Upon successful enrollment in the program, participants are eligible to receive a one-time enrollment rebate payment for each sonnen battery plus reoccurring monthly payments for the energy services their battery provides to the market as part of the sonnenConnect Virtual Power Plant (VPP) when the battery is not being used for backup power.

Yes, there is a one-time rebate available for each sonnen battery that is successfully installed, commissioned, and fully enrolled in sonnenConnect VPP. Rewards will be paid via Tango Card Reward Email link. Consult your Baker Home Energy representative to learn more about the monthly revenue amounts and program details.

sonnen, a global leader in Virtual Power Plant (“VPP”) technology, manages and operates groups of sonnen batteries connected to renewable energy using their innovative sonnenConnect platform. By connecting the batteries virtually, sonnenConnect enables fleets of batteries to act like a traditional power plant, providing energy to the local grid to improve grid efficiency while generating revenue for participants.

The revenue generated by your home is calculated based on the amount of energy your home consumes during specific time periods. The more of your own renewable energy you use to power your home, the less grid energy you use which equates to revenue for using your own clean power. The battery will be automatically scheduled to maximize the amount of money you earn while also reducing your utility bills and improving the overall efficiency and reliability of the grid. It is a win-win-win scenario.

Monthly revenues earned for participating in the ChargeOn Battery Program are paid at the end of each calendar month and based on your battery’s contribution to grid services as measured and reconciled by sonnen. All monthly payments will be issued to the name and address that you provide during your enrollment registration.

Please note that payment processing can take up to 10 business days after the close of the previous month due to the required sonnen system performance analysis and process. Along with your payment, you will receive a monthly statement with details of your contributions to the grid. Checks will be mailed to the address listed on the utility bill unless an alternate address is provided during registration. A member of our support team will assist you with any program, rebate, or monthly revenue related questions.

1. As a certified sonnen installer, Baker Home Energy will evaluate your home battery and solar options.
2. Read through the ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program Letter of Intent rules and requirements to ensure joining is right for you.
3. Install a solar system plus a sonnen battery, which has been approved for inclusion in sonnenConnect, and complete interconnection with your utility.
4. sonnen verifies the application (completed and submitted by Baker) and validates your ability to participate in the program.
5. Complete the final battery enrollment process, including authorizing your utility to share your data with sonnen.
6. Earn your upfront rebate, which is issued per the program rules.
7. sonnen sets and manages your battery schedule to increase daily cycling, maximize utility bill savings/program revenue and ensure access to reliable batter backup in the event of power outages.
8. sonnen sends you monthly battery performance statements.
9. sonnen sends you monthly revenue payments based on the energy your battery provides to help the grid.

To participate in the ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program and the sonnenConnect VPP, you must be a residential or small business customer within a supported utility territory. Contact Baker Home Energy for eligibility details.

You must have a qualifying sonnen battery system, including sonnenCore+ or sonnenEvo, paired with a solar array, internet access, and a qualifying utility rate tariff.

The utility bill must be in the name of the sonnen battery system owner OR a member the sonnen owner’s family, and you must authorize the utility to share your data with sonnen and its affiliates.

Please consult Baker Home Energy to ensure the proper design and installation your system. Once installation is complete your installer will help you complete the enrollment in the ChargeOn Program, including the submission of your application.

Yes, you can add an eligible sonnen battery system (sonnenCore+ or sonnenEvo) to your solar home to qualify for the program. Once your application is approved, you will receive an enrollment rebate and monthly revenue for each qualified sonnen battery that is enrolled in the program. Your participation in the ChargeOn Battery Rewards program and sonnenConnect VPP will not impact your current net metering/customer generation rate tariff.

At this time, the sonnen batteries are charged by customers’ onsite renewable generation (e.g., rooftop solar array).

No. As of January 2023, customers are not required to have local renewable generation on site to join the ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program.

sonnen batteries are capable of pairing with solar to supply reliable backup power during outages. A solar system alone typically cannot operate during a power outage without a battery! Please consult Baker Home Energy to ensure the solar plus sonnen system design will meet your backup power requirements and expectations.

Yes. sonnen will not discharge batteries below 20%, so you will have a backup power reserve available whenever you need it. Furthermore, if a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event is expected within the next 24 hours, the sonnenConnect VPP will suspend regular schedules and allow the sonnen system to retain all energy in preparation for a potential grid outage. Some PSPS events are not scheduled, however, and other emergency grid events may occur that cause outages that the sonnenConnect VPP cannot schedule around.

