Top Tier — Indiana Battery Sales Reference

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M, an AEP company) · Northeast Indiana (Fort Wayne)

Sales reference for reps working Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) territory (northeast Indiana, Fort Wayne area — an AEP company). This is the deep reference — how to sell it up top, full utility detail below. Indiana moved off retail net metering under SEA 309 (the EDG buyback tariff), and I&M is the one Indiana utility with an open residential time-of-use rate — plus it's on PJM, not MISO, which shapes its rate story. Those are the facts that shape the I&M pitch.

What kind of market this is

I&M is a post-net-metering market under Indiana's SEA 309, and it's the one Indiana utility with an open residential time-of-use rate — which gives the battery a second job here. Four defining facts:

1. Indiana ended retail net metering under SEA 309. New solar customers are on EDG (Excess Distributed Generation) — you buy power at full retail but your exports are credited at the utility's EDG rate, far below retail. Grandfather cohorts are statutory and set by install date (see the Cohort Map) — with the biggest cohort's retail netting ending July 1, 2032.
2. The spread is real (~8.6¢) — retail is about 14¢/kWh blended while the EDG credit is about 5.47¢/kWh. Every kWh a battery lets you self-consume instead of export is worth that gap.
3. I&M is the only Indiana utility with an open residential TOU — Tariff R.S.-TOD2, where summer-weekday afternoons (2–6 PM, May–Sep) cost ~24.7¢ while off-peak is ~10.8¢. A battery can cover that narrow, expensive peak — a time-shift savings other Indiana utilities can't offer (~$120/yr stacked on the EDG spread).
4. I&M is on PJM, not MISO — it's the lone Indiana IOU in the PJM grid (the other four are MISO). Its rates track PJM's market and capacity dynamics, and it's in the middle of a rate case (a ~19.7% ask, partly offset by a PJM-rider credit).

Your lead is the spread + the TOU time-shift + rate protection + resilience. EDG means exports earn far less than retail, so a battery that self-consumes captures the ~8.6¢ spread; the R.S.-TOD2 TOU lets a battery also dodge the summer-afternoon peak; the 2032 grandfather cliff is a real clock; and northeast Indiana's derecho exposure makes backup a genuine need.

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. Under Indiana's SEA 309 rules, most solar customers now export their surplus for less than half of what they pay to buy power back — you send power to the grid at about 5.5 cents and buy it back at about 14 (and more than that on a summer afternoon if you're on the time-of-use rate). If you went solar before mid-2022 you may still have the old retail netting, but that has an expiration date now. Either way, your solar does nothing when the grid goes down.

Rep layer: This opener splits by cohort (see Cohort Map). EDG customers: the ~8.6¢ spread (~14¢ retail vs ~5.47¢ EDG) is the leak, plus the TOU peak if they're on R.S.-TOD2. Grandfathered netting customers (NM II): no current leak, but the 7/1/2032 cliff is coming — lead rate protection + resilience + "lock in before the cliff." Objection — "I get credits for my solar." At the EDG rate, which is well under half of what you pay to buy it back — not full retail. That gap is what the battery closes.

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 — and Fort Wayne saw it in 2022. 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. NE IN context: the June 13–14, 2022 derecho knocked out ~25,000–26,000 I&M customers and snapped ~100 poles around Fort Wayne; northeast Indiana also gets ice and severe summer storms. Objection — "We don't get many outages." NE Indiana takes derechos and ice storms — the 2022 derecho snapped 100 poles and took out 25,000+ I&M homes.

The Solution

A battery keeps your power instead of selling it back cheap — and dodges the afternoon peak. Stores your daytime solar and uses it at night and during peak instead of buying at full retail — capturing the spread, and on the TOU rate, dodging the expensive summer-afternoon window.

• Self-consumption: "Use your stored solar in the evening instead of buying it back at more than twice what I&M paid you for it — and if you're on time-of-use, skip that pricey 2-to-6 window."
• Backup: "Keeps your home running when the grid goes down AND captures that spread the rest of the time."

Monthly Cost Chart and Net Bill Breakdown render here.

