Every kilowatt-hour that you use from your solar panels and battery is a kilowatt-hour that you do not draw from a fossil-fuel-heavy grid. While the exact mix of grid energy changes by region, most grids still use a large share of gas or coal.
When you add a solar battery, your home can store clean solar power that might otherwise be wasted or sent back to the grid with low export value. You then use that clean power at night, when the grid often relies more on fossil fuels. This shift increases the environmental benefit of each panel on your roof.
A solar battery can also support future programs such as virtual power plants (VPPs), where many small home batteries work together to help the grid. In these programs, your battery can export power at key times to reduce the need for old fossil-fuel plants. Some regions already reward this support with payments or bill credits.
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