When conditions are right, sonnenConnect may use the battery to generate revenue for you daily. The scheduling and optimization of ChargeOn member battery systems are dynamic and dispatching the battery for a grid event will occur as the market calls for them. Typically, these events are unknown until approximately 24 hours ahead of time. If a future grid event is outside of sonnen’s normally scheduled energy management time frames, your battery dispatch schedule will be adjusted to participate in these events with the goal of maximizing your revenue.

Battery dispatch events can occur throughout the year when energy prices are high, and demand is driven higher by the increased consumption of electricity. However, it is not common for demand to approach or exceed the maximum amount of electricity available to a region. If this does occur and electricity demand outweighs supply, utilities may use rolling blackouts to protect the grid. These outages are infrequent and usually last less than an hour.

The need for backup power in California is most often due to PSPS events, which occur during extreme weather and wildfire conditions. During a PSPS outage, power will remain out for as long as extreme and dangerous weather conditions pose a potential fire risk.

Within seconds of grid power outage, your sonnen battery will immediately switch into “off-grid” mode (or microgrid) and start powering your home with stored power. At this time, all sonnenConnect grid support scheduling will automatically stop as energy cannot be sent to the electric grid during an outage. During the day when the solar array is generating electricity, the sonnen system will fully manage your microgrid and discharge electricity to power the protected loads you’ve defined in the home with any excess solar automatically going to re-charge the battery. The sonnen battery will also automatically recharge when the sun rises the next day.

Yes, a persistent internet connection is required for your sonnen battery system to operate and update properly. It is also a requirement for participating in the ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program.

Your ongoing revenue payments are based on your sonnen system’s ability to stay connected and contribute energy each month, anything that hinders your battery’s contributions will impact your payments.

If sonnen cannot communicate with your battery system, or if your battery system cannot discharge when needed due to maintenance issues, the revenue payments may be reduced. Note: sonnen always recommends that your home’s router be one of the protected loads you backup in your home.

Yes, participants in the ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program can see a reduction in their utility bills from participating in the program. A time-of-use rate (TOU) plan will yield the greatest savings and the battery schedule will be designed to provide the most value based on the TOU plan selected. Please note: For customers on a grandfathered or existing tiered rate plan, you may see less savings than TOU rates as a result of the sonnenConnect scheduling.

View Current SDG&E Rate Plans

View Current SCE Rate Plans

Neither Baker Home Energy or sonnen are qualified to provide tax advice, so please consult with your tax professional for information on whether you may qualify for tax incentives. Please visit the IRS website for details about the federal solar tax credit (ITC) and its applicability to your financial situation.

Specific sonnen systems may also be eligible for California’s Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). This upfront rebate is a tiered-block program paid by the utility, meaning that the incentive values decline over time as more battery installations occur throughout your utility’s territory. Please confirm with Baker Home Energy about the most recent incentive availability and qualifications.

Yes, customers can opt out of the program by providing a 30-day advance notification to sonnen. If you decide to withdraw from the program during your commitment period (one year), you may be required to pay back a prorated portion of the upfront rebate based on the length of time you participated in the program.

If you move and want to opt out of the program, you may be required to pay back a prorated portion of your rebate per the commitment period defined by the program agreement. As an example, if you stop participating after six months, you may have to pay back 50% of the rebate amount.

Alternatively, we will accept a transfer form to the new homeowner if they agree to their responsibility for continued participation in the ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program.

The sonnen battery systems are designed to be the longest-lasting and ideal for daily charging and discharging operations. As such they come with industry-leading warranties that offer robust lifetime expectations for daily cycled battery systems.

As part of the sonnenConnect platform, sonnen will be carefully managing your battery on a daily basis making it likely that we will notify you of a battery issue before you detect it. If sonnen believes the problem is due to a local issue such as internet connectivity, we will seek your help in simply restoring the connection. If a problem with the solar array or sonnen battery system is detected, sonnen will refer you back to Baker Home Energy for professional assistance.

The common causes for receiving an “out of compliance” notification would be connection or back-up power buffer related issues. The sonnen system and the ChargeOn Program require a persistent internet connection for proper operation and management. We are constantly monitoring sonnen systems and rely on an expected amount of energy to maximize value and ensure proper operations for all members. If we are unable to connect to a system or a program member has a higher than allowed back-up power buffer per the agreement, we cannot effectively work on your behalf to maximize the program’s value and therefore your system would be out of compliance.

When your system is “out of compliance” you are not eligible to receive participation revenue until the problem is resolved. sonnen and Baker Home Energy will work with you to ensure a timely solution to the issue.

Your ChargeOn Battery Rewards Program upfront rebate will be processed and sent within 30 days of your sonnen battery system commissioning and full enrollment into the sonnenConnect Program being completed. Each sonnen battery that you install is eligible for the upfront rebate.

You can reach out to your Baker Electric Home Energy representative and we will respond back ASAP.