Journal / News
September briefing: a record battery quarter, a 580 MW home-battery dispatch, and a residential slowdown
Big batteries are booming. Home batteries just proved what they can do for the grid. And residential installs are dipping without the federal credit.
1. The US set another battery record
According to a report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the Solar Energy Industries Association, covered by MIT Technology Review, 20.2 gigawatt-hours of new battery capacity came online in the second quarter of 2026, a new US record. Most of it was utility-scale. The same report projects home installations to fall about 16% this year, largely because the federal tax credit for home batteries ended in 2025.
2. Home batteries acted like a power plant
On September 9, during a California heat wave, Sunrun and Tesla discharged home batteries to the grid for three evening hours at the request of the California Energy Commission and utilities. The companies say more than 580 megawatts of peak power came from homes, the largest event of its kind on record.
3. Outages are on people’s minds
A Sunrun-commissioned survey of 2,000 Americans released September 17 found that 59% are concerned power outages will become more common where they live.
What it means for a homeowner in the Northeast
- Batteries are the story, but the case for a home battery is now resilience and time-of-use savings, not a tax credit.
- Owning beats renting more often than the ads suggest. See our free guide on the true cost of “pay-nothing” solar.
- DIY labor is the biggest price lever left. A professional design plus your own work can cut the installed price roughly in half.
Sources
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