Top Tier — Illinois Battery Sales Reference
Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) · Northern Illinois & Chicago Metro
Sales reference for reps working ComEd territory. This is the deep reference — how to sell it up top, full utility detail below. Illinois changed its net-metering rules in 2025 and again under a new 2026 law (CRGA) — getting the grandfather rules right is the whole game here, and the good news is protective: a grandfathered customer can add a battery and KEEP their net metering.
What kind of market this is
ComEd is a net-billing market (since 2025) with a valuable grandfathered full-retail cohort — and a critical, customer-protective rule: adding a battery and taking the storage rebate does NOT cost a grandfathered customer their net metering. Four defining facts:
- Illinois moved to supply-only net metering on January 1, 2025. New solar customers are credited only for the supply portion of exports (no delivery/distribution credit) — ComEd's own filings put the drop at ~40% vs. the old full-retail deal. Customers who energized before 1/1/2025 are grandfathered on full-retail net metering for 30 years.
- THE KEY RULE (and the biggest correction to get right): a grandfathered customer can add a battery, take the $300/kWh storage rebate, and KEEP their full-retail net metering. Only the solar/generation rebate forfeits grandfather — the storage rebate does not. Never tell a grandfathered customer that adding a battery costs them their net metering. It doesn't.
- The $300/kWh storage rebate is real, and it requires enrolling in ComEd's BESH hourly-pricing rate. Paired with solar; paid as a one-time check ~90 days after energization.
- A battery VPP is launching (CRGA). ComEd's short-term VPP is live as of mid-2026, with the full Scheduled Dispatch VPP launching 2027 — category-2, forward-framed. No Illinois state tax credit; federal ITC expired.
Your lead is long-term rate protection. ComEd sits in PJM, where the 2025/26 capacity auction spiked ~833%, flowing into supply rates — a documented, dramatic rate-climb story. The battery is the hedge; the storage rebate and the coming VPP are supporting pillars; and for grandfathered customers, protecting their valuable full-retail position (without losing it to the battery) is a genuine selling point.
Default configuration: backup-capable.
- Backup-capable: $18,500 cash / $23,942 financed / ~$228/mo
- Self-consumption-only: $17,000 cash / $22,068 financed / ~$210/mo
Confirm pricing in the tool before quoting.
PART A — The Pitch (Problem → Solution → Urgency → Close)
The spine is multiple beats per section. Each beat = customer headline + statement + rep layer (+ objection where noted). Beats marked (BACKUP ONLY) render only for backup config; beats with Self-consumption:/Backup: branches swap the customer line by config.
The Problem
Why you still have a bill — and why it depends on when you went solar. If you went solar after January 2025, Illinois only credits you for part of what you export now — the supply portion, not the full retail rate — so you're sending power back cheap and buying it back at full price. If you went solar before 2025, you've got the better full-retail deal — but even then, ComEd's rates are climbing hard, and your solar does nothing when the grid goes down.
Rep layer: This opener splits by cohort. Post-2025 customer: the supply-only credit is the leak (they export at the supply rate, buy back at full retail + delivery). Pre-2025 grandfathered customer: no export leak (they keep full retail), so lead the rate-climb + resilience + "protect your grandfather" angle instead. Objection — "I get credits for my solar." If post-2025, at the supply rate only — not the full retail you pay to buy it back. If grandfathered, yes, and we're going to protect that.
Your system is orphaned. Whoever installed your solar is likely gone, merged, or unreachable — especially after so many installers folded when the federal tax credit expired. If something goes wrong, there's no one accountable. You own the system and the risk.
Rep layer: Ask who installed it. Sets up the takeover section. Objection — "My installer's still around." Would they answer a service call within a week — and cover it?
Your inverter is on the clock. Your inverter is several years old. When it fails out of warranty, that's about $3,500 to $5,000 out of pocket — and your system produces nothing until it's replaced, typically 4 to 8 weeks.
Rep layer: SolarEdge string inverters ~12-yr warranty, real failure window 8–15 years; Enphase 25-yr, real issues 10–20 years. 70–90% of systems see inverter failure within the panel lifespan. Objection — "Still under warranty." Good — until it isn't, and then it's $3,500–5,000.
(BACKUP ONLY) No protection when the grid goes down. Your solar shuts off during an outage — anti-islanding, a safety cutoff. A battery keeps your critical systems running, and with sun it recharges through a multi-day outage.
Rep layer: Renders ONLY for backup config. Northern Illinois context: the August 2020 Midwest derecho knocked out ~800K ComEd customers; the July 2023 Chicago derecho and January 2024 cold snap also caused significant outages. Winter grid stress in a Chicago cold snap is a genuine safety issue. Objection — "We don't get many outages." Respect it, but the derechos and polar-vortex cold snaps are real and recent.
