Octopus Energy GridBoost battery program

Texas homeowners with Enphase batteries will receive $40 per month ($480 per year) in bill credits from Octopus Energy by selecting Octopus Energy as their Retail Energy Provider (REP) and enrolling in the GridBoost program. Homeowners can also earn hundreds of additional dollars in buyback credits by allowing Octopus Energy to optimize the homeowner’s solar energy export using their Enphase IQ Battery.¹

Octopus Energy’s industry-leading software platform can manage Enphase batteries enrolled in the program to store solar power when real-time prices are low and export solar power to the grid when real-time prices are high. Octopus will share 100% of the benefits of this solar energy optimization with GridBoost program participants.

For example, a GridBoost participant with one IQ Battery 10/10T, providing 10 kWh of useable energy capacity, would receive $480 per year for participating in the GridBoost Program in monthly bill credits, plus an estimated additional $200 to $500 ($20-$50/kWh installed) per year in buyback credits depending on site-specific factors, including energy usage patterns in the area, how much and when the homeowner uses energy, and actual real-time market rates. The less a household consumes while the battery is exporting, the higher the export values and buyback credits will be.

The table below shows annual buyback credit estimates. Monthly bill credit and buyback credit determination and distribution are the responsibility of Octopus Energy. Note that Enphase and other program sponsors have no liability to any participant for any loss, damage, cost, or expense incurred as a result of, or in connection with, participation in the program. Additional details are provided in the Terms and Conditions.

Table 1: GridBoost Buyback Credit Estimates for Electricity Export

¹Buyback credits will be awarded to participating Enphase battery customers for all electricity exported to the grid with no cap or limits, helping your Enphase IQ Battery pay for itself even faster.

²Estimates assume one charge/discharge cycle per day from 100% battery state of charge (SOC), with the battery maintaining a minimum 20% SOC of useable energy capacity for backup power. Annual buyback credits are estimated only and are not guaranteed. The buyback credit estimates are based on 2022 historical real-time rate pricing (Jan 1 - Dec 31). Historical pricing is not an indicator of future pricing. Site-specific factors that will determine a homeowner’s actual buyback credit include energy usage patterns in the area, how much and when the homeowner uses energy, and actual real-time market rates for the year.

In exchange for bill credits, participants agree to let Octopus Energy charge and discharge one or more Enphase IQ Batteries up to once per day. The program requires batteries to deliver no more than 80% of the usable energy capacity during discharge events, so a minimum of 20% battery state of charge (SOC) will be available for backup power in case of a grid outage immediately following a discharge event. Participating in the program gives Octopus Energy permission to discharge your battery between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.

The time of charge and discharge may vary outside this allotted time based on the real-time price of electricity, as Octopus Energy will optimize the battery charge and discharge based on real-time prices and pass 100% of the price of electricity exported back to participants in buyback credits.

Energy charge and discharge will occur automatically, and should not be noticeable, as the functionality of each Enphase IQ Battery, including backup power, remains fully available to the homeowner. 

Texas homeowners who have an installed and interconnected³ Enphase IQ Battery with at least 10 kWh of useable energy capacity can apply for the GridBoost Program once they are an Octopus Energy residential electricity customer. Participants must also maintain a Wi-Fi connection for their battery storage systems at all times.

Please note that eligibility for the program and specific requirements may vary depending on the terms and conditions set by Octopus Energy, so we recommend checking the program details on the Octopus Energy website or contacting Octopus Energy support for more information. 

³Interconnected 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 be ineligible for the GridBoost program.

You must be an Octopus Energy customer to apply. You can register to become an Octopus Energy customer and enroll in the GridBoost program by:

1. Visiting the Octopus Energy website and creating an account.
2. Completing the GridBoost registration form, after which a member of the Octopus team will get in touch to help you enroll.
3. Agreeing to the Octopus Energy GridBoost Program Terms and Conditions and the Enphase Participant Agreement.

Please refer to the GridBoost website for the most up-to-date application information.

Yes. Enrolled and activated batteries will participate in every battery charge/discharge event, regardless of which battery operating mode you have selected. Your battery system will discharge up to 80% of its energy capacity during each discharge event. In addition, if you have enabled your battery’s Storm Guard feature, Storm Guard will be automatically overridden during all discharge events.⁴ Once a battery discharge event is complete, your battery will go back to its original settings.

⁴Note that although Storm Guard will be overridden during battery discharge events, Octopus Energy will take steps to help you have the reliability you need if a weather event is expected to bring outages to your area.

Participants should be able to keep the functionality of their Enphase IQ Battery, including backup power in case of outages, in several ways.

First, the program requires batteries to deliver no more than 80% of the usable energy capacity during discharge events, so a minimum of 20% battery state of charge (SOC) will be available for backup power if a grid outage immediately follows a discharge event. Second, discharge events are expected to occur only about once per day between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.⁵ The battery energy charge and discharge will occur automatically, and should not be noticeable, as the functionality of your Enphase IQ Battery, including backup power, remains fully usable.

Finally, although Storm Guard will be overridden during battery discharge events, if a weather event is expected to bring outages to your area, Octopus Energy will take steps to minimize the battery discharge event impacts to make sure you have backup power when you are likely to need it. Specifically, Octopus Energy will make adjustments, when possible, to limit discharging your battery prior to a pending weather event that could create outages. Once a battery discharge event is complete, your battery will go back to its original settings.

⁵The time of charge/discharge may vary outside this allotted time based on the real-time price of electricity, as Octopus Energy will optimize the battery charge and discharge based on real-time price and pass 100% of the price of electricity exported back to you in buyback credits.

Homeowners enrolled in the program cannot opt out of specific events, but you can unenroll from the program altogether.  Note that you may lose financial benefits associated with the program if you choose to unenroll.

Once you are activated to participate in the program, your battery or batteries will be set to participate in all charge/discharge events for as long as you are enrolled in the program. You may unenroll and terminate your Program Agreement by emailing Octopus Energy. However, if you choose to unenroll, you will not receive any future bill credits. Additional details are provided in the Program Terms and Conditions, and you can contact Octopus Energy support for more information.

The $40 monthly bill credit and applicable buyback credits will be applied to your monthly electricity bill once you are successfully enrolled in the program. Monthly bill credit and buyback credit determination and distribution are the responsibility of Octopus Energy. You can cash out your solar credits via check if your credits exceed $50 in earnings.

If you don't already have an IQ Battery installed, the first step is to contact an Enphase installer in your area to explore your options and get an accurate quote. 

The GridBoost website has further detail on the program's benefits, requirements, and terms of enrollment.