Rep layer: First cure beat. The I&M mechanism: retail ~14¢ vs EDG ~5.47¢ = ~8.6¢ captured per self-consumed kWh. Plus the R.S.-TOD2 TOU stack: a battery covering the 2–6 PM summer-weekday peak (~24.7¢ vs ~10.8¢ off-peak) adds ~$120/yr. No VPP at I&M (or anywhere in IN) — the value is the spread + the TOU time-shift.

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. I&M rates are climbing — it's in a rate case (a ~19.7% ask), partly offset by a PJM-rider credit, and as a PJM utility its costs track PJM's capacity market. And if you're on the old retail netting, it expires (7/1/2032 for the NM II cohort). A battery locks in the cost of your own power against that.

Rate Justification + Own vs Rent render here.

Rep layer: 25-year case: conservative 3%, moderate 5%, aggressive 7%. I&M drivers: the rate case (Cause 46217, ~19.7%/$263.2M requested) + PJM capacity dynamics. Be honest that a PJM-rider credit cut bills ~3.6% (~$6/mo) in June 2026 — a partial offset to the case. For NM II customers, the 7/1/2032 cliff is the concrete anchor. Note the statewide affordability backdrop (Braun/IURC) tempers but doesn't reverse the trajectory. Objection — "Rates might not go up that much." I&M has a rate case pending and its costs ride PJM's capacity market, which has spiked.

What you actually own. The savings hero — combined value: spread capture + the TOU time-shift (or protected retail netting) + resilience + the takeover bundle.

• Self-consumption: "Maximizes bill savings by capturing the spread and dodging the afternoon peak. 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: I&M combined value = the ~8.6¢ spread + the R.S.-TOD2 TOU time-shift (~$120/yr) + rate protection + resilience. No VPP, no rebate, no state credit anywhere in Indiana. No-backup disclosure fires ONLY for self-consumption config.

Urgency

The clocks that make acting now better than waiting.

The grandfather clock (NM II customers). If you're on the old retail netting from installing between 2018 and mid-2022, it expires July 1, 2032 — then you move to EDG and start losing that ~8.6¢ spread on every exported kWh. A battery lets you lock in your energy independence before that transition.

Rep layer: This beat is strongest for the NM II cohort (retail netting until 7/1/2032). Honest — it's a real statutory date, not manufactured. For customers already on EDG, lead the spread instead. (NM I — pre-2018 — runs until 7/1/2047; rare.)

The rate clock. I&M is in a rate case and its costs ride PJM's capacity market. Every month you wait is a month closer to higher rates with no hedge.

Rep layer: The rate case (Cause 46217) is the documented driver. Be honest about the PJM-rider offset (~3.6% cut in June 2026) — rates are still climbing net, just not in a straight line. Don't manufacture a deadline.

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

1. Verify credit + confirm install date. Run the credit check. And confirm when the solar was installed/interconnected — it determines the SEA 309 cohort (NM I / NM II / EDG), and check whether they're on the R.S.-TOD2 TOU rate, which changes the pitch.
2. Customer reads and signs the service agreement. Walk through the key disclosures honestly — including the EDG buyback terms (exports credited at ~5.47¢, not retail), the 7/1/2032 grandfather cliff for NM II, and that there's no federal tax credit anymore. If they're on R.S.-TOD2, confirm the TOU peak window (2–6 PM weekdays, May–Sep).
3. 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: Indiana Michigan Power (I&M, an AEP company) — regulated by the IURC, PJM (the lone Indiana IOU on PJM; the other four are MISO).
• Territory: Northeast Indiana — Fort Wayne and the northeastern counties (plus southwest Michigan).
• Market type: Post-net-metering under SEA 309 (EDG buyback), statutory grandfather cohorts, no battery VPP. Only open residential TOU in Indiana; PJM (not MISO).
• Default config: Backup-capable ($18,500 / $23,942 / ~$228). Self-consumption-only optional ($17,000 / $22,068 / ~$210).

2. Cohort Map — SEA 309's statutory cohorts (install-date based)

Three cohorts, set by install date under SEA 309 — statutory and uniform across all five Indiana IOUs. Ask the sorting question first.

