Solar and Storage: A Reliable Solution Against Outages
With prolonged blackouts in the face of increasingly extreme weather events and an aging power grid, we’re here to give you access to clean, renewable energy storage that puts you in control.
Sunrun’s Brightbox rechargeable solar energy storage system in Maryland lets you back up your entire home using a Tesla Powerwall, or you can back up just the rooms you need with an LG Chem solar battery.* As the leading residential solar and storage company in the U.S., Sunrun is committed to providing industry-leading solar products, superior service, and custom home solar plans so you can enjoy maximum peace of mind. Please note that Brightbox with Tesla or LG Chem battery storage is only available with the installation of a new home solar system.
How Brightbox Powers You Forward
Back up What You Need
Now you have the option to power your entire home, or just the essentials, through a blackout. In the event of an outage, Tesla Powerwall and LG Chem solar batteries provide clean and reliable power that recharge daily when the sun rises.
Control and Energy Independence
We make the power of solar accessible. Our flexible lease and financing options offer low, predictable rates and a customized agreement to meet you and your family’s energy needs.
24/7 Monitoring and Maintenance
We do the work so you don’t have to. Our monthly plans include 24/7 monitoring. If your solar panels or solar battery aren’t working at their full capacity, we’ll send an expert over to fix it.
Power through the Unpredictable
Increasingly extreme weather events are just one way Maryland families are left without electricity.1 An aging grid has left many to endure power outages during some of the hottest days of the season.2
While standby generators can offer temporary relief, they can seriously endanger you and your family without the proper precautions.3 In a country where power outages are more frequent than any other developed nation, reliable energy solutions are more important than ever.4
Your Own Outage-Fighting Energy
- Keep the power on during outages
- Best-in-class solar panels and batteries
- 24/7 monitoring and free maintenance
- Learn more about solar tax credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brightbox is a holistic solar home battery service that offers you clean, safer, reliable back-up power to have more control over your home energy use and cost.
Brightbox allows you to store the excess energy your solar energy system produces during the day and use it when you need it most—such as in the evening or when the electric grid fails due to an extreme weather event, or physical damage to the equipment.
Aside from very rare exceptions, Sunrun’s Brightbox service includes rooftop solar panels. Brightbox stores 100% clean, renewable, home-grown solar power directly from the rooftop panels every time the sun is out so you can use it when you need it most.
Just like solar panels, the number of Tesla Powerwalls or LG Chem batteries you need will be determined by your unique energy needs and habits—though for some consumers, one battery may be sufficient. Your Solar Advisor will help you evaluate your energy usage to customize a solar energy battery system that sufficiently backs up your entire home. Request a free quote today.
An LG Chem solar battery backs up part of your home, while a Tesla Powerwall backs up your entire home. There are also differences in software and app functionality.
One Tesla Powerwall stores 13.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of usable electricity, which can be used to back up the home for a day. An LG Chem solar battery holds 9.8 kWh, which can be used to back up essential parts of the home for 8 to 12 hours. Rooftop solar panels will replenish the battery’s energy storage the following day. Back-up ability will depend on your home's unique power usage.
A solar battery installation is a relatively simple process. Tesla Powerwall and LG Chem solar batteries are about the size of a water heater and easily mounted on a wall by our professional installers, usually inside your garage or outside of your home.
Through Sunrun’s Brightbox service, your Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem solar battery will automatically disconnect from the power grid in the event of a blackout and restore power in your home in a matter of seconds. Your rooftop solar panels will continue to recharge your solar battery until the grid is up and running again.
Our certified electricians will take care of installing and configuring your Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem battery for you. Batteries last anywhere between 10 and 15 years, and manufacturers typically offer a ten-year warranty.
Still, Brightbox is more than just a home battery: It’s a holistic service that includes professional maintenance and monitoring during the life of your agreement. Consumers who own their Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem solar battery get Sunrun service for ten years, while consumers with a monthly service agreement or full-amount service agreement get free maintenance and replacement for the lifetime of their contract.
You can monitor your solar battery performance on your mySunrun app. Sunrun also manages the battery remotely using proprietary software to make sure it’s running as it should and automatically updates your battery’s settings to save you as much money as possible.
Our monthly and full-amount solar leasing options come with proactive monitoring and maintenance on us. So if we notice that your rooftop panels or solar battery aren’t working at their full capacity, we’ll send an expert over to fix it without you lifting a finger.
Maryland has several incentives for people who buy a solar system. The Residential Clean Energy Rebate Program offers a rebate for purchasing and installing a home solar system. Solar system owners are also eligible for Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs), a property tax exemption, and a sales tax exemption.
Through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the federal government also provides large tax incentives for qualified individuals with home solar systems. Homes which meet the criteria are eligible for a tax credit of up to 30% of their system cost.
We recommend contacting a tax professional to most accurately determine the impact of the federal solar tax credit and local tax credits on your taxes.
Learn more about Maryland Solar Incentives.
You can use a portable generator, however, Sunrun doesn’t offer back-up generators. If you’re interested in installing a back-up generator, you can contact a local electrician or solar energy installation company. These experts can recommend a system that will be appropriate for your home. Please note that a Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem solar battery cannot be installed in homes that already have a standby generator.
Our rechargeable solar battery systems are designed to keep you on-grid during normal service times while still providing reliable backup when the sun isn’t shining or during the event of an outage. This is the most reliable and economical way to use your Brightbox system, and it’s the one most strongly recommended by Sunrun’s service experts.
At this time, Brightbox with a Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem solar battery is only available to new Sunrun consumers. We can’t install rooftop solar panels or a home battery if you already have an existing solar installation or if it isn’t offered in your area.
Pave the Way Towards a Better Future, Today
When you choose Sunrun, you’ll not only enjoy affordable, renewable electricity, but you’ll also help build a cleaner, more resilient energy system that’s powered locally. Whenever you’re ready, you can use our Product Selector or request a free quote. Our Solar Advisors are here to help you every step of the way with a safe, socially-distanced virtual consultation.
SOURCES:
3. Canton Daily Ledger — Surviving disaster includes using home generators safely
4. Popular Science — The U.S. has more power outages than any other developed country
*One Tesla Powerwall stores 13.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of usable electricity, which can be used to back up the home for a day. An LG Chem solar battery holds 9.8 kWh, which can be used to back up essential parts of the home from 8 to 12 hours.