ConnectedSolutions Battery Demand Response Program

All residential and small commercial electricity customers who have an installed and interconnected⁵ Enphase IQ Battery and an account in good standing with the following electric utility companies can apply for the Program:

• National Grid (Massachusetts)
• Eversource (Massachusetts)
• Rhode Island Energy (Rhode Island)

The Connecticut ConnectedSolutions Program is not accepting new enrollments as of December 1, 2023. The Program is being replaced by the Connecticut Energy Storage Solutions Program. Existing Connecticut ConnectedSolutions customers will have the option to transfer over to Energy Storage Solutions or stay in ConnectedSolutions as long as Eversource has funding for it. Existing Connecticut ConnectedSolutions customers will continue to receive performance incentives at least through December 31, 2024 (subject to additional extension by DEEP).

⁵ Interconnected batteries are connected to the internet and the electric grid. Note that Enphase does not support permanently off-grid battery systems, and those systems would not be able to participate in this program.

After your Enphase IQ Battery system is installed and you have permission to operate (PTO), you’ll be able to apply to enroll in the Program through the Enphase App on your mobile device. The Enphase App is available for download on the Apple's App Store and Google Play.

First, navigate to the Grid Services section of the Services page. Then, select your utility provider and state, and select your program to view program details. Click Sign Up for Free and follow the short prompts that walk you through the in-app enrollment application steps, including:

• Complete the Enphase App-based application form
  • Only key details are required; Enphase will auto-fill known fields based on your Enphase Account information.
  • Please ensure the information you submit matches your utility account information (e.g., utility account holder name, email address).
• Review and accept the legal terms and conditions via digital signature
• Submit the application

Key application steps via the Enphase App are summarized in the screenshots below.

Applications are typically accepted or rejected by the Program administrators at the utility companies within four to five business days. If you are accepted by the Program administrator, Enphase will automatically activate your battery to participate in the Program. Note that activations can take five to seven business days, or longer, to process.

The utility-offered performance incentive rates are available for the first five summers a customer is enrolled in the Program. However, the incentives are subject to annual review by policy makers, and incentives could be revised by the applicable utility. The Rhode Island ConnectedSolutions Program has received regulatory approval for three years, from 2024 to 2026. It is Rhode Island Energy’s intention to offer the multi-year incentive rate for the first five years for new participants; however, incentive levels after 2026 are subject to review and approval.

Yes. Unlike other battery suppliers, Enphase has agreed that 100% of the performance incentives go to the Enphase battery owner.

After enrollment, acceptance, and activation in the Program, you can use your Enphase App to monitor each event you participate in and see your historical and estimated current year incentive earnings. You can access event and performance monitoring under Menu -> Services -> Grid Services -> Dashboard -> History in the Enphase App. The Enphase App is available for download on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Yes. By default, your battery settings will be configured to maximize your performance incentive earnings. Enrolled and activated batteries will participate in every demand response event regardless of which battery operating mode you have selected, unless you choose to opt-out of the event.

If you have enabled your battery’s Storm Guard feature, Storm Guard will be automatically overridden during all demand response events as of August 1, 2023. Note that participating utilities have advised they will not call demand response events before or during major storms that could result in widespread grid power outages. In addition, your battery will be set to Full Backup mode twelve hours before each event start time until each event end time. Your battery mode will revert to the original settings once each event is complete. These changes will occur automatically before and after each demand response event.

Electric utility companies or other Program sponsors typically implement demand response programs to reduce peak demand, which lowers electricity costs for all customers. A demand response event occurs when the participating utility or Program sponsor requests that program participants with flexible load devices, like Enphase IQ Batteries, reduce electricity demand or directly supply energy to the electric utility grid during peak demand periods. Participants of demand response programs are eligible to receive incentives in exchange for helping to reduce peak demand.

In this case, the participating utilities or Program sponsors will make adjustments to your IQ Battery, such as discharging your battery at a specific rate, during peak demand events. Participants will be able to see when peak demand events have been scheduled in the Grid Services section of the Enphase App, typically by 6 p.m. ET on the day before the event.

Participants can expect demand response events to occur no more than 60 times a year, for a maximum of three hours per event, between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., from June through September each year. Once you are activated to participate in the Program, your IQ Battery will be automatically set to participate in all events unless you opt out of specific events or unenroll from the Program. See below for details.

You can opt out of individual events by clicking the Opt Out button for an upcoming event in the Enphase App, however, opting out of events will reduce your annual performance incentive. Event opt-out steps in the Enphase App are summarized in the screenshots below.

There is no commitment to enroll for a specific period. Participants can unenroll at any time.

