program for a period of 5 years. Program benefits include:
- $1,500–$4,500 rebate for a new battery purchased from a participating provider
- $10 or $20 monthly bill credit for the 5-year term of the program (totalling $600 or $1,200 depending on the size of your system)
- Competitive financing available through MCE’s partnership with NEIF
- Automated battery to provide backup power and power your home at specified times to maximize efficiency, keep costs lower, and reduce GHG emissions from electricity
Eligibility
- Must be an MCE customer (see if you’re located in MCE’s service area)
- Must have existing solar or be willing to install solar and storage together
- To qualify for MCE’s rebate, you must also meet the requirements for one of the following groups:
*MCE reserves the right to change funding levels at any time.
Energy Storage System Automation
MCE will program your battery to provide backup power and power your home at specified times to maximize efficiency, keep costs lower, and reduce GHG emissions from electricity.
Using Solar Power (Charging)
Your battery will charge up in the morning and early afternoon (approximately 6 a.m. – 4 p.m.) when rates are lower and solar power is abundant.
Powering Your Home (Discharging)
Your battery will supply power to your home during peak hours
(4 p.m. – 9 p.m.) when rates are higher, to help save on energy costs.
Backup Power (Automated) – COMING SOON
Your battery will provide immediate backup power during planned or unplanned power outages.
The schedules below show how MCE may program your battery to charge and discharge at certain times of the day. They may be adjusted to increase your battery’s effectiveness.
BENEFIT: Reduces energy costs by using your battery to power your home during peak pricing periods when energy from the grid is most expensive. This is standard daily operation.
Sample Schedule
| Timeframe | Battery Function | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. | Solar Self Consumption | When on-site solar is available, it’s used to cover your home’s electricity needs, with excess solar energy charging the battery. |
| 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Charge to Full | Your battery will be instructed to fully charge using solar energy, in preparation for peak pricing periods when electricity rates are higher. Excess solar energy will be used to cover your home’s electricity needs, supplemented with electricity from the grid. |
| 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Hold | Your battery will be instructed to maintain a full charge, in preparation for peak pricing periods when electricity rates are higher. Excess solar energy will be used to cover your home’s electricity needs, supplemented with electricity from the grid. |
| 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Discharge to Reserve | Your battery will help power your home when electricity rates are highest to reduce your costs. Your battery will always stop discharging at 20% charge so that it can operate as backup power in case of an unexpected outage. |
| 9 p.m. – 6 a.m. | Solar Self Consumption | When there is no on-site solar available, your home will be powered by remaining energy from your battery, supplemented with electricity from the grid. |
BENEFIT: Ensures your battery has a reliable power supply during PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. When MCE is notified in advance of a PSPS event or other planned outage, we will instruct the battery to start charging to maximum capacity and hold a charge. When the power goes out, your battery will automatically turn on to provide backup power.
Sample Schedule
| Timeframe | Battery Function | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. – 4 a.m. | Charge to Full | On the day before a PSPS event, your battery will fully charge using onsite solar, supplemented with electricity from the grid. |
| 4 a.m. – 9 a.m. | Hold | Your battery will be instructed to maintain a full charge, in preparation for PSPS outage. Any onsite solar production will be used to cover your home’s electricity needs, supplemented with electricity from the grid. |
| 9 a.m. | Battery Under Local Control | When PSPS begins, your battery will provide backup power to your home. |
BENEFIT: Ensures your battery has a power supply during unexpected emergency events to the greatest extent possible. When MCE is notified of an emergency outage, we will instruct the battery to charge as quickly as possible and turn on to provide backup power. If your battery loses communication with MCE, it will revert to local control to continue to provide backup power.
Meet Our Program Partners
Alco Building Solutions (ABS) will advise on all program details and recommend a battery storage system best suited for your home. With a rich 26-year history as an energy solutions integrator throughout the State of California, ABS takes a design-build approach for all aspects of the projects that they deliver, offering technical expertise to help guide its clients through a process that is consultative in nature.
Electriq Power will advise on all program details and recommend a battery storage system best suited for your home. Electriq Power offers energy storage solutions for homes and small businesses around the globe, providing customers with a seamless experience to deliver a battery that maximizes value and resiliency for their family.
The National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF), a full-service, multi-state licensed consumer and commercial lender, has partnered with MCE to offer zero- and low-interest rate loans to residential customers participating in the Energy Storage Program. Since 2018, NEIF, the nation’s only Certified Benefit Corporation energy efficiency lender, has provided financing options for energy efficiency, solar and energy storage projects.
FAQ
If severe weather threatens a portion of the electric system, it may be necessary for PG&E to turn off electricity in the interest of public safety. This is known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event.
Yes, since MCE customers still receive their electricity through PG&E’s lines and wires, outages, including PSPS events, will still affect you.
All participating customers in MCE’s Energy Storage Program will own the energy storage system.
If you participate in the MCE Energy Storage Program, an approved installer will work with you to determine what equipment and appliances your battery can back up based on the battery size, to ensure essential loads are served during an outage. In some cases, the energy storage may back up your entire home.
The energy storage systems (batteries) installed through MCE’s Energy Storage Program include technology that enables them to be controlled remotely. MCE will manage the batteries to ensure that they are capable of providing immediate backup power in the event of a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event or other power outages when advanced notification of an outage is available from PG&E. If advanced notification of an outage is not provided by PG&E, the batteries are programmed to always maintain at least 20% of their charge in the event of an outage.
At all other times, the battery will be programmed to charge in the morning and early afternoon during lower priced “off peak” hours from your onsite solar. The battery will discharge during higher priced “peak” hours to supply power to your home. This daily charge and discharge may be adjusted for special exceptions like Flex Alerts when it’s important to respond to other real-time conditions such as heat waves.
