Haven Energy announced its partnership with Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) to enroll its qualifying customers in the Battery Bonus Connect program, offering qualifying, single-family homeowners access to battery storage systems at no purchase or installation cost.
The program is funded through California’s $280 million Self-Generation Incentive Program Residential Solar & Storage Equity (SGIP RSSE), a state initiative designed to spur adoption of solar and storage systems.
Qualified homeowners approved for the SGIP rebate will receive a battery storage system and full installation at no out-of-pocket cost, with no additional monthly payments beyond their regular electricity bill. Funding is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. CEA estimates approximately 300 qualifying homeowners will receive home battery systems through this inaugural program.
Through the Battery Bonus Connect program, homeowners’ batteries will also participate in a CEA–managed virtual power plant (VPP), operated on their behalf by Haven Energy. During periods of high demand, the VPP helps stabilize the grid and lower electricity costs by pooling stored energy from participating systems. Homeowners can expect 20% of their battery capacity to always be reserved for backup power, ensuring reliability while maximizing bill savings.
“We’re excited to partner with CEA to add batteries for hundreds of their customers, lowering homeowner energy costs and providing backup power,” said Jeff Chapin, Haven Energy’s chief product officer and co-founder. “By installing and aggregating the customer-sited battery systems into a VPP, we will also reduce grid congestion, lower our reliance on fossil fuels, and accelerate California’s optimization of renewables. Rather than sending surplus solar electricity to the grid in the middle of the day, we will store that electricity in the battery systems and discharge it during evening peak demand, reducing the need for natural gas generation.”
To qualify for the Battery Bonus Connect program, a homeowner must be a CEA residential customer, participate in CEA’s PeakSmart Savers program, own their home and have a household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), typically verified with a 1040 tax form. Enrollment in programs like CARE, FERA or ESA generally indicates eligibility under the income requirement. The program does not require a credit check or place a lien on the property.
As part of enrollment, the program will assess a home’s configuration, available space and other factors to determine the technical feasibility of adding a home battery system to existing solar PV.
“The Battery Bonus Connect program is a meaningful step toward making clean energy solutions more accessible and available to all of CEA’s customers,” said Greg Wade, CEO of Clean Energy Alliance. “By partnering with Haven Energy, we’re helping income-qualified customers with existing solar systems to gain the added benefits of battery storage — improving energy reliability, lowering electricity costs, and supporting a cleaner, more resilient grid. This program reflects CEA’s commitment to an equitable and affordable clean energy future.”
News item from Haven Energy
