Is $14,500 to add an Enphase 5P battery and upgrade solar inverters a fair price?
Project Details
I'm confused about the return on investment for this battery system. My friends got a similar Enphase 5P added for under $6K before tax credits, but the same installer is quoting me $14.5K before credits. Based on my rough calculations, I could at best move 5 kWh/day, which translates to about $250-300 per year in savings, even with maximum rate differences. I don't see the value, even if the price was closer to what my friends paid. I'm on NEM 2 and grid-tied. We don't experience many blackouts here, just random switchovers that might be nice to avoid. The idea was purely for a grid-tied solution, not backup. There isn't a good solution for load shedding other than the EV panel because my main electrical panel is very far from the solar boxes and meter. I'm also considering installing two more panels, hoping it won't trigger a NEM 3.0 problem, but I'm concerned the proposed new inverters might. I recently got an EV and switched from gas to a heat pump, so my energy consumption has changed. I've done some modeling, forecasting around 1000 kWh for the car and 2000 kWh for heating/cooling, though my data set isn't perfect. The PG&E site is currently not working, which makes it hard to pull older statements. My roof only has space for two additional panels at most.
Quote Details
This quote is for adding an Enphase 5P battery to my existing 11-panel (4.785 kW) Enphase solar solution, which currently uses IQ7 inverters and an IQ Combiner 4. The primary purpose of the battery is for time of use shifting in my grid-tied NEM 2 system. The quote includes several components: - Enphase 5P battery installation - Planning and design services - Replacement of my existing 11 IQ7A inverters with IQ8A inverters. This upgrade is stated as necessary because PG&E is reportedly requiring Power Control System (PCS) limitations to prevent overloading and meet the 120% rule for grid-tied setups, which the IQ7 micros are not capable of handling.
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More Details
Category
Solar
Price
$14,500
Quote Date
June 14, 2025
Location
California
Battery Storage?
No
# of Panels
11
System Size (kW)
4.785
Warranty (yrs)
11
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