Backup Power
Solar Battery Storage & Backup Power in Vernon, BC
Store what your panels make, and keep the essentials running when the grid goes down.
Battery Storage for North Okanagan Homes and Businesses
Here is something most people do not realise until it happens: a standard grid-tied solar system shuts down during a power outage. It has to. Feeding power onto a line that crews may be working on is not permitted, so the inverter disconnects and your panels sit idle in full sun while the house is dark.
A battery changes that. With storage and the right inverter configuration, your system islands itself from the grid and keeps running on your own generation.
In this region that matters more than it used to. Wildfire seasons bring both precautionary shutoffs and outages, winter storms take lines down across the North Okanagan most years, and rural properties out past Lumby and Cherryville sit further down the restoration priority list than anyone would like.
Call 250-250-2525 and tell us what you have. Batteries can be added to a new installation or retrofitted to a system you already own — including systems we did not install.
Proud to Serve the North Okanagan
We install throughout Vernon and the surrounding region.
- ColdstreamBC
- Okanagan LandingVernon, BC
- East HillVernon, BC
- BXVernon, BC
- LumbyBC
- ArmstrongBC
- EnderbyBC
- SpallumcheenBC
- Lake CountryBC
- KelownaBC
- Salmon ArmBC
- Silver StarVernon, BC
What Battery Storage Covers
Backup load planning
Whole-home backup is expensive and usually unnecessary. We work out which circuits genuinely need to stay live — furnace fan, fridge and freezer, well pump, internet, a few lights, medical equipment — and size to that. It is the single biggest lever on cost.
Battery sizing and chemistry
Capacity is driven by how long you want to run and what you are running. We will show you what one night of essentials costs versus two or three days.
Hybrid inverter or AC-coupled retrofit
New installations generally use a hybrid inverter. Existing systems are usually AC-coupled, which lets us add storage without replacing equipment that is working fine.
Automatic transfer and islanding
Correctly configured so the system disconnects from the grid and powers your backed-up circuits without you doing anything. Utility-compliant, so crews are never working on a line you are energising.
Load shifting where it pays
Storing midday generation for evening use. Whether this earns its keep depends on your rate structure — we will tell you honestly if it does not.
Monitoring and state of charge
See what is stored, what is going in and what is coming out, from your phone.
What Battery Storage Costs
| System | Suits | Installed cost |
|---|---|---|
| Essential-circuits backup | Furnace fan, fridge, well pump, lights, internet | from $12,000 – $16,000 |
| Whole-home backup | Full panel backed up, larger capacity | from $18,000 – $22,000 |
| Battery added to existing solar | Retrofit, AC-coupled | from $12,000 – $22,000 |
Battery cost is driven by capacity and by how much of your panel you want backed up. Choosing essential circuits over whole-home is usually the difference between the bottom and the top of this range. Financing available — ask about monthly options.
An honest note on payback. In British Columbia, batteries usually do not pay for themselves on energy arbitrage alone — our power rates are low enough that the arithmetic rarely works. People buy storage for resilience: staying warm and fed through a multi-day winter outage, keeping a well pump running, protecting a freezer full of food. That is a legitimate reason to spend the money, and we would rather frame it that way than dress it up as an investment it is not.
Why People Choose Us for Storage
We size the load before the battery
Getting the backed-up circuits right is what keeps the quote sensible. Most people need far less than they assume.
Straight talk on payback
Batteries are a resilience purchase in BC, not an investment. We will say so.
Retrofits welcome
We add storage to existing systems, including ones installed by other companies.
Built for real outages here
Wildfire-season shutoffs, winter storms, and rural properties at the back of the restoration queue.
Find out what solar would do for your power bill.
A free estimate takes about fifteen minutes on the phone. No pressure, no obligation, and a straight answer either way.
How a Storage Project Runs
Outage conversation
What actually has to stay running, and for how long.
Electrical assessment
Your panel, your existing solar if any, and how to island it.
Options priced
Essential circuits versus whole-home, one night versus three days.
Install and commissioning
Including a deliberate outage test so you have seen it work.