THE SORTING QUESTION: "When did you install / interconnect your solar?" The SEA 309 cohort follows the install date, and it determines the netting terms.

Cohort 1 — NM I (installed on/before 12/31/2017). Retail "Monthly Netting" grandfathered until July 1, 2047 (IC 8-1-40-14). Rare — few systems this old. Battery value: spread hedge (post-cliff) + resilience + rate protection.

Cohort 2 — NM II (installed 1/1/2018 through 6/30/2022). Retail Monthly Netting until July 1, 2032 (IC 8-1-40-13), then moves to EDG. This is the headline cohort with the live grandfather + a concrete cliff — the "lock in before 7/1/2032" pitch. Battery value: protect the netting position + resilience + hedge the cliff.

Cohort 3 — EDG (installed on/after 7/1/2022). On the EDG tariff from interconnection — instantaneous netting, imports at retail, exports credited at the EDG rate (far below retail). Battery value: capture the ~8.6¢ spread + the TOU time-shift (if on R.S.-TOD2) + resilience + rate protection.

Why this matters — and the framing to get right: SEA 309 closed net metering to new customers on July 1, 2022 by statutory sunset date (IC 8-1-40-11(b)) — NOT because the 1.5%-of-peak aggregate cap "filled" (it generally didn't). Don't tell a customer "the cap ran out." The correct framing: the law set a hard date, and after 6/30/2022 net-metering tariffs expired for new applicants. The cohort dates (7/1/2032 for NM II, 7/1/2047 for NM I) are statutory and firm.

3. Rate Reality + Why Rates Climb

The spread (~8.6¢) plus the TOU time-shift: you export at ~5.47¢ but buy back at ~14¢ blended — an ~8.6¢ gap. And on the open R.S.-TOD2 TOU rate, summer-weekday afternoons (2–6 PM, May–Sep) run ~24.7¢ vs ~10.8¢ off-peak, so a battery covering that narrow peak adds ~$120/yr on top of the spread. The EDG rate updates annually (I&M files ~March 1, effective ~July 1), computed as 1.25× the utility's average marginal price (IC 8-1-40-17) — so quote it as "about 5.5 cents, updated yearly." Note I&M's EDG tracks PJM market prices (it's a PJM utility), not MISO like the rest of Indiana.

What's driving I&M's rate increases (named forward drivers):

1. The rate case (Cause 46217) — I&M filed for ~19.7% / ~$263.2M (April 2025; IURC order dated 11/19/2025, final approved amount still being confirmed). This is the main forward driver.
2. PJM capacity market — as the lone Indiana utility on PJM, I&M's costs track PJM's capacity auctions, which have spiked recently. This is I&M-specific (the four MISO utilities don't share it).
3. A partial offset — a PJM/OSS cost-rider credit cut residential bills ~3.6% (~$6/mo) effective June 2026 — say this honestly; it softens (doesn't cancel) the rate-case increase.
4. Grid modernization — reliability and distribution investment recovered through rates.

The affordability backdrop (say this honestly): Indiana has an active affordability push — Gov. Mike Braun (R) campaigned on it, there was a March 2026 IURC affordability hearing, and the IURC has cut utility rate-case asks (AES ~63%, Duke ~28%→~14%). This tempers the rate trajectory but doesn't reverse it. Don't overclaim doom.

Documented vs. speculation (say this right):

• ✅ "I&M has an open time-of-use rate a battery can take advantage of — the only one in Indiana" (documented from tariff)
• ✅ "I&M is on PJM; its rates track PJM's capacity market" (documented)
• ✅ "I&M has a rate case pending (~19.7% ask), partly offset by a PJM-rider credit" (documented)
• ❌ "You'll see the full 19.7% increase" (the ask isn't the approved amount; a rider offsets part)
• ❌ "Your bill will be $X by 2032" (speculation)

4. Bill Anatomy — Reading an I&M Bill

Why an EDG customer still has a bill even with solar. An EDG (post-2022) I&M bill has:

1. The $15/mo customer charge — every month, solar or not.
2. Energy bought from I&M at the ~14¢/kWh blended retail rate — or on TOU, at ~24.7¢ during the 2–6 PM summer-weekday peak — nighttime, cloudy, and evening hours when solar is fading.
3. An EDG export credit at ~5.47¢/kWh — your exported surplus credited at well under half of retail, netted instantaneously (not monthly).

