Franklin Home Power Solution
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Challenge
The cost of grid power continues to increase, as does the frequency of power outages, leaving families vulnerable as normal lives are limited or interrupted.
Solution
Install a Franklin Home Power system that provides large energy storage capability, increasing the efficiency of their solar installation and making them less dependent on the grid.
Result
- Store excess solar energy for use at night and on cloudy days
- Lower electricity bill
- Reduce dependence on the grid
- Have power during grid outage
Living in Texas, David Lee and his family encounter regular power outage events. During one major outage, David’s family didn’t have a water supply for ten days.
Not wanting to be that helpless again, David decided to install Franklin Home Power to store excess solar power so as to be prepared when the grid is down. It turns out that David’s house now not only has power when the grid is down but saves more on electricity bills as the reliance on the grid is further reduced.
When Electricity Consumption Meets Power Outages
As a homeowner living on a lake property with about an acre of land, with a family of four, David has an electric car, a swimming pool, and many other appliances that require a lot of electricity consumption each month.
As the Texas grid can be finicky, David’s house encounters at least one major outage every year. David experienced his last grid event several years ago and had one this year when his family didn't have any water during a whole ten-day period. Probably one of the worst experiences he had had in Texas, making him promise himself to never again put his family in that situation.
Going Solar with Storage Is the Rational Choice
To depend less on the grid and save on electricity bills, David initially renewable energy as the main power source of the house. He initially installed a 24 kW solar system which generates 17 kW on average per day.
But going solar alone couldn’t solve his problem of preparing for power outages. Therefore, David started to look for energy storage solutions to complete his renewable energy solution.
After significant research, David found that FranklinWH’s whole home energy management and storage is an excellent fit with great specs, and he decided to go for it. After using Franklin Home Power for some time, David has been clearly impressed with its operations.
“All my energy is produced by me. I actually sent a lot of energy to the grid. And I get it back when I need it. And now with batteries, I might get it back immediately in my own storage.” - David Lee, FranklinWH homeowner
It is worth mentioning that the grid charges 4.5 cents/watt for the energy exchange. David pays roughly $75 a month for these charges when he has solar only and before the batteries were installed. Now David can net zero his charges with the solar + storage.
Franklin Home Power User Experience Was Impressed
To match his home needs, David installed one aGate + three aPowers in his FHP solution, providing 40.8 kWh total storage.
He likes the different settings that the FHP system offers through the FranklinWH App. Currently, he uses self-consumption mode to make the most use of his solar system. This mode gives him the ability to draw from the battery after hours when the solar system is not generating power. Storing the excess solar energy to use at night increases the efficiency and ROI of his solar installation.
He also wants to make sure he is as self-sufficient as possible. Currently, David sets his Franklin batteries at 10% conservation, not going below that reserve charge, in case there is a grid event or grid outage.
“I do have a little bit of energy to keep my refrigerator running, some of the absolutely central major appliances, and a water heater if I need it.” - David Lee, FranklinWH homeowner