The Solution
The battery keeps your power — and for grandfathered customers, protects your net metering. Stores your daytime solar and uses it at night and during peak hours instead of buying at full retail. And here's the key: if you're on the old full-retail net metering, adding a battery and taking the storage rebate does NOT cost you that — you keep it.
- Self-consumption: "Use your stored solar in the evening instead of buying it back at full retail."
- Backup: "Does everything self-consumption does AND keeps your home running when the grid goes down."
Monthly Cost Chart and Net Bill Breakdown render here.
Rep layer: First cure beat. THE critical correction: a grandfathered (pre-2025) customer adds a battery + takes the $300/kWh STORAGE rebate + KEEPS full-retail net metering. Do NOT tell them the battery costs them their net metering — that's the old, wrong claim. For a post-2025 customer, the battery captures the supply-only spread. Warn ONLY against the solar/generation rebate (that one does forfeit grandfather) — the storage rebate is safe.
We take it over. Top Tier becomes the single point of contact for your entire system — a new 10-year workmanship warranty, the 5-year Align Solar Protection contract ($0 deductible, non-transferable), and manufacturer warranty coordination.
Rep layer: Answers the orphaned-system problem. Be precise on transfers: workmanship with written consent; Align non-transferable; manufacturer per OEM terms.
Thousands you don't pay. The $11K+ Hidden Costs Avoided bundle — built into the takeover, not sold as extras.
Rep layer: Reframes total cost. "Your payment buys the battery plus warranty plus service plus inverter-replacement coverage — over $11K of value."
The long game. ComEd sits in PJM, where the recent capacity auction spiked roughly 833% — that flows straight into your supply rate. Plus coal-retirement and grid-modernization costs. A battery locks in the cost of your own power against 25 years of that.
Rate Justification + Own vs Rent render here.
Rep layer: 25-year case: conservative 3%, moderate 5%, aggressive 8%. The PJM 833% capacity spike is the documented, dramatic ComEd rate-climb story — use it. (This applies to ComEd/PJM — do NOT use the 833% figure for Ameren, which is MISO.) Objection — "Rates might not go up that much." The PJM capacity auction already spiked 833% — that's not a projection, it's on your supply rate.
What you actually own. The savings hero — combined value: rate protection + the supply-spread capture (post-2025) or protected full-retail (grandfathered) + the storage rebate + coming VPP + resilience + the takeover bundle.
- Self-consumption: "Maximizes your bill savings and rate protection. Does not provide backup — ask about the upgrade."
- Backup: "Does everything self-consumption does, plus keeps your critical loads running in an outage."
Rep layer: Combined value. For grandfathered customers, "you keep your valuable full-retail deal AND add a battery AND get the rebate" is the honest, strong story. No-backup disclosure fires ONLY for self-consumption config.
Urgency
The clocks that make acting now better than waiting.
The rate clock. ComEd's supply rate is climbing on the PJM capacity spike, and grid-modernization and coal-retirement costs keep coming. Every month you wait is a month closer to the next increase with no hedge.
Rep layer: The PJM 833% capacity spike is the concrete, documented urgency — recent and dramatic.
The rebate + VPP clock. The $300/kWh storage rebate is real money now, and Illinois is standing up battery VPP programs that pay for dispatch. Getting the battery in positions you for the rebate and the VPP.
Rep layer: The storage rebate is live; the CRGA VPP is launching (category-2). Frame the VPP as forward positioning — do NOT quote specific VPP dollars (only "≥$10/kW average dispatch" is confirmed; exact terms pending). Don't manufacture a rebate deadline, but the rebate is real money that isn't guaranteed forever.
System aging. Your inverter is aging toward its failure window. The longer you wait, the closer you get to an out-of-warranty replacement at $3,500–5,000 out of pocket — with no service relationship to handle it. Installing now means Top Tier covers the inverter coordination from day one.
Rep layer: Universal urgency beat.
The Close
- Verify credit + confirm install date. Run the credit check. And confirm when the solar was energized — before or after 1/1/2025 — because it determines the cohort and the pitch (and for grandfathered customers, that adding the battery keeps their net metering).
- Customer reads and signs the service agreement. Walk through the key disclosures honestly — including that the storage rebate requires enrolling in ComEd's BESH hourly rate (binding on future occupants too), and that the rebate is a check ~90 days after energization.
- Complete the Welcome Call. Finalizes the sale and sets expectations for installation.
