1 year ago I installed a home solar battery after getting tired of watching my electricity bill jump every evening when our heat pump and cooking overlapped.

The setup was a 10kWh lithium iron phosphate battery paired with 6.5kW of rooftop solar and a hybrid inverter. My installer handled the wiring and commissioning in one long day, but I spent the following week learning the app and changing the charge schedule.

That schedule has made the biggest practical difference.

I reserve about 25% capacity overnight, then let the panels recharge the battery late morning. From 4pm until 9pm, I run the house mostly from stored solar energy instead of buying expensive grid power.

Before installation, my summer evening usage regularly cost around $1.40. Now those same peak hours usually add only thirty or forty cents, depending on the weather and our air conditioner. My monthly bill has fallen by roughly $70–$110, not counting the occasional cloudy stretch.

The app reports battery round-trip efficiency and solar production, but I trust my meter more than any dashboard.

One small troubleshooting moment happened during a storm.

The battery stopped discharging at 6pm, even though the app showed 62% charge. I discovered the inverter had entered backup reserve mode after a brief grid flicker. A full reboot and a firmware update fixed it, although I now keep reserve mode at 30% rather than 25% for extra peace of mind.

I also asked the installer what was inside the battery. They explained it uses 21700 cells, but honestly, I care more about dependable capacity than cell terminology.

After twelve months, I have noticed no meaningful loss of usable storage. The fan is audible in a quiet garage, yet it never bothers us.