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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Level 4 is the highest level of energy maturity.
- The most effective cost savers cut their electric bill by four.
- More than half believe that their home value has increased.
Catch it and use it, catch it and sell it, catch it and save it. As much as these may sound like the considerations of a commercial fisherman, it’s actually the menu of options available to energy mature homes that have invested in both solar and battery storage.
According to a recent home energy framework from research firm Habitielligence, these homes are at CORE level 4 – Empowered. At the highest level of energy maturity, empowered homes have professionally installed solar panels to generate their own power, an installed battery system to store energy for later use, and the hardware components to manage power movement back and forth from multiple sources, safely delivering it to the home.
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This level carries the highest price tag but offers the most enticing buffet of home value, both inherent and earned.
Assuming a proper installation and efficient placement of components, an empowered setup brings two main benefits to the table: reduced energy costs from using self-generated power, and backup power for critical home systems in the event of an outage. These benefits, though, are just the parallel outcomes of solar and battery systems operating on their own.
The highest value from home energy infrastructure, only attainable at the empowered level, comes from a combination of both technology automation and homeowner vigilance. Households that have made the investment in both solar and storage understand that their oversight and savvy are what make these systems function as a combined entity, creating opportunities for energy optimization, further reduced monthly cost, and enhanced self-sufficiency.
Enabling the home energy maestro
There’s a big difference between a set-it-and-forget-it system upgrade installed by a pro and a feature that’s managed over the long term by a homeowner. The first addresses an immediate need, while the second adds potential value over time.
Homeowner actions at levels 1 and 2 — like boosting electrical capacity or adding solar panels — are practical fixes that solve specific, near-term needs. As households climb the ladder of energy maturity, though, more of the physical system upgrades are in the rear-view mirror, and the focus then shifts to the homeowners themselves as the orchestrators of energy efficiency and cost savings.
Also: The best home battery and backup systems of 2025: Expert tested
That orchestration pays off, according to findings from the Home Energy Landscape, a recent study from Habitelligence. On a 5-point scale of wastefulness and efficiency, 80% of solar and storage-equipped households see themselves as “efficient” or “very efficient.”
Taking it a step further, an aggregate grouping of efficiency and cost savings metrics shows a clear picture of what’s truly attainable for households that have made home energy investments. The most efficient and cost-vigilant households were able to slash their electric bill by 78% on average, almost four times as much as the least efficient, the report found.
Smart management, real savings
This type of cost savings has both an immediate and longer-term value impact for households that make the investment. The first month after installation, the cost cuts will start to add up, and most people mentally credit those savings toward the investment that they made, tracking the payback period. Depending on the size of the investment and any available tax credits that were applied, that payback period could be anywhere from a few years to over a decade.
In the longer term, though, the value of home energy investment gets slightly more interesting, if a little bit fuzzier and less quantifiable.
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Those who expect to stay in their homes in the range of approximately forever may care less about home resale value. But beyond just the transferable cost savings of an energy-efficient home, having the built-in and hard-wired infrastructure to collect and store energy is generally viewed favorably by the market. Those with solar and storage recognize this and, rose-colored glasses or not, have a high opinion of their home’s long-term value.
Perception of long-term value
The standard disclaimer is warranted here — a ton of factors go into a home’s value, and most of them are related to factors external to the energy infrastructure of the home. There are also financial leasing scenarios and fluctuating utility policies that can, at times, make solar panels a lead balloon for home value.
However, while the old adage that “perception is reality” may not always hold true, those who have made the investment and are actively managing their home energy use are certainly looking to make long-term home value a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Tech Bonus: Greater than the sum of its parts
Not all level 4 households will need, want, or be in a financial position to support a full suite of home energy hardware components (e.g., smart panels, EV chargers), but having the ability to both generate and store power brings a degree of control and flexibility that most households would envy. Shown in a previous article, those with a conventional power setup face a variety of limitations with their electrical infrastructure, some of which are equally frustrating for solar-equipped homes as well.
However, the top three most common complaints can be solved or at least mitigated when both solar and storage capabilities are in place:
Frustration No. 1: No automated backup power during outages. A home battery on its own provides a finite amount of power output and duration, but when paired with solar generation and supporting energy management tech, it can create a much-needed time extension to a home’s operability in the event of an outage. Whether backing up critical systems and appliances only, or powering the whole home, active oversight of energy usage allows solar to power the home during the day and store excess power in the battery for nighttime use.
For those that faced multiple outages in the previous year, 75% of level 4 households saw only a few minutes of downtime, or no downtime at all.
Also: Installing a home battery or solar before tax credits end? Use this to assess your home first
Frustration No. 2: Little control over fluctuating energy costs. For longer-term energy price swings, those with solar alone are fairly well protected, given that they use what they produce during the daytime and often benefit from energy credits that they use at night. But for those with variable electricity pricing based on time of day, using solar energy to support power consumption during the day and tapping into stored energy during peak demand hours will reduce grid-based power consumption and will typically create cost savings above and beyond what solar alone would produce.
When managing monthly electricity costs, Level 4 households are 3 times more likely to report having the highest level of control, optimizing when and how they use power to lower bills.
Frustration No. 3: Inefficient usage of grid-based power. Wasting energy is tough enough to stomach when it’s purely from the grid, but when it’s generated by your own solar panels, it can be even more infuriating. An efficient CORE level 4 setup gives you the opportunity to save what you generate, deliver it when and where needed, and reduce unnecessary consumption.
80% of Level 4 households report being “efficient” or “very efficient,” actively managing and minimizing unnecessary energy use.
Two interesting realities have a tendency to sweeten the pot for those who haven’t yet done the mental gymnastics of considering home energy investments.
One reality is that most people believe electricity costs will rise over the coming years — 73% of homeowners, according to Habitelligence research. For solar-equipped households, rising costs also mean rising cost avoidance. If the cost goes up, you’re saving more each month through your own self-supply, and thus your payback period goes down.
Also: The best portable power stations of 2025: Expert tested to last through power outages
The second reality is that as long as solar panels are generating power for the house, they’re delivering tangible and measurable value, regardless of whether or not the payback threshold has been reached.
Most savvy home buyers understand the built-in resilience and ongoing reduction of operational costs that comes with the purchase of a home with solar panels, and an installed battery would provide some very thick and rich frosting on top of that cake.
This article is part of a series exploring home energy maturity within US households. Based on recent research from Habitelligence, each article takes a closer look at the challenges and opportunities associated with different stages of power and energy readiness. From the energy-limited house to the automated self-sufficient smart home, people are starting to take a more active role in managing and improving the critical infrastructure that runs their everyday lives
See below for other articles in the series:
Rate your home energy maturity on the C.O.R.E. scale of 1-4 | Level 1 — Constrained | Level 2 — Operational | Level 3 — Resilient
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