Standing Rules (Do NOT Violate)
- ❌ NEVER coach reps to disqualify based on home tenure. Resale story is real — not "walk away."
- ❌ NEVER claim "all warranties transfer." Workmanship: with written consent. Align: non-transferable. Manufacturer: per OEM terms.
- ❌ NEVER fabricate inspection findings.
- ❌ NEVER quote a bill-reduction factor as a guarantee.
- ❌ NEVER quote a REP buyback rate as fixed/guaranteed — plan-dependent, confirm the customer's actual plan.
- ❌ 85+ confirmation call required. Customer confirms own finances, no POA, sound mind.
- ❌ Financing ends before age 91. 75 → 15-year max. 80 → 10-year max.
- ❌ Honest cancellation window. Overselling = free customer exit + $1K–$1.5K clawback.
- ❌ Certified before selling.
Go get the sale. A battery is a strong product — clean energy, independence, backup, long-term savings, and in Texas real VPP income. A customer who wants one for any honest reason is a good sale. We never walk away over price or low savings — that's the customer's call. Do right by the customer, protect the company, be honest.
PART B — The Deep Reference
1. Orientation
- Utility: Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), an Exelon company — Illinois's largest utility (~4M residential customers).
- Territory: Northern Illinois and the Chicago metro.
- Grid/RTO: PJM (ComEd Zone) — relevant because the PJM capacity-auction spike drives ComEd supply rates. (Ameren, central/southern IL, is MISO — different dynamics.)
- Market type: Supply-only net billing (since 1/1/2025) with a grandfathered full-retail cohort (pre-2025, 30-yr) + a $300/kWh storage rebate + a launching battery VPP.
- Default config: Backup-capable ($18,500 / $23,942 / ~$228). Self-consumption-only optional ($17,000 / $22,068 / ~$210).
2. Cohort Map — the most important section (and the one il.ts got wrong)
Two cohorts, split at January 1, 2025. Ask the sorting question first — and get the grandfather rule right, because it's protective.
THE SORTING QUESTION: "When was your solar energized — before or after January 2025?" If they bought the home with solar already on it, ask when it was installed — the net-metering status follows the system, and it transfers with the home.
Cohort 1 — Grandfathered full-retail (energized before January 1, 2025)
- What they have: Full-retail net metering — credited on supply, delivery, AND taxes — locked for 30 years from energization. This is a genuinely valuable position worth protecting.
- THE KEY RULE (get this right): adding a battery and taking the $300/kWh storage rebate does NOT forfeit their full-retail net metering. They keep it. Only taking the solar/generation rebate (or making a major generation change) forfeits it. A battery-retrofit customer isn't taking the solar rebate — so they keep their grandfather.
- Battery value: resilience + rate protection + the storage rebate + coming VPP — all WITHOUT losing the full-retail deal. This is a strong, honest, protective pitch.
- NEVER SAY: "Adding a battery moves you to the new net metering" / "you'll lose your net metering if you take the rebate" (FALSE for the storage rebate — this was the old wrong claim). "Take the rebate to offset losing net metering" (there's no loss to offset).
- DO WARN: if they're ALSO considering adding panels or taking the solar/generation rebate, THAT can forfeit grandfather (ComEd: any generation change altering kW/inverter; see §7). The battery + storage rebate is safe; a solar expansion is not.
Cohort 2 — Supply-only (energized on/after January 1, 2025)
- What they have: Supply-only net metering — credited only for the supply portion of exports (no delivery/distribution), ~40% less than the old full-retail deal. Credits are non-expiring and carry forward.
- Battery value: captures the supply-only spread (store surplus instead of exporting it at the reduced supply rate and buying back at full retail + delivery) + rate protection + the storage rebate + coming VPP + resilience.
- NEVER SAY: "You might lose your net metering" (they're already on supply-only — nothing to lose).
Why this matters — and why it's the biggest correction in this guide: the old guidance told grandfathered customers that adding a battery cost them their net metering. That was WRONG and customer-harmful — it would scare a customer out of a battery, or push them to "trade" a 30-year full-retail position they didn't need to lose. The primary-sourced truth (both ComEd + Ameren tariffs, via CUB March 2026): the storage rebate PRESERVES grandfather. Lead with that — it's protective, honest, and a genuine selling point. Sort first, then reassure the grandfathered customer they keep everything.
