Protect the right loads

Whole-Home vs. Essential-Load Battery Backup

The best backup design is the one that matches your priorities and your home’s demand.

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Service overview

The best backup design is the one that matches your priorities and your home’s demand.

Whole-home backup aims to support most or all household circuits, while essential-load backup isolates a smaller group of priorities. The better choice depends on appliance loads, heating and cooling, water systems, lifestyle, desired outage duration, and budget.

01

Essential-load backup

Prioritizes a focused circuit group and can provide longer runtime from a given amount of battery capacity.

02

Whole-home backup

Offers broader coverage but may require more storage, load management, or operating discipline during an outage.

03

Smart load control

Automatic or manual load management can help balance comfort, convenience, surge demand, and available capacity.

The responsible answer

Compatibility first. Clear options second.

Battery storage is electrical infrastructure, not a one-size-fits-all appliance. We review the existing system and the home before recommending equipment or backup capacity.

Questions homeowners ask

Straight answers before you upgrade.

What are essential loads?+

They are the circuits a homeowner chooses to protect first, often refrigeration, lighting, communications, medical needs, security, and selected outlets.

Can one battery back up an entire house?+

That depends on battery output, capacity, household loads, and the duration expected. A load calculation is necessary.

Can I change the backed-up circuits later?+

Often changes are possible, but they should be reviewed and completed safely by a qualified professional.

Battery-readiness review

Already have solar? Start with your equipment.

Tell us what you know about your solar system and what you want protected. We’ll use those details to begin your compatibility review.

Start my battery-readiness check →