Note: This is part one of a four-part series. Part two will dive deeper into the specific components of backup energy storage systems.
Once reserved for off-grid homes, residential power backup systems are starting their leap into the mainstream. In 2024 home battery storage in the U.S. grew by 64%, and currently about half a million households have them installed.
“Backup power systems are great for reliability, particularly for short-term outages, and especially for folks who do remote work or have electricity needs from a medical perspective,” says Gilbert Michaud, an assistant professor at the School of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University Chicago.
My personal experience
I first encountered a home backup energy storage system on a remote island in Florida. My partner and I were caretaking an exclusive estate-turned-wildlife-refuge when the system malfunctioned. At the time we knew little about backup energy storage, but troubleshooting it on that hot, sticky, mosquito-filled afternoon launched us down a rabbit hole.
My conversion-van battery system
Since then we’ve installed PV/battery systems in our conversion van and camper, plus field-tested dozens of portable power stations. I write about those, plus solar and home battery backup, for various publications. This year we finally installed our own home backup system. I’ll share the ups and downs of that experience in part three of this series.
My camper battery system
A brief history of home battery storage
While the past decade has seen a dramatic rise in the popularity of home backup power systems, their history goes back to the 1920s, when car batteries first became widely available. Great Plains farmers promptly built wind-generator power plants with which to recharge them, so they could enjoy comforts like electric lighting, listening to the radio, and saving on fuel costs from generating power using farm tractors or…
Weekly Newsletter
Get building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox.
Sign up for a free trial and get instant access to this article as well as GBA’s complete library of premium articles and construction details.
Start Free Trial
Already a member? Log in