3. Rate Reality + Why Rates Keep Climbing
Rate values flagged where noted — see provenance.
| Value | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential retail (all-in) | tier/rate-plan dependent (DS-1 values flagged — verify) | ComEd (regulated formula rate) |
| Net metering (grandfathered, pre-2025) | full retail (supply + delivery + tax) | ComEd (30-yr grandfather) |
| Net metering (supply-only, post-2025) | supply portion only (~40% less) | ComEd (CEJA, eff. 1/1/2025) |
| Storage rebate | $300/kWh (requires BESH + solar pairing) | ComEd DG storage rebate |
| Rebate payment | one-time check ~90 days post-energization | ComEd |
| Grid/RTO | PJM (ComEd Zone) | — |
The DS-1 rate values (customer charge, BESH supply, delivery) are flagged — verify against the current ComEd tariff before quoting specific ¢. The structure (supply-only transition 1/1/2025, 30-yr grandfather, $300/kWh storage rebate, BESH requirement, PJM placement) is confirmed. (TODO: pin ComEd DS-1 / BESH / delivery rates.)
What's driving ComEd's rate increases (named forward drivers):
- The PJM capacity-auction spike (~833%) — PJM's 2025/26 capacity auction cleared roughly 833% higher than the prior year; that capacity cost flows through ComEd's supply rate. This is the dramatic, documented ComEd rate-climb headline. (PJM-specific — do NOT apply to Ameren/MISO.)
- CEJA coal retirements — Illinois's Climate & Equitable Jobs Act drives coal-plant retirements; replacement capacity + transition costs flow to rates.
- Grid modernization — ComEd's formula-rate-plan distribution investment (smart grid, reliability) recovered through delivery charges.
- Data-center load growth — the Chicago corridor is attracting data-center load, driving capacity needs.
- CRGA cost recovery — the 2026 CRGA law adds cost-recovery and a 3,000 MW storage procurement target by 2030 — a fresh, documented rate pressure.
Documented vs. speculation (say this right):
- ✅ "The PJM capacity auction cleared ~833% higher, flowing into ComEd supply rates" (documented fact)
- ✅ "Illinois moved to supply-only net metering on Jan 1, 2025" (documented)
- ❌ "Your bill will be $X by 2030" (speculation)
- ❌ "Rates will definitely double" (overstated)
4. Bill Anatomy — Reading a ComEd Bill
Why a post-2025 ComEd customer still has a bill even with solar. A supply-only (post-2025) ComEd solar bill has:
- The fixed monthly customer charge — every month, solar or not.
- Supply charges — the energy you buy from ComEd (or your supplier), on a rate that's climbing with the PJM capacity spike. On BESH (if enrolled for the storage rebate), this is ComEd's real-time hourly price — cheapest overnight, priciest on summer peak afternoons.
- Delivery charges — ComEd's charge to move the power (the wires), which solar exports do NOT offset for a post-2025 customer (that's the supply-only limitation).
- A supply-only export credit — your exported surplus credited at the supply portion only, ~40% less than the old full-retail credit, carrying forward.
The leak (post-2025): you export surplus at the supply rate but buy back at supply + delivery, AND your delivery charges aren't offset by exports at all. The battery fixes this by storing surplus for self-use (avoiding both the supply AND delivery charges on that power) instead of exporting it cheap.
For grandfathered (pre-2025) customers: the bill nets at full retail (supply + delivery + tax), so there's no export leak — the battery's value is resilience + rate protection + the storage rebate, all while keeping the full-retail deal.
How to identify the cohort from the bill (the page-2 skill):
- Check the energization date — before 1/1/2025 = grandfathered full-retail; on/after = supply-only.
- Look at how exports are credited — full-retail grandfathered shows credits against supply + delivery; supply-only shows a smaller credit against supply only.
- Check the rate plan — if they're on BESH (hourly), they likely took the storage rebate (BESH is required for it).
Seasonal shape (northern IL): cold winters (heating load, short solar days) and hot summers (AC into the PJM-peak afternoons). A solar customer's bill is lowest in spring/fall and highest in summer (AC + peak supply prices) and winter (heating + short days). On BESH hourly pricing, the summer peak afternoons are the most expensive — exactly where a battery discharging earns its keep.
5. The Savings Story — Worked 25-Year Analysis
The 25-year rate-protection table is the centerpiece — and ComEd's PJM capacity spike gives it an unusually dramatic anchor.
Representative post-2025 customer: ~900 kWh/mo, supply-only export, on BESH.
