Utility Tariff / Time-of-Use (TOU) Rate

On-site electrochemical energy storage that allows a property to store electricity and discharge it on demand. In a microgrid, storage may support backup operation, energy buffering, and reduced generator runtime. Transfer behavior depends on the selected equipment, system design, and operating conditions. Storage is sized in kWh for energy capacity and kW for power output; both metrics affect supported loads and duration.

A utility billing arrangement in which excess solar generation exported to the grid is credited against the property's utility bill. Availability and credit rates vary significantly by utility and state. Florida, Texas, and California have different net metering structures. Microgrid-connected solar systems can participate in net metering when grid-tied, subject to utility interconnection agreement terms.

The intelligence layer of a residential microgrid — a dedicated power management computer that monitors all energy sources and loads in real-time, optimizes battery state of charge, decides when to start/stop generators, manages power flow between sources, executes load shedding if needed, and enables remote monitoring. A microgrid controller is what distinguishes a true microgrid from a collection of independently operating devices. Consumer battery products use basic inverter logic, not a dedicated controller.