Keep the power on — on your terms.
Store the energy your panels make and ride out outages without missing a beat. Add storage to new or existing solar.
Energy security for Minnesota homes & farms
Outages, rising rates, and the simple peace of mind of running on your own power — a battery puts you in control. iSolar designs storage around what you actually need backed up, with a separate 20-year Solar Insure battery warranty on every system.
What storage gives you
- Backup power when the grid goes down — sized to essentials or your whole home
- Store daytime solar for evening use instead of buying it back
- Protect sensitive, must-run equipment (well pumps, furnace, dairy, medical)
- Pair with Tesla Powerwall, Enphase IQ Battery and other leading systems
The three jobs a battery does in Minnesota
Storage earns its keep in three ways here — and a good design handles all of them:
- Backup. A battery plus transfer switch keeps your lights, fridge, internet, well pump and key circuits running through an outage, automatically.
- Self-consumption. Solar makes the most power midday, when many homes use the least. A battery banks that surplus so you run on your own sunshine in the evening instead of pulling from the grid.
- Resilience & future-proofing. Minnesota still credits exported solar at the retail rate, so batteries here are about security and self-supply — and insurance against how rates and rules may change.
Sized to your loads, not a sales default.
The single biggest way homeowners overspend on storage is buying more than they need. Here's the rough map.
Essentials only
Fridge, lights, internet, a few outlets — roughly 5–10 kWh usable.
Essentials + HVAC
Add heating/cooling through an outage — about 13–20 kWh usable.
Whole-home backup
Full panel including heavy loads — roughly 20–40 kWh usable.
Multi-day resilience
Solar + larger storage (and optional generator) for long outages.
Add a generator →Tools & resources for battery backup
Free tools and resources for your project — no email wall.
Commercial peak shaving — cut demand charges
For a business, a battery isn't only backup — it's a demand-charge tool. Demand charges, billed on your single highest 15–30 minute power spike, can be 30–70% of a commercial electric bill. A battery sized to your load curve discharges during those peak windows to cap the spike — peak shaving — typically cutting demand charges 30–60%. The same battery also banks your daytime solar for the evening and keeps critical operations running through an outage. See commercial solar & peak shaving →
Total energy savings, one family.
Solar is the headline, but the biggest savings come from attacking the whole building. Between iSolar, Three Rivers Electric and Three Rivers Contracting, one family handles every lever.
Solar + storage
Generate your own power and shave demand charges with battery peak shaving.
Commercial solar →LED lighting retrofit
Cut lighting energy 60–75% — often the fastest-payback upgrade in the building.
Commercial lighting →Electrical & EV
Service upgrades, controls and EV charging by licensed electricians.
Three Rivers Electric →Roofing, insulation & envelope
Re-roofs, insulation, windows and mini-split heat pumps from our construction family.
Three Rivers Contracting →EV, battery & electrical — close to home.
For EV chargers, battery backup and electrical work we stay local to our east- and south-metro home base in Saint Paul Park, so we're fast and responsive.
What Minnesotans say.
Real reviews from real iSolar customers — homes, farms and businesses across Minnesota.
“Dan and company at iSolar were great to work with throughout our solar project. Communication was top-notch throughout the planning and install process, and even…”
“10stars!! I am a Sr. Project Manager for Patriot Homes, LLC (a general contractor) The solar panels of a customer of mine needed to be removed and reinstalled to…”
“iSolar installed 15 panels on our home, which has a standing seam metal roof. We have been very pleased with their approach, communication, price and the Solar…”
“Professional and very thorough in follow-up and responses. Their electricians takes time to explain things well and very honest in their pricing. I got an EV…”
“Jon and everyone over at ISolar have been awesome to work with on getting my panels installed and getting me through the different programs offered to me. Jon also…”
“Our experience has been wonderful! We are so happy we made the shift to solar and iSolar was so great to work with at all stages of the process!”
Frequently asked.
Will a battery power my whole house in an outage?
We size storage to what matters to you — from essentials (fridge, furnace, internet, well pump, a few circuits) up to whole-home backup. We'll spec it to your goals and budget.
What does a battery actually do besides backup?
Three things in Minnesota: (1) backup when the grid goes down; (2) self-consumption — store the solar you make during the day and use it in the evening instead of pulling from the grid; (3) resilience & future-proofing — protection as rate structures change. Because Minnesota still net-meters at the retail rate, batteries here are mostly about security and self-supply rather than price arbitrage.
How big a battery do I need?
It depends on what you're backing up. Essentials only (fridge, lights, internet, a few outlets) is roughly 5–10 kWh usable. Essentials plus HVAC is about 13–20 kWh. Whole-home including heavy loads is 20–40 kWh. We size from your actual loads — oversizing is the most common way people overspend on storage.
Which batteries do you install?
Leading systems including Tesla Powerwall and Enphase IQ Battery, matched to your home and goals rather than a one-size default. Every storage system we install carries a separate 20-year Solar Insure battery warranty on top of the manufacturer's coverage.
Can I add a battery to existing solar?
Usually yes. Many systems are battery-ready; we confirm compatibility with your inverter and design the addition. If your array isn't battery-ready, we'll lay out the cleanest path to add storage.
Will it run my well pump, furnace or medical equipment?
Yes — we size for the surge those loads draw, not just the average, so motors and pumps start reliably on battery power. Tell us the must-run equipment and we design around it.
How long does a battery last in an outage?
From many hours to days, depending on capacity and how much you're running. Paired with solar, the battery recharges each day — so a well-sized solar-plus-storage system can ride out multi-day outages, especially if you manage loads.
Can I get a battery without solar?
Yes, a battery can back up your home on its own. But pairing it with solar is what lets it recharge every day during an outage instead of draining once — which is why most of our storage goes in with or alongside panels.
What warranty covers the battery?
A separate 20-year Solar Insure battery warranty (backed by Zurich) plus the manufacturer's warranty. iSolar was the first company in Minnesota to offer Solar Insure.
Ready to lock in your energy costs?
Family-owned, Minnesota-based, here for the long haul. Free, no-pressure assessment.