Without battery — annual bill, three rate-growth scenarios (anchored to the PJM capacity-driven climb; rates flagged — illustrative pending DS-1 pin):
| Year | 3% Scenario | 5% Scenario | 8% Scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (2026) | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Year 5 | $1,688 | $1,824 | $2,041 |
| Year 10 | $1,957 | $2,328 | $2,999 |
| Year 15 | $2,269 | $2,971 | $4,406 |
| Year 20 | $2,631 | $3,791 | $6,475 |
| Year 25 | $3,050 | $4,838 | $9,514 |
With battery — annual bill (supply+delivery self-consumption avoidance + rate hedge):
| Year | 3% Scenario | 5% Scenario | 8% Scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $700 | $700 | $700 |
| Year 5 | $788 | $851 | $952 |
| Year 10 | $913 | $1,086 | $1,400 |
| Year 15 | $1,059 | $1,386 | $2,056 |
| Year 20 | $1,228 | $1,769 | $3,022 |
| Year 25 | $1,423 | $2,257 | $4,440 |
Cumulative 25-year comparison:
| Scenario | Without Battery | With Battery | Net Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% growth | ~$52,000 | ~$24,300 | ~$27,700 |
| 5% growth | ~$63,500 | ~$29,600 | ~$33,900 |
| 8% growth | ~$91,000 | ~$42,500 | ~$48,500 |
ComEd's supply+delivery structure means self-consumption avoids BOTH charges (post-2025), and the PJM capacity spike makes the rate-climb protection real. The $300/kWh storage rebate (a one-time check, e.g. ~$2,400 on an 8 kWh battery) is on top and not in these tables. Rates flagged pending DS-1 verification — tool computes the customer's actual figure. Don't quote specific ComEd ¢ as fixed until verified.
Break-even calendar (approximate, scenario-dependent; the storage rebate check accelerates it):
| Scenario | Monthly cash-flow break-even | Cumulative break-even |
|---|---|---|
| 3% growth | Year 7–9 | Year 12–14 |
| 5% growth | Year 5–7 | Year 10–12 |
| 8% growth | Year 4–5 | Year 8–10 |
The Year-1 honesty script (ComEd version):
"Here's the honest math. If you went solar after 2025, Illinois only credits you for part of your exports now, so a battery that keeps your power instead of exporting it cheap is real savings — plus you avoid both the supply and delivery charges on the power you store. If you're grandfathered on the old full-retail deal, here's the key thing: adding a battery and taking the $300-per-kWh storage rebate does NOT cost you that deal — you keep it. Your total with the loan may be roughly flat the first year, then pulls ahead as ComEd's rates climb on the PJM capacity spike. You're trading a small early bump for [tool's 25-yr figure] plus a rebate check plus backup."
6. Pitch Framework — Archetypes
Archetype A — Grandfathered full-retail owner (pre-2025).
- On the valuable old full-retail deal, worried about losing it.
- May have heard "a battery costs you your net metering" (the wrong claim).
- Values what they have.
- Fit: strong — the protective "keep everything" pitch.
- Opening: "You've got the old full-retail net metering, which is the good deal — and I want to clear something up: adding a battery and taking the storage rebate does NOT cost you that. You keep your net metering, add backup, and get a rebate check. You don't have to choose."
Archetype B — Supply-only owner (post-2025).
- On the reduced supply-only credit; feels the export-vs-buyback gap.
- Rate-conscious, watching ComEd rates climb.
- Fit: strong — spread capture + rate protection.
- Opening: "You went solar after the rules changed, so Illinois only credits you for part of what you export now — and you're still paying full delivery on what you buy back. A battery keeps your power instead, and hedges the rate climb from the PJM capacity spike."
Archetype C — New solar + battery prospect.
- Considering the full package.
- Fit: strong.
- Opening: "Let's build you an owned solar-and-battery system — you get the storage rebate, protection against ComEd's climbing rates, and backup for the next derecho or cold snap."
7. Market-Specific Plays — the ComEd edge
PLAY 1 — The grandfather-preserved rule (the protective headline, and the biggest fix). A grandfathered customer keeps their full-retail net metering when they add a battery and take the storage rebate — only the solar/generation rebate forfeits it. This corrects a widespread wrong belief (including in Top Tier's own older materials). Lead with it for grandfathered customers: "You don't have to choose between a battery and your net metering — you keep both." It's honest, primary-sourced (CUB March 2026, both utilities' tariffs), and protective. It also builds trust: you're the rep who knows the rule that protects them.
PLAY 2 — The PJM 833% capacity spike (the dramatic rate anchor). ComEd sits in PJM, where the capacity auction cleared ~833% higher, flowing into supply rates. This is one of the most concrete, dramatic rate-climb stories in any market — a documented, recent, huge number. Use it (and never apply it to Ameren, which is MISO).
