A battery is simply a box that stores electricity, often stored when it’s cheap or plentiful and releases it when you need it. Batteries are vital solutions that most buildings are missing and are becoming a great investment in the clean energy transition.
Batteries save you money because of demand charges: the part of your utility bill set by your single highest moment of use in a month, not your total consumption. By releasing electricity to power your building at moments of peak usage, the battery “shaves” those peaks automatically, which for buildings with commercial kitchens, big HVAC loads, or large gatherings can be a real share of the bill. Several states also pay building owners for letting their battery support the grid on the hottest and coldest days through demand response programs.
If you have solar panels, what most people don’t realize is that during a blackout, rooftop panels shut off automatically to protect utility line workers. So, your solar array sits idle exactly when you most need it! But having a battery lets your building “island,” safely disconnecting from the grid and continuing to operate on your stored solar electricity straight through the outage. Depending on state and utility regulators, you may be permitted to continue producing electricity during an outage as well.
[Sephardic Community Center, Brooklyn NY]
The Sephardic Community Center (SCC) in Brooklyn, New York is pairing battery storage with their solar array to be able to run critical systems through disruptions and avoid peak demand charges. By coupling the battery with an expanded and upgraded solar array and improving rooftop insulation and reflectivity, SCC is projecting to save
nearly $51,000 per year on electricity costs. By leveraging federal incentives, state rebates, and a UJA Greening Initiative grant, they expect to pay back their $100,000 Adamah bridge loan in under three years.
Simple steps to get going: Start by reviewing your utility bill to see whether you’re paying demand charges; installing a battery can reduce these charges dramatically. From there, check what state or utility incentives are available to cover installation costs and don’t forget: the U.S. federal 30% direct cash refund for a battery remains available to non-profits through 2032. In addition, the Climate Action Fund can help with both planning and project costs, with applications due November 5, 2026.
To Learn More:
- Battery storage is a game-changer for clean energy: Watch Adamah NY’s webinar with NineDot Energy about how battery storage is transforming the energy sector, supporting grid resilience, and creating a more equitable energy future.
- The Texas Grid Has Had a Boring Summer Thanks to Batteries – Heatmap News
- Research state incentives: DSIRE: Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (Search by zip code; filter by Technology, Energy Storage, Battery, All Battery)
- Adamah’s Climate Action Fund