While your battery provider or installer may provide you with instructions on how to use a phone or online app to program your battery, we ask that you not program your energy storage system or override MCE control signals for the duration of the 5-year term of your agreement. Customers who opt-out of MCE control signals or override MCE programming of the battery on a frequent basis is in violation of the terms of the agreement and may lose their monthly bill credits, face additional penalties, or be removed from the program.
To qualify for $4,500 in funding you must be enrolled in CARE or FERA or have an adjusted gross household income that is 80% or less than the area’s median household income.
2021 Income Limits
| Persons in Family | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa County | $76,750 | $87,700 | $98,650 | $109,600 | $118,400 | $127,150 | $135,950 | $144,700 |
| Marin County | $102,450 | $117,100 | $131,750 | $146,350 | $158,100 | $169,800 | $181,500 | $193,200 |
| Napa County | $63,050 | $72,050 | $81,050 | $90,050 | $97,300 | $104,500 | $111,700 | $118,900 |
| Solano County | $54,350 | $62,100 | $69,850 | $77,600 | $83,850 | $90,050 | $96,250 | $102,450 |
You can also find the income limits here. Click the year that you last filed taxes and then click the button that says ‘Click Here for FY 20XX IL Documentation’. Select your state and county to see your area’s income limits for 80% or less. If you think you qualify and would like to move forward with the program, please provide a copy of your most recent federal tax return with your social security number redacted when you complete your online application through the Energy Storage Program Customer Portal.
Once your system receives a Permission to Operate (PTO) from PG&E, meaning the system has been installed, passes inspection, and PG&E completes interconnection with the grid, MCE will begin programming your energy storage system. You will begin receiving your monthly bill credits starting on the following billing cycle, after your installer submits the Permission to Operate (PTO) documentation to MCE. You will continue to receive monthly bill credits for a period of 5 full years (60 bill credits), regardless of when you start receiving your credits, so long as you abide by all program rules as outlined in the Energy Storage Program Agreement (pdf) and remain a customer of MCE.
MCE has partnered with NEIF to provide competitive financing for energy storage systems (batteries). The MCE Residential Energy Storage Direct Loan Program provides financing for customers with solar on their homes to install a battery. Financing is a fixed rate, simple interest installment loan with no penalty for prepayment. There are no hidden fees or charges, and loans do not require security. NEIF (or their designee) is the lender and handles all loan applications and approvals, as well as monthly billing and collections. MCE is providing the funds for the program, but is not involved in any of the loan decisions or servicing of the loans.
NEIF is a full-service, multi-state licensed consumer and commercial lender focused on program-driven financing plans for energy and resilience improvements. NEIF works with a network of contractors, distributors, manufacturers, utilities and governments to promote affordability for upgrades that make businesses and homes resilient, energy efficient, healthy, & comfortable. It is the nation’s only specialty energy efficiency lender third-party certified as a B Corporation®. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. NEIF is also a Home Improvement Expert Lender Partner of the U.S. Department of Energy.
You must first complete an online application for MCE’s Energy Storage Program. Once your application is approved, you will receive an email with a link to NEIF’s website and online application for MCE Residential Energy Storage Direct Loan Program. Your installer will also provide you with information about the loan program and instructions for how to apply.
The Energy Storage Program Agreement (pdf) is your agreement to participate in MCE’s Energy Storage Program, which provides you with a $10 or $20 monthly bill credit, depending on the size of your battery, to allow MCE to charge and discharge your battery throughout the day for the term of the program. This agreement will also include the total cost of the battery installation, other funding sources to help offset the total cost, and the final cost to you.
When you sign your Energy Storage Program Agreement, you agree to allow MCE to program your energy storage system for a period of 5 years from the date your system is placed into service and you begin receiving monthly bill credits. At the end of this term, MCE may, at its discretion, offer you the option to continue participating in and receiving benefits from the program.
In support of the statewide effort to transition electric customers to a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan, customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program are required to be enrolled in one of the following TOU rate plans:
- E-TOU-A
- E-TOU-B
- E-TOU-C
- E-TOU-D
- EV2
- E-6
- EM-TOU
Most MCE customers will be transitioned to E-TOU-C beginning March 2022 as part of a statewide transition. Learn more about Time-of-Use rate plans.
Please contact us at info@mceCleanEnergy.org if you have any questions about your current rate class or how participating in the Energy Storage Program could impact your annual energy costs. You will need to submit your rate change request to PG&E no later than the date of your battery installation.
If you have an online account with PG&E, log into your account. Click the “Manage Your Rate Plan” button and follow the prompts to change to one of the program approved Time-of-Use rates if you are not already enrolled in one.
If you don’t have an online account with PG&E and prefer not to create one, you can still change your rate on PG&E website. Under the “Residential” tab, click on “Rate Plans,” then select “Transition to Time-of-Use.” Click “Sign in to your account to compare rate plans” even if you do not have an online PG&E account. Click the “One-Time Access” tab and enter the required information to select a program approved rate schedule.
If you see a rate comparison showing estimated bills under various rate options that seem higher than your current one, don’t be alarmed. The comparisons are based on your last 12-month usage before you installed your energy storage system and do not reflect what your bill will be once MCE begins programming your system under the new TOU rate.
Note that it may take up to 3 billing cycles for the new rate plan to go into effect, depending on where you are in your billing cycle when you request a change. Please plan ahead to change your rate as soon as your system has been installed. Also, PG&E allows you to change rate plans online once per year. For assistance with changing rate plans, contact PG&E’s residential customer service line at 1 (877) 660-6789.
Yes, customers can still participate in MCE’s NEM program.
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Questions?
Please contact us at info@mceCleanEnergy.org or 1 (888) 632-3674. We look forward to supporting you.