Solar Battery Time-of-Use Savings: TOU Arbitrage Guide
Maximize savings with time-of-use rates: when to charge, discharge, and how smart batteries pay back faster.
Sarah Chen · October 6, 2025·10 min read
Time-of-use rates create predictable price spreads. Smart batteries exploit those spreads automatically, if your utility and firmware support it.
Mapping your rate plan
Export your hourly usage from your utility portal. Overlay peak windows to see how much energy you could shift with a 10–15 kWh battery.
Expected payback
In California-style TOU markets, well-tuned arbitrage can offset 30–45% of a battery's effective cost over 10 years, before counting backup value.
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