Power Northwest installs two premium home battery systems: the Tesla Powerwall 3 and the Franklin aPower 2. The Tesla Powerwall 3 can be connected directly to solar panels with its integrated inverter and provides seamless home backup with automatic grid outage detection. The Franklin aPower 2 is a flexible battery solution compatible with a wide range of solar inverters and expandable for larger storage needs. Both systems provide whole-home or partial-home backup power during grid outages and can be configured to store excess solar energy for evening use. Power Northwest is a Tesla Powerwall certified installer and serves Portland and the surrounding metro area in Oregon and Washington.

How long a home battery lasts during an outage depends on your battery capacity and how much electricity your home uses. A single Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh usable capacity) can power essential loads like lights, internet, refrigerator, and phone charging for 12 to 24 hours. Running high-draw appliances like electric ovens, air conditioning, or electric vehicle chargers significantly reduces that window. With solar panels paired to your battery, the system recharges during daylight hours, extending backup power indefinitely during extended outages as long as there is sufficient sun. Power Northwest can design a storage system sized to your specific backup needs. Ask about this during your free consultation!

No, you can install a home battery without solar panels. A standalone battery system charges from the grid and automatically provides backup power during outages. This is a popular option for homeowners who want outage protection now and plan to add solar later, or who simply want a reliable backup solution. However, pairing a battery with solar dramatically increases its value: the system charges from free solar energy during the day and can reduce or eliminate your electricity bill. Power Northwest installs both standalone battery systems and solar-plus-storage configurations across Oregon and Washington.

Oregon homeowners can claim up to $5,000 in incentives for home battery installation through Energy Trust of Oregon, available to customers of Portland General Electric and Pacific Power. Income-qualified households may be eligible for even higher amounts through ETO’s Solar Within Reach program. Power Northwest is an Energy Trust of Oregon registered trade ally, which means we handle incentive paperwork on your behalf and apply the savings directly to your installation cost.

When the grid goes down, your home battery detects the outage in a fraction of a second and automatically switches your home to battery power. Most homeowners don’t even notice the transition. The battery then supplies electricity to your home’s backed-up circuits until it is depleted or grid power is restored. If your battery is paired with solar panels, the system will recharge from your solar production during daylight hours, extending how long you can stay off-grid. You can monitor your battery’s charge level and control which appliances draw power through the battery’s companion app. No manual action is required, the system manages everything automatically.

Home battery installation typically takes four to eight hours for a standard single-unit installation. The work involves mounting the battery unit (usually on a garage wall or exterior wall), connecting it to your electrical panel, and configuring the system software. Installations that involve multiple battery units or integration with an existing solar system may take a full day. Power Northwest handles all permitting required for battery installations in Oregon and Washington. Your project manager will confirm the expected installation timeline after your site assessment, and most customers have their system active and monitoring on the same day as installation.