Search for home batteries in South Florida and you will mostly find solar sales companies. Here is what they tend to gloss over: the battery is only half the project. The other half (critical-loads wiring, transfer equipment, panel capacity, permits, and the utility interconnection) is electrical contracting. Thomas Edison Electric is a licensed Florida electrical contractor (FL EC13015487) based in Jupiter, and we install and wire home battery backup systems across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, with or without solar on your roof.
What a home battery does when the power goes out
When an afternoon thunderstorm or a tropical system takes the grid down, a home battery switches your backed-up circuits over in a fraction of a second, fast enough that the Wi-Fi router rarely notices. The refrigerator stays cold, lights and fans stay on, the garage door still opens, and medical devices keep running. There is nothing to wheel out, fuel up, or start, and it works just as well at 3 a.m. as it does at 3 p.m.
Battery backup without solar? Absolutely.
Because most battery advertising comes from solar companies, many homeowners assume rooftop panels are required. They are not. A grid-charged battery tops itself up from your normal utility service while power is on, then carries your chosen circuits through an outage. It is a great fit when your roof or HOA makes solar complicated, when the house sits empty part of the year, or when what you really want is simply quiet, automatic outage protection. We design and install grid-charged battery systems as a standalone electrical project, no solar contract attached.
Solar battery installation
Already have panels, or collecting quotes for them? We install and wire solar-paired batteries (Powerwall-class, PWRcell-class, and comparable systems) so the sun charges your battery by day and your home draws on it at night or during an outage. Because we do not sell solar, our sizing advice comes from your actual loads rather than a package on a price sheet, and we are glad to handle just the electrical scope alongside a solar installer you have already chosen.
Critical-loads panels and transfer wiring
This is the part of a battery project that belongs to an electrician, no matter whose name is on the battery:
- A load review to decide what gets backed up: refrigeration, lighting, internet, a cooling zone, a well pump
- A critical-loads subpanel or smart load controller so the battery spends its capacity on what matters most
- Transfer and interconnection wiring so the switchover is automatic and the system follows FPL’s interconnection rules
- An electrical panel upgrade when the existing panel needs more capacity or open spaces
- Permits, the interconnection application, and the final inspection, all handled by our office
What affects the cost
Every battery project starts with a written quote, and these are the factors that move it: battery capacity in kilowatt-hours; whether you back up the whole home or a shorter list of essentials; how many circuits move to the critical-loads panel; the age and capacity of your existing electrical panel; whether the system ties into solar; and your city’s permit and interconnection requirements.
Part of a bigger backup plan
Batteries play nicely with the rest of your home’s energy picture. Plenty of our customers pair one with a generator inlet and interlock so a portable generator can carry the long tail of a multi-day outage, and an EV charger circuit can often ride along on the same panel work.
Common questions
How long will a battery run my home? That depends on capacity and what you back up. An essentials-only setup (refrigerator, lights, internet) commonly rides through a day or more, while adding air conditioning shortens the runtime considerably. We do that math with you before recommending a size.
Do I need solar to have a home battery? No. A grid-charged battery charges from your utility service and recharges the same way once power returns. Solar extends how long you can run independently, but it is an option, not a requirement.
Is a permit required? Yes. Battery systems are permitted, inspected work in Florida, and grid-interactive systems also file interconnection paperwork with the utility. Our office takes care of both, start to finish.
Talk to a licensed electrician about battery backup
Call (561) 462-2800 or request a visit online. We install home battery systems in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Stuart, and Port St. Lucie, FL, and communities throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.