Adding the battery to the design is the first step toward modeling Energy Storage in HelioScope. This is available to users in all pricing plans to (Currently supporting AC-coupled systems).
Storage is added right on the design canvas, after arrays and keepouts are set up — not through a separate component library. Users enter battery specs directly rather than picking a specific model/manufacturer, so the manufacturer choice can be deferred to the proposal stage.
Adding a Battery
To add a battery to your HelioScope design, go to the Storage tab and click +Add.
Enter the specifications of your Energy Storage system.
Customers under the Basic Plan can enter the following information:
Energy Capacity: The total amount of energy a battery system can store, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). This determines how long the battery can discharge at a given power level. Note that the minimum capacity is 10kWh and the maximum is 20,000kWh.
Power Rating: The maximum rate at which a battery can charge or discharge, measured in kilowatts (kW). This determines how quickly the battery can respond to demand peaks.
Max Charge Power: The maximum rate at which a battery can be charged, measured in kilowatts (kW). This may be the same as or lower than the discharge power rating, depending on the system's design.
Count: The number of battery units or systems included in the configuration, used to scale total energy capacity and power rating across multiple units.
Customers in the Pro and Enterprise plans can enter additional battery specs for Storage Simulations
SOC Min: The lowest state of charge (expressed as a percentage of Energy Capacity) the battery is allowed to discharge to. This buffer protects battery health and ensures reserve capacity isn't fully depleted.
SOC Max: The highest state of charge (expressed as a percentage of Energy Capacity) the battery is allowed to charge to. This buffer helps prevent degradation from prolonged full-charge conditions.
RTE (Round-Trip Efficiency): The percentage of energy that can be retrieved from the battery relative to the energy put in during charging. Losses occur due to conversion, resistance, and thermal effects, so RTE is always less than 100%.
Once your system information is added, you will see a storage icon in your design. The default battery placement is the Point of Common Connection (PCC). You can adjust its location by dragging the battery icon . Click Re-center to locate the Battery icon in the design. Use the Trash icon to delete the battery.
Note: The PCC typically defaults to the address/coordinates of the project, but can be moved. If you do not see the battery icon, recenter your design to adjust your zoom to show the PCC.
Once you have finished your HelioScope design, you can click Save and Exit.
Storage Simulations
Storage Simulations are available only to Pro and Enterprise users.
The storage simulation currently assumes LFP (lithium iron phosphate or LiFePO₄) batteries, a type of rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Our simulation engine models battery degradation over time, accounting for depth of discharge and cycle count as the battery ages.
Peak Demand Shaving is now available. This strategy allows dispatching battery power to reduce demand peaks in KW. For detailed instructions on how to run Peak Demand Shaving simulations, click here.
Later this year, we will add the ability to model the other common Energy Storage use cases in commercial solar — Energy Arbitrage and Self-Consumption. Preliminary modeling for each of these use cases will be released on a rolling basis as it becomes available.
Storage Costs
Our default Financial Models already include Storage costs. If you are creating a custom Financial Model you can add the cost of your Energy Storage System to your project in the Financial Model. The cost can be added as a Fixed Price for the installed system or as monetary amount per kWh ($/kWh)
Storage in Reports Templates
Available to all users, by default in the Production Report, you will see the Storage System added to your BOM (bill of materials).
Additional report widgets are available to Pro and Enterprise users. If you are editing an existing report or creating a custom report, you can also add the BOM widget to your report to include the specs of your Storage System.
Storage System and Dispatch
Consumption by Source First Year
Solar (yellow) – energy used directly from the panels as it's generated
Battery (dark green) – energy pulled from the battery to meet demand (a thin sliver in this example, since the battery's contribution is small relative to the other sources)
Grid use (orange) – energy pulled from the utility to make up the rest of demand
Export to grid (maroon) – excess solar that wasn't used on-site or stored, and instead was sent back to the grid
Monthly Peaks First Year
Note: The Storage System will only be displayed in reports in HelioScope V2, not in Classic.