The leak: you export surplus at ~5.47¢ but buy back at ~14¢ (more on a TOU peak afternoon) — losing ~8.6¢+ on every kWh. The battery fixes this by storing surplus for self-use (worth the full retail avoided) instead of exporting it cheap — and on TOU, by discharging during the expensive 2–6 PM window. For grandfathered NM II customers (until 7/1/2032): no current leak — the battery's value is resilience + protecting the netting position before the cliff.

How to read the customer's bill (the page-2 skill):

• Confirm the cohort — install date sets it; check whether they're on retail netting (grandfathered) or EDG.
• Check whether they're on R.S.-TOD2 (TOU) — if the bill shows on-peak/off-peak pricing, the battery's TOU time-shift stacks on top of the spread (see Plays). This is unique to I&M in Indiana.
• Find the EDG credit line — exports at ~5.47¢ means they're on EDG (spread pitch applies).

Seasonal shape (NE IN): hot, humid summers (AC load, and the TOU peak is summer-only May–Sep) and cold winters. A solar customer's bill and TOU exposure are both highest in summer. The battery's self-consumption value runs year-round; its TOU value concentrates in summer; its resilience value concentrates in the derecho/severe-storm and ice seasons.

5. The Savings Story — Worked 25-Year Analysis

The savings story is spread capture plus the TOU time-shift — I&M's ~8.6¢ spread plus the only open residential TOU in Indiana (~$120/yr from covering the summer-afternoon peak).

Representative EDG customer: ~1,100 kWh/mo, ~14¢ blended retail, ~5.47¢ EDG exports; +~$120/yr if on R.S.-TOD2 TOU.

Without battery — annual bill, three rate-growth scenarios:

With battery — annual net cost (spread self-consumption + TOU time-shift; no VPP income in Indiana):

Cumulative 25-year comparison (bill only; TOU stack included; no VPP or rebates in Indiana):

Indiana has no VPP income, no battery rebate, and no state tax credit — the savings are spread capture plus the R.S.-TOD2 TOU time-shift (~$120/yr), unique to I&M in Indiana. Rates flagged; the tool computes the customer's actual figure.

Break-even calendar (approximate; the wide spread accelerates it):

The Year-1 honesty script (I&M version):

"Here's the honest math. Under Indiana's rules, you export your extra solar at about 5.5 cents but buy it back at about 14 — a battery that keeps your power instead of selling it back saves you that spread. And you're on the one Indiana utility with a time-of-use rate, so the battery also lets you skip that expensive 2-to-6 summer-afternoon window — real extra savings the other utilities can't offer. Indiana doesn't have battery credit programs, so this is straight bill savings. Your total with the loan may be roughly flat the first year, then pulls ahead as I&M's rates climb — they've got a rate case in and they're on PJM, whose capacity market has spiked. Plus backup after that 2022 derecho snapped 100 poles here."

6. Pitch Framework — Archetypes

Archetype A — EDG customer on TOU (installed after mid-2022, R.S.-TOD2).

• On EDG and the time-of-use rate — the best-fit customer at I&M.
• Fit: strongest at I&M — spread + TOU stack.
• Opening: "You're exporting at about 5.5 cents and buying back at 14 — and on your time-of-use rate, a summer afternoon costs almost 25 cents. A battery keeps your power AND skips that peak window. That's two savings other Indiana utilities can't give you."

Archetype B — NM II grandfathered (installed 2018–mid-2022).

• On retail netting until 7/1/2032, worried about the coming transition.
• Fit: strong — protect + hedge the cliff.
• Opening: "You've got the old retail netting, but it expires July 1, 2032 — then you're on the same 5-cent export rate everyone else fights. A battery lets you lock in your independence before that, plus backup now."