PLAY 3 — The $300/kWh storage rebate. Real money — e.g. ~$2,400 on an 8 kWh battery — paired with solar, paid as a check ~90 days after energization. Requires enrolling in ComEd's BESH hourly-pricing rate (a binding rate choice; see disclosures). Frame it as a concrete rebate that offsets system cost, distinct from (and on top of) the bill savings.
PLAY 4 — The coming VPP (category-2 forward frame). Under CRGA, ComEd's short-term battery VPP is live as of mid-2026 and the full Scheduled Dispatch VPP launches 2027, paying for battery dispatch (≥$10/kW average). Frame it honestly as coming income the battery positions them for — do NOT quote specific per-event dollars (terms not yet pinned).
8. Incentives & Programs
- $300/kWh storage rebate — LIVE: requires solar pairing + enrollment in ComEd's BESH hourly-pricing rate; paid as a one-time check ~90 days after energization. A grandfathered customer taking this rebate KEEPS full-retail net metering (storage rebate does not forfeit).
- Battery VPP — Category 2 (launching): CRGA short-term VPP live ~mid-2026, full ComEd SDVPP launching 2027; compensation ≥$10/kW average dispatch (exact per-event terms not yet pinned — do not quote specifics). Forward-frame.
- Illinois Shines (SRECs): a SOLAR incentive (earned on production), NOT a battery incentive. A battery-retrofit customer with existing solar already has their SRECs; the battery earns none. Only relevant on a new-solar install — and gated on Top Tier's Approved-Vendor status (confirm before pitching SRECs on any new-solar deal).
- The $250/kWh CRGA/IPA rebate is for STANDALONE storage (no solar) — a different product from Top Tier's solar-paired retrofit ($300/kWh).
- State tax credit: none (Illinois uses rebates/SRECs, not tax credits).
- Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025. Do not quote 30%.
9. System Rescue Value — The System Takeover
This applies to any customer with existing solar — and it's identical across every Top Tier market. These are takeover facts, not TX-specific.
The Orphaned Solar Customer Problem. Many Texas solar customers installed during the 2019–2024 growth years and now face:
- An original installer that's gone out of business, been acquired, or stopped servicing residential (especially common after the federal tax credit expired Dec 2025)
- A 10-year workmanship warranty that's unenforceable (installer is gone)
- An inverter approaching or past typical failure windows
- No service relationship, and most companies refuse to service systems they didn't install
The Inverter Failure Reality. Inverters are the weakest link. Panels last 25–30 years; the inverter fails much sooner.
- SolarEdge string inverters: 8–15 years (12-yr standard warranty)
- Enphase microinverters: 10–20 years (25-yr warranty)
- Industry-wide: 70–90% of systems experience inverter failure within the panel lifespan
- When it fails on an orphaned system: production stops, bills jump to full retail, most providers won't quote it, out-of-pocket replacement is $3,500–5,000, and the customer is down 4–8 weeks.
What Top Tier's takeover provides (formalized through a Service Warranty Agreement with a brand-new 10-year Limited Workmanship and Roof Penetration Warranty):
- A new 10-year Top Tier workmanship warranty (regardless of system age)
- Manufacturer warranty claim handling (Top Tier chases the claim + labor, not the customer)
- Inverter replacement coverage when it fails within manufacturer warranty (customer pays nothing for the work)
- Single point of contact; monitoring setup help; performance verification at inspection
The $11K System Takeover Bundle (the exact 5-tile bundle on the proposal):
| Bundled service | Estimated 25-yr cost avoided |
|---|---|
| Align Solar Protection (5-yr, $0 deductible, insurance-backed, non-transferable) | ~$1,500 |
| Manufacturer warranty coordination (OEM claims across 25 yr) | ~$300 |
| Inverter replacement coordination (1–2 replacements at $3–5K each) | ~$6,000 |
| Workmanship warranty on existing PV (10-yr Top Tier coverage) | ~$1,500 |
| Service call coverage (~$500/visit × 4–5 visits) | ~$2,500 |
| Total | ~$11,800 — "Over $11K" |
How to use it: "On top of the bill math, you're picking up over $11K of bundled services that aren't sold separately. If your inverter fails in year 12, the warranty handling alone is worth a few hundred; the replacement coordination saves $3–5K; the Align contract is $1,500 you'd otherwise pay. It adds up."
Align Solar Protection — the terms (get these right):
- 5-year term, $0 deductible, insurance-backed by American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, non-transferable to subsequent owners.
- Covers: mechanical breakdown of existing PV (panels, inverters/optimizers, racking) — parts, labor, service calls.
- Does NOT cover: the new battery (own warranty), wear-and-tear, weather/hail, pre-existing conditions, roof issues.
