How System Design and Location Affect Reliability of Home Energy Systems

What is it about?

Residential rooftop solar and home battery systems are increasingly used to improve reliability during grid outages, but their performance depends on system design and location. Climate, solar resource availability, household electricity demand, and the size of solar and battery installations all influence how reliably a home can remain powered. Traditional reliability assessments often overlook these differences by relying on average conditions. This study examines how system parameters and geospatial variables affect the reliability of residential energy systems with photovoltaic generation and battery storage. Using probabilistic modeling and Monte Carlo simulation, the analysis evaluates multiple system sizes and geographic locations. The results show that reliability gains from solar and storage vary significantly by region, highlighting how design choices and local conditions jointly shape residential reliability outcomes.

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Photo by Daniele La Rosa Messina on Unsplash

Photo by Daniele La Rosa Messina on Unsplash

Why is it important?

As residential solar and battery adoption accelerates, reliability increasingly depends on decisions made by individual customers rather than utilities alone. Without understanding how system size and location affect reliability outcomes, utilities and regulators risk misjudging both the benefits and limitations of behind-the-meter resources. This work supports more informed reliability planning and policy development by showing where residential solar and storage meaningfully reduce reliability risk and where geographic and demand constraints limit their effectiveness, enabling more realistic guidance, standards, and investment decisions.

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