Archetype C — Reliability-motivated (post-2022 derecho).

• Fort Wayne area; lived through the 2022 derecho or regular ice storms; values backup.
• Fit: strong.
• Opening: "That 2022 derecho snapped 100 poles and knocked out 25,000 I&M homes around Fort Wayne. A battery keeps your essentials running through the next one."

7. Market-Specific Plays — the I&M edge

PLAY 1 — The TOU time-shift (the I&M differentiator). I&M is the only Indiana utility with an open residential time-of-use rate (R.S.-TOD2): summer weekday afternoons (2–6 PM, May–Sep) run ~24.7¢ while off-peak is ~10.8¢. A battery charged on cheap solar/off-peak power and discharged during that 2–6 window shaves the most expensive hours — worth ~$120/yr on top of the EDG spread. No other Indiana utility can offer this. Frame it: "You're the one utility in Indiana with a time-of-use rate, so your battery has a second job — skipping the pricey summer afternoons — that a battery in the rest of the state can't do." Screen for whether they're on R.S.-TOD2.

PLAY 2 — The PJM distinction (the rate story). I&M is the lone Indiana utility on PJM (the rest are MISO). Its rates track PJM's capacity market, which has spiked, and it's in a rate case (~19.7% ask). Be honest: a PJM-rider credit cut bills ~3.6% in June 2026, softening it. The point for the customer: "Your utility's costs ride the PJM market, which has been climbing — a battery hedges that." Don't quote the full 19.7% as if approved; the ask isn't the outcome.

PLAY 3 — The 2032 grandfather cliff (for NM II). NM II customers keep retail netting until 7/1/2032, then drop to EDG. That's the concrete "lock in before the cliff" anchor — a real statutory date, honestly framed.

PLAY 4 — The spread (the everyday case). I&M's ~8.6¢ retail-to-EDG spread (~14¢ retail vs ~5.47¢ export) is the base self-consumption case even without TOU. Every self-consumed kWh saves that gap.

8. Incentives & Programs

• Battery VPP — none (Category 3): I&M has no residential battery VPP or storage incentive (nor does any Indiana utility). The value is spread capture + the TOU time-shift + resilience — no VPP income to promise. Frame honestly.
• R.S.-TOD2 time-of-use rate (open): not an incentive, but the one rate structure in Indiana a battery can arbitrage. Screen for it.
• No Indiana state tax credit and no utility battery rebate anywhere in Indiana.
• 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):

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:

This is independent of bill savings — the rescue alone can be worth $4,000–7,500.

10. Outage Reality — Resilience in Northeast Indiana

Why outages happen here. Northeast Indiana's grid faces:

• The June 13–14, 2022 derecho — knocked out ~25,000–26,000 I&M customers and snapped ~100 poles around Fort Wayne; the recent, concrete resilience anchor.
• Severe thunderstorms + derechos — northeast Indiana sits in the derecho and severe-storm belt; summer wind events bring down lines.
• Ice + winter storms — NE Indiana takes ice storms that load lines and cause multi-day outages; short winter daylight means solar-only customers have no power in a daytime outage.
• Tornadoes — the region gets tornadoes in the spring/summer severe season.

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/furnace fan, 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 running through an outage, and with your solar it can carry you through a multi-day event. After that 2022 derecho snapped 100 poles and took out 25,000 homes around Fort Wayne, you know that's not hypothetical." Derecho and ice season is the key framing in northeast Indiana — both bring the multi-day outages a battery is built for.

11. Hidden Costs Avoided / What You Own vs What You Rent

• What you rent: grid power on I&M's climbing rates (rate case + PJM capacity market), with exports credited at ~5.47¢ (well under half of retail), the summer-afternoon TOU peak, and no protection when the grid fails.
• What you own (with the battery): your production, stored and used at today's locked cost, capturing the ~8.6¢ spread and dodging the TOU peak — plus backup, plus (grandfathered) your protected retail netting until the cliff.
• Hidden costs avoided: the $11K takeover bundle + exposure to the rate climb + the ~8.6¢ spread + the TOU peak on every summer afternoon.