- Age limits: panels/microinverters under 15 years; string/central inverters under 7 years. Not every system fully qualifies — disclose at inspection.
- It's ONE of three layers: (1) equipment manufacturer warranties, (2) Top Tier's 10-yr workmanship, (3) the 5-yr Align contract. Never call it "full coverage."
- NEVER say: "Everything's covered" / "never worry again" / "Align is your full coverage" / "you can extend beyond 5 years" / "Align transfers when you sell."
Quantifying the rescue value:
| Component | Estimated Value |
|---|---|
| New 10-year workmanship warranty | $1,500–3,000 |
| Inverter replacement avoided via warranty handling | $3,500–5,000 |
| Probability-weighted warranty-claim value | $2,500–4,000 |
| Performance optimization on existing array | $300–800/year |
| Total expected value over 10–20 years | $4,000–7,500+ |
This is independent of bill savings — the rescue alone can be worth $4,000–7,500.
10. Outage Reality — Resilience in Northern Illinois
Why outages happen here. Northern Illinois and the ComEd grid face:
- Derechos and severe thunderstorms — the August 2020 Midwest derecho was catastrophic, knocking out roughly 800,000 ComEd customers; the July 2023 Chicago derecho also caused widespread outages. These fast, high-wind events bring down lines across the region.
- Polar-vortex cold snaps — the January 2024 cold snap (and prior polar-vortex events) drive extreme heating demand and grid stress; losing power in a Chicago deep freeze is a genuine safety emergency.
- Winter ice and snow — ice storms load lines and trees; heavy snow and wind cause faults.
- Summer heat + AC peaks — heat waves drive demand into the PJM peak, straining the grid.
What a battery does — and the honest mechanism. When the grid goes down, grid-tied solar shuts off automatically (anti-islanding — a safety requirement). So a solar-only customer has no power in an outage even in daylight. A battery with backup keeps essential loads — heat (critical in a Chicago winter), refrigerator, well pump, medical devices, connectivity — running, and with solar recharges through a multi-day event.
How to pitch it honestly: don't promise whole-home indefinite backup unless sized for it. The honest pitch: "A battery keeps your essentials — especially heat — running through an outage, and with your solar it can carry you through a multi-day event. In a Chicago winter, losing power isn't an inconvenience, it's a safety issue."
11. Hidden Costs Avoided / What You Own vs What You Rent
- What you rent: grid power on ComEd's climbing rates (the PJM capacity spike flowing into supply), with delivery charges you can't offset (post-2025), and no protection when the grid fails.
- What you own (with the battery): your production, stored and used on your schedule at today's locked cost — avoiding both supply and delivery charges — plus backup, plus (grandfathered) your protected full-retail deal.
- Hidden costs avoided: the $11K takeover bundle + exposure to the documented rate climb on the power you'd otherwise keep buying.
12. Battery Products
- Backup config (ComEd default — resilience + rate protection): Tesla Powerwall 3 (11.5 kW), FranklinWH aPower 2 (10 kW).
- Self-consumption config: Enphase IQ 5P (10 kWh), SolarEdge Home Battery (9.7 kWh usable), SolarEdge Nexis (self-consumption only pending crew backup training).
- Storage rebate note: the $300/kWh rebate is per kWh of battery capacity (e.g. ~$2,400 on 8 kWh) — larger batteries earn larger rebates. Confirm config + rebate in the tool.
- Config rule: matched to inverter/config in the tool — the picker prevents mismatches.
13. Objection Handling
Universal objections (swap in ComEd figures) + ComEd-specific objections.
"If I add a battery, don't I lose my net metering?" (ComEd-specific — the #1 correction)
"No — and this is important, because a lot of people get it wrong. If you're on the old full-retail net metering, adding a battery and taking the storage rebate does NOT cost you that. You keep your net metering, you add backup, and you get a rebate check. The only thing that would forfeit your net metering is taking the solar rebate or adding panels — not the battery. You get to keep everything."
"Will my monthly cost actually drop?"
"If you went solar after 2025, yes — you're only credited for part of your exports now, so a battery that keeps your power instead of exporting it cheap saves you real money, and you avoid both supply and delivery charges on it. Plus the PJM capacity spike is driving ComEd rates up, and the battery hedges that."
"Why is the loan more than the system price?"
"The cash price is $17,000–18,500 depending on config. Service Finance adds dealer fees bringing the financed amount to about $22,068–23,942. Cash or a HELOC is cheaper if that's an option — and remember there's a storage rebate check coming ~90 days after energization."