In the event that your utility company determines you are no longer eligible or have violated the terms of the Program, your participation will be terminated. Grounds for termination could include but are not limited to a participant enrolling in a conflicting program, tampering or attempting to tamper with the operation of the Program, or providing false information within the context of the Program.

Battery-only systems or battery storage systems not charged by a renewable energy system are eligible to participate. Please note that the discharge rate of any battery system may be limited by the total power export allowed by the utility interconnection agreement.

Participants keep the functionality of their Enphase IQ Battery, including backup power, several ways.

First, although Storm Guard will be overridden during demand response events, participating utilities will not call a demand response event if the weather forecast calls for extreme weather, allowing ConnectedSolutions participants to keep their batteries fully charged in preparation for a possible outage due to extreme weather. In fact, the likelihood of an outage during the summer demand response season is relatively low because most power outages occur during the winter in New England.⁶

Second, participants can always opt out of individual demand response events if they’re concerned about a possible outage occurring during or after a demand response event. Keep in mind that opting out of events will reduce your annual performance incentive.

Third, your battery’s Battery Discharge Limit will enable you to retain a reserve of backup energy in case of a grid outage during or immediately after a demand response event.

You can choose how much stored energy you want to make available for ConnectedSolutions and reserve what’s left in your home energy for yourself by adjusting your Battery Discharge Limit. Nonetheless, we recommend setting your Battery Discharge Limit to between 10% and 20% to help maximize your performance incentive earnings. Adjusting your Battery Discharge Limit in the Enphase App is summarized in the screenshot below.

^⁶ https://www.nationalgridus.com/MA-Home/Connected-Solutions/BatteryProgram

No. Enphase offers industry-leading 10-year and 15-year battery warranties. The 10-year warranty assumes the battery system will operate up to 4,000 cycles while the 15-year warranty assumes the battery system will operate up to 6,000 cycles, which averages out to 400 cycles per year. Program participation only requires between 30 to 60 cycles per year at most, which is well below the 400 cycle per year warranty limit.

If you are already enrolled in the ConnectedSolutions Battery Demand Response Program and wish to unenroll, please contact gridservicessupport@enphase.com with “Unenroll” in the subject line. Participants can unenroll from the Program at any time.

Your IQ Battery’s contribution to demand response events will be calculated and approved by your electric utility company at the end of the demand response season. Utilities target sending out annual customer incentive payments withing a few months after the end of each season. Participants usually receive their incentive payment in December following each demand response season.

Your electric utility company calculates your incentive payment based on the average power (kW) discharged from your battery over the course of all events in a given demand response season. If your battery does not participate in a demand response event—whether because it’s not yet enrolled in the ConnectedSolutions Program, is offline due to loss of internet connection or other reason, you opt out of an event, or if your battery system cannot discharge when needed for any other reason—you will receive a value of 0 kW for that demand response event, which will reduce your average power discharged and performance incentive for the season. Your electric utility company uses the data reported from your Enphase battery system to derive your battery’s average power discharged.⁷

Participants must be enrolled in the Program through the end of the season to be eligible for that season’s payment. Your utility will then compensate you directly for your contribution for that season. All incentive payments are the responsibility of your electric utility company. Incentive payments and Program requirements vary by state, utility, and system size.

^⁷ Note that the average power discharged reported to you in your Enphase App may not be the same as the total delivered energy for the season used to calculate your incentive. For example, your utility includes both your power discharged and power charged during each event period to calculate total delivered energy.

If you do not have an Enphase IQ Battery installed, the first step is to find an Enphase installer to get an accurate quote for adding an IQ Battery to your home energy system. Find an installer in your area here.

You are encouraged to talk with your Enphase installer about additional state and federal battery incentives that may be available. For example, Enphase battery systems qualify for the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit, so the purchase and installation of your IQ Battery may qualify for a 30% credit on your federal taxes.

In addition, Massachusetts and some Rhode Island customers may be eligible to apply for a zero-interest HEAT Loan for the equipment and labor costs associated with installing a battery storage system. If you are interested in receiving a HEAT Loan authorization form, please contact an Enphase installer.

Enphase is committed to the customer experience. Participating customers can email gridservices@enphase.com for dedicated customer service related to the Program or any customer service needs.

We encourage you to visit your electric utility provider’s ConnectedSolutions Program website to learn more about specific Program requirements.

• ConnectedSolutions for National Grid customers in Massachusetts

• ConnectedSolutions for Eversource customers in Massachusetts (except Cape Cod)

• ConnectedSolutions for Eversource (Cape Light Compact) customers on Cape Cod

• ConnectedSolutions for Rhode Island Energy customers in Rhode Island

In addition to the electric utility provider’s ConnectedSolutions Program website links above, please refer to Enphase’s installer webinar recording to learn more about specific Program requirements for installers.