12. Battery Products

• Backup config (I&M default — resilience + self-consumption + TOU): 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).
• No VPP eligibility to match — Indiana has no battery VPP, so config choice is about backup + self-consumption capacity, not program enrollment. Confirm config in the tool.

13. Objection Handling

Universal objections (swap in I&M figures) + Indiana-specific objections.

"I have net metering — why would I add a battery?" (IN-specific — cohort-dependent)

"It depends when you went solar. If you installed after mid-2022, you're on EDG — exporting at about 5.5 cents, buying back at 14. A battery keeps that power instead. And you're on the one Indiana utility with a time-of-use rate, so the battery also skips that pricey summer-afternoon window. If you're on the old netting from before mid-2022, it expires July 1, 2032, so a battery locks in your independence before that. Either way you get backup after that 2022 derecho."

"Does the battery earn me money through a program?" (IN-specific — honest no-VPP)

"Not through a utility program — Indiana doesn't have the battery credit programs some states do. Your savings come from using your own stored power instead of buying it back at more than twice the price — and because you're on time-of-use, from dodging that expensive 2-to-6 summer peak. That TOU angle is unique to your utility in Indiana. But I'm not going to tell you there's a monthly check that isn't there."

"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 — Indiana doesn't have a state credit or rebate to offset it, so the savings come from the spread and the rate protection."

"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. Your netting cohort stays with the system, so a grandfathered NM II position can transfer. 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

16. Required Disclosures

1. ☐ Savings are estimates; I&M rates + the EDG credit should be verified against current tariffs (EDG updates annually ~July 1; I&M tracks PJM prices).
2. ☐ 25-year projections are scenarios, not guarantees; depend on IURC rate cases.
3. ☐ Indiana net metering closed to new customers 7/1/2022 by statute (SEA 309); retail netting is grandfathered by cohort (NM I until 7/1/2047; NM II until 7/1/2032), then moves to EDG.
4. ☐ EDG credits exports below retail (~5.47¢ vs ~14¢ retail at I&M), netted instantaneously, updated annually. I&M's EDG tracks PJM market prices.
5. ☐ Indiana has no residential battery VPP, no utility battery rebate, and no state tax credit. No federal ITC after 12/31/2025.
6. ☐ R.S.-TOD2 TOU savings (~$120/yr) apply only to customers on that rate; the peak window is 2–6 PM weekdays, May–Sep.
7. ☐ Align Solar Protection is non-transferable; workmanship warranty transfer requires written consent; manufacturer warranties transfer per OEM terms; netting cohort transfers with the system.
8. ☐ Align coverage is contingent on inspection + age limits (panels <15 yr, inverters <7 yr); one of three coverage layers, not full coverage.
9. ☐ Backup duration depends on system sizing and load; whole-home indefinite backup is not implied.
10. ☐ Pricing confirmed in the tool before commitment.

17. Quick-Reference Numbers (dated — confirm before quoting)

• Net metering: closed 7/1/2022 (SEA 309, EDG for new installs)
• Grandfather cohorts: NM I → 7/1/2047; NM II → 7/1/2032 (statutory)
• EDG export credit: ~5.47¢/kWh (PJM basis, updated annually)
• Retail rate: ~14¢/kWh blended + $15/mo
• Retail−EDG spread: ~8.6¢
• TOU (R.S.-TOD2, open): on-peak 24.746¢ (2–6 PM wkdys May–Sep), off-peak 10.764¢ — ~$120/yr battery stack
• Grid: PJM (the only IN IOU on PJM; rest are MISO)
• Rate case: Cause 46217, ~19.7% ask, ~3.6% PJM-rider offset (June 2026)
• Battery VPP: none (Cat 3); state credit: none; utility rebate: none
• Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025
• Inverter replacement out-of-pocket: $3,500–5,000
• System takeover bundle: ~$11,800
• 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 netting cohort transfers with the system.
• Never claim all warranties transfer. Align is non-transferable; workmanship needs written consent; manufacturer per OEM terms.
• Never say "the net-metering cap filled" — Indiana closed it by statutory date (7/1/2022), not because