What we review before a Sierra Madre Powerwall proposal.

Sierra Madre battery planning should account for SCE rules, PSPS outage goals, panel capacity, roof and solar timing, equipment placement, hillside access and the circuits the homeowner wants protected. A useful estimate should explain battery count, backed-up loads, excluded loads, permits, SGIP assumptions and SCE interconnection steps before installation.

1. 1Confirm SCE details: utility account, rate plan, Net Billing assumptions, PSPS history, interconnection steps and current battery program requirements.
2. 2Review electrical capacity: main panel rating, breaker space, meter location, subpanels, Gateway location and any backup load panel needs.
3. 3Choose protected loads: refrigerator, internet, lighting, security, garage door, selected HVAC circuits, EV charging plans and key outlets before sizing the battery.
4. 4Coordinate solar and roof timing: compare Sierra Madre solar installation, roof replacement and the Powerwall backup planning guide before finalizing scope.

The final proposal should separate Powerwall equipment, Gateway or backup panel scope, permit assumptions, SCE steps, SGIP assumptions, financing and excluded loads.

Bobcat Fire zone, PSPS, and SCE battery planning.

• →One of the highest fire-risk foothill communities. Sierra Madre is immediately adjacent to the San Gabriel Mountains and sits in a Tier 3 Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The 2020 Bobcat Fire burned tens of thousands of acres in the mountains directly above the community. SCE regularly implements PSPS shutoffs here during fire weather events.
• →Powerwall for multi-day PSPS coverage. Paired with solar, a Powerwall allows Sierra Madre homes to sustain backup through extended PSPS events. Solar panels continue recharging the battery each sunny day of an outage — fuel-free and silent. We do not treat backup duration as fixed; we model expected performance during your estimate.
• →SCE and NEM 3.0. Sierra Madre is in SCE territory. Under NEM 3.0, battery self-consumption is worth more than exporting solar to the SCE grid. We plan both outage backup and NEM 3.0 optimization into every Sierra Madre system. We do not promise any specific financial outcome.
• →SGIP Equity Resiliency — strong eligibility signal. Sierra Madre’s Tier 3 VHFHSZ designation and PSPS history make this one of the stronger SGIP Equity Resiliency eligibility cases in the foothill corridor. Eligibility still requires income qualification, battery minimum size, reservation window, and available funding. Not assumed. We review during your estimate. We are not a tax advisor.
• →Enphase IQ Battery as an alternative. For homes with Enphase microinverter solar, Enphase IQ Battery 5P is a modular alternative to Powerwall. We install and review both.

PSPS & wildfire backup guide →  ·  SGIP planning guide →

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