"Is there a rebate?" (ComEd-specific)
"Yes — Illinois pays a $300-per-kWh storage rebate, so on an 8 kWh battery that's about $2,400, paid as a check about 90 days after your system's energized. It requires enrolling in ComEd's hourly-pricing rate. No state tax credit, and the federal one expired — but the storage rebate is real, current money."
"What if I sell the house?"
"Resale asset — your closing equity pays off the loan, and the new owner inherits a fully-owned system with backup. And your net metering stays with the system, so a grandfathered full-retail deal transfers to the buyer — that's a real selling point. Top Tier's 10-year workmanship warranty transfers with written consent; the Align contract is non-transferable."
"What if my inverter fails after you install the battery?"
"If it fails within its manufacturer warranty, we handle the claim and the labor — you pay nothing for the work. If it's out of warranty, you'd pay for equipment, but we still handle the labor under our 10-year workmanship coverage. Either way you're not scrambling."
14. DO SAY / NEVER SAY
15. Reading the Bill — cohort → pitch
| What you see / hear | Cohort | Lead pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Energized pre-2025, full-retail credit | Grandfathered | Keep your net metering + battery + rebate + resilience + rate protection |
| Energized post-2025, supply-only credit | Supply-only | Spread capture + rate protection + rebate + VPP |
| No solar yet / adding solar | New prospect | Full owned system + storage rebate + rate protection |
16. Required Disclosures
- ☐ Savings are estimates; ComEd rates (DS-1/BESH) should be verified against the current tariff.
- ☐ 25-year projections are scenarios, not guarantees; depend on ICC rate cases + PJM capacity.
- ☐ A grandfathered (pre-2025) customer who adds a battery and takes the STORAGE rebate keeps full-retail net metering; the SOLAR/generation rebate (or a generation/panel change) forfeits it.
- ☐ Post-2025 customers are on supply-only net metering (delivery not credited).
- ☐ The $300/kWh storage rebate requires enrolling in ComEd's BESH hourly-pricing rate; this rate choice is binding on current and future occupants at the address.
- ☐ The storage rebate is paid as a one-time check ~90 days after energization.
- ☐ ComEd storage-rebate customers cannot also participate in a Community Solar offer.
- ☐ VPP compensation terms are not finalized; no specific VPP income is quoted.
- ☐ SRECs (Illinois Shines) are a solar-production incentive; a battery earns none.
- ☐ No Illinois state solar tax credit; no federal ITC after 12/31/2025.
- ☐ Align Solar Protection is non-transferable; workmanship warranty transfer requires written consent; manufacturer warranties transfer per OEM terms; net metering transfers with the system.
- ☐ Align coverage is contingent on inspection + age limits (panels <15 yr, inverters <7 yr); one of three coverage layers, not full coverage.
- ☐ Backup duration depends on system sizing and load; whole-home indefinite backup is not implied.
- ☐ Pricing confirmed in the tool before commitment.
17. Quick-Reference Numbers (dated — confirm before quoting; DS-1 rates flagged pending verification)
- Retail: DS-1/BESH — verify current tariff
- Net metering (pre-2025): full retail, 30-yr grandfather
- Net metering (post-2025): supply-only (~40% less)
- Grandfather + storage rebate: KEEPS full retail (only solar rebate forfeits)
- Storage rebate: $300/kWh (BESH required, check ~90 days post-energization)
- Grid/RTO: PJM (833% capacity spike)
- VPP: category-2 launching (≥$10/kW, exact terms TBD)
- SRECs: solar-only (battery earns none)
- Inverter replacement out-of-pocket: $3,500–5,000
- System takeover bundle: ~$11,800
- Rescue value: $4,000–7,500+
- State credit: none; Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025
- Default config: backup $18,500 / self-consumption $17,000
18. Sell Hard, Sell Honest — the standing rules
- Never coach tenure disqualification. The battery is a resale value-add; on sale the loan pays off, the buyer inherits a fully-owned system, and the net metering transfers with the system.
- Never claim all warranties transfer. Align is non-transferable; workmanship needs written consent; manufacturer per OEM terms.
- Never tell a grandfathered customer a battery costs them net metering — the storage rebate PRESERVES it. This is the #1 correction.
- Never apply the PJM 833% figure to Ameren — that's MISO.
- Never quote specific VPP per-event dollars — only the ≥$10/kW floor is confirmed.
- Never tell a battery-retrofit customer they'll get SRECs — SRECs are solar-only.
- Never quote the federal ITC (expired).
- Always ask the energization date — before or after 1/1/2025 determines the cohort and the (protective) pitch.