Goodbye to Solar Plus Storage. Hello to Solar-led Electrification

Source: Elisa Wood | · ENERGY CHANGEMAKERS · | March 4, 2025.

California solar companies say partial grid defection is the next product evolution

Source: Energy Changemakers

A group of California solar companies say it’s time for the solar industry to transform its standard product — solar and storage — into a new offering incorporating electrification and partial grid defection. 

Andrew Krause, CEO at Northern Pacific Power Systems and president of non-profit Agile Electrification, led a discussion last week on the new approach for residential customers, called “solar-led electrification,” in the expo hall at Intersolar & Energy Storage North America in San Diego, California.

Through solar-led electrification, homeowners achieve partial grid defection when they swap out their gas appliances for electric alternatives and power them with onsite solar and battery storage rather than grid electricity.

The announcement was accompanied by the release of a paper by the non-profit Agile Electrification and the UC San Diego Design Lab, which finds that “65% grid defection” produces optimal savings for California homeowners.

65% grid defection requires that homeowners reduce their use of grid power by 65%, replacing it with less expensive energy from onsite solar. 

Researchers looked at four different electrification scenarios for 60 average-sized homes in northern California. They found that 65% grid defection saved homeowners an estimated $150,000 over 20 years.