Prioritize the circuits that matter during a grid outage, such as refrigeration, key lighting, internet, medical equipment and selected outlets, without automatically backing up every household load. The right partial-home design depends on the panel, battery platform, electrical architecture and outage priorities.
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In a traditional essential-load configuration, selected circuits may be moved to a backup-load subpanel so the battery supports only those priority circuits during an outage. Other approved architectures can use compatible load-management equipment instead. Limiting non-priority loads can reduce battery demand and may extend outage coverage, but actual runtime still depends on the selected loads, battery state of charge, settings and solar recharge.
Note: A ductless mini-split can sometimes be included if its draw fits the battery capacity. We confirm during the estimate.
A traditional partial-home design commonly uses a backup-load subpanel, but the required architecture depends on the battery platform, existing service equipment and approved load-management design.
For a detailed look at backup load panels and the Tesla Gateway, see our Backup Load Panel & Gateway guide →
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Compare whole-home backup, battery sizing, battery maintenance and warranty, and permits and inspections before finalizing your circuit list.
Circuit selection, backup load panel, SGIP eligibility review. Tesla Powerwall and Enphase IQ Battery. Permitted installations. Tesla Certified Premium Installer. CSLB #1055444.
Essential-load backup means intentionally limiting outage coverage to selected priority loads such as refrigeration, key lighting, internet, medical equipment and selected outlets. A traditional design may move those circuits to a backup-load subpanel, while some approved systems can use other load-management or electrical architectures. The exact configuration depends on the battery system, panel layout, utility requirements and homeowner priorities.
Circuit selection depends on the home's panel layout, battery output, motor-start requirements, simultaneous loads and the approved backup architecture. Common priority loads include refrigeration, key lighting, internet, medical equipment and selected outlets. Higher-demand loads such as central HVAC, electric cooking, EV charging and pool equipment require separate review and may be managed, excluded or supported only with additional capacity. We review the actual panel and outage priorities before finalizing the load plan.
A traditional partial-home or essential-load design commonly uses a backup-load subpanel to separate selected circuits, but the required architecture depends on the battery platform, existing panel, approved load-management equipment and project design. We identify the required electrical configuration after reviewing the home rather than assuming every essential-load project uses the same subpanel layout.
Runtime depends on battery state of charge, stored capacity, the actual loads operating during the outage, system settings, weather and whether solar can recharge the battery. Essential-load designs often reduce consumption by excluding non-priority circuits, but we do not promise a fixed number of hours. We model the selected loads and expected operating scenarios before finalizing the design.
It can be less expensive when a narrower backup scope reduces the required battery quantity or electrical work, but the result is project-specific. A partial-home design may also require subpanel or load-management work that adds cost. Compare the itemized essential-load and broader-backup designs for the actual home rather than assuming one configuration is always cheaper.
In many cases, yes — adding battery capacity and adjusting the electrical configuration can expand backup coverage over time. Compatibility depends on your existing battery system, inverter, and panel. We design systems with expansion in mind where possible and specify what future upgrades would require.
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