If you already have solar — or you’re installing solar and deciding whether to add storage now — choosing the right battery matters. The wrong choice can leave you with inadequate backup, poor system integration, or buyer’s remorse. The right choice transforms your solar system from a daytime electric bill reducer into a true energy independence platform.
What a Solar Battery Actually Does
A solar battery stores excess electricity that your solar panels produce, then discharges that stored energy when you need it. Three main scenarios:
Nighttime self-consumption. Your solar produces during the day. Without a battery, excess production flows back to the grid (often at unfavorable buyback rates). With a battery, you store that excess for use after sunset.
Outage backup. When the grid fails, your battery isolates your home and powers your loads. Most systems transfer in milliseconds — typically faster than you’d notice.
Solar self-consumption during cloudy hours. Even during daytime, clouds reduce solar output. A battery smooths over those dips, drawing on stored energy when production drops.
For DFW homes specifically, the outage backup value has become substantial post-Uri. The self-consumption value depends heavily on your retail electric provider’s buyback terms.
Top Battery Brands for 2026
The home battery market has matured to a point where multiple solid options exist:
FranklinWH aPower 2 — 15 kWh per unit, stackable, LiFePO4 chemistry. The aGate system controller handles load management exceptionally well. 12-year warranty. One of our most-installed batteries for pairing with solar.
Tesla Powerwall 3 — 13.5 kWh, integrated solar inverter (useful for new installs, complicating slightly for retrofits), LiFePO4 chemistry. Strong app and brand recognition.
Enphase IQ Battery — Modular 3.5/5/10 kWh units. Pairs natively with Enphase microinverter solar systems. 15-year warranty.
Other Tier-1 brands with comparable specs and reliable manufacturer support also work well for specific applications.
What matters more than brand: matching the battery architecture to your solar system, sizing appropriately to your loads, and choosing an installer who can integrate everything cleanly.
Sizing: Whole-Home vs Essential Loads
The single biggest sizing decision is whole-home backup vs essential loads only.
Essential loads only (10-15 kWh):
- Refrigeration, freezer, lighting, Wi-Fi, communications
- Furnace fan, sump pumps
- Select outlets and circuits
- 12-24 hours of backup typical
- Most common configuration in DFW
Whole-home backup excluding AC (15-25 kWh):
- Everything except central air
- Useful for spring/fall outages
- Inadequate for summer outages
Whole-home backup including AC (30+ kWh):
- AC is a significant load that drains batteries fast
- Requires substantial capacity for meaningful runtime
- Realistic for affluent homes prioritizing summer comfort during outages
For most DFW homeowners adding battery to solar, 12-24 kWh is the sweet spot — meaningful capacity for typical outages without overcommitting financially.
Adding Storage to an Existing Solar System
If you already have solar without battery storage, retrofitting is straightforward in most cases.
Most existing solar systems can accommodate AC-coupled battery retrofits. The battery inverter connects to the AC side of your existing solar inverter. Your solar continues operating normally; the battery adds storage and backup functionality.
Sometimes a hybrid inverter swap makes sense. If your existing string inverter is approaching end-of-warranty or end-of-life, replacing it with a hybrid inverter that handles both solar and battery natively can be a cleaner long-term solution.
Retrofit timeline is typically 1-2 days. Less involved than the original solar install.
Federal tax credit applies to retrofits. The 30% ITC applies to battery installations whether installed with solar or added afterward.
The biggest variable in retrofit pricing is whether your existing electrical panel needs to be upgraded to accommodate the battery system. Most don’t, but some do.
Permitting in DFW Cities
Battery installation requires permits similar to solar. Specifics by major DFW jurisdictions:
- Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving — each city has its own building and electrical permit process
- Utility interconnection paperwork goes to your TDU (typically Oncor)
- Most jurisdictions turn permits around in 2-4 weeks
- HOA approval may be required (battery is typically installed indoors or on a wall, so usually less of an issue than solar)
A good installer handles all permitting for you — you just sign the application paperwork. End-to-end timeline for battery retrofit is typically 4-8 weeks from signed contract to operational.
Costs & Financing
DFW market pricing for battery additions to existing solar:
- 13-15 kWh single unit: $13,000-$18,000
- 26-30 kWh dual unit: $22,000-$32,000
- 40+ kWh: $32,000-$45,000+
Minus 30% federal tax credit.
Financing options include:
- Cash purchase (best long-term economics)
- Solar loan (often the same financing partner used for original solar)
- HELOC or home equity loan (sometimes lower rates than solar loans)
- Manufacturer financing (Tesla, FranklinWH, others offer programs)
For most homeowners, the right financing depends on tax situation, available cash, and existing home equity. Worth running multiple scenarios.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A few things we see homeowners get wrong:
Oversizing. Buying more battery than you need. A 30 kWh system that you only use once a year doesn’t beat a 15 kWh system that handles your typical needs.
Undersizing for stated goals. Buying an essential-loads battery but expecting whole-home backup including AC. The math doesn’t work — you’ll be disappointed.
Brand obsession. Picking a battery because of brand without considering whether the architecture fits your system.
Skipping the load assessment. Not knowing what loads you actually want to back up means you can’t size appropriately.
Ignoring future expansion. If you might add an electric vehicle or expand your home, factor that into current sizing rather than discovering you’re undersized later.
Getting Started
If you’re adding a battery to existing solar or planning a new solar + battery install, the smartest first step is a real load assessment — not a quote based on standardized assumptions.
We’ll evaluate your home’s actual loads, your backup priorities, your existing solar, your retail electric provider plan, and recommend a specific battery sized appropriately. We install across DFW from Dallas and Fort Worth through the suburbs.
Reach out for honest answers and real numbers.