Disclaimer: This tool is provided for simulation and estimation purposes only. Always consult a licensed professional or legal counsel for formal decision-making.
Clean Energy AI

Solar + Battery Storage Time-of-Use Rate Arbitrage & ROI Calculator

Model your electricity bill savings by combining solar panels with home battery storage under utility Time-of-Use (TOU) rates and NEM 3.0 net billing structures.

Simulation Parameters

Calculated Strategic Output

Total Estimated Benefit
$18,000.00

Instant client-side calculation with zero data retention.

Solar Battery Storage, NEM 3.0 & Time-of-Use Arbitrage

With the transition of state utilities to Net Energy Metering 3.0 (NEM 3.0) and aggressive Time-of-Use (TOU) dynamic pricing, standalone solar without battery storage has seen its return on investment drop significantly. Pairing solar panels with home battery storage (e.g. Tesla Powerwall, Enphase 5P, FranklinWH) allows homeowners to perform rate arbitrage.

1. The Mechanics of Daily Rate Arbitrage

During peak solar generation hours (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM), grid export credits are now worth as little as $0.05–$0.08 per kWh under avoided-cost rules. Instead of selling cheap power to the utility, your battery stores surplus solar energy and discharges it during expensive peak evening hours (4:00 PM to 9:00 PM), when grid electricity costs $0.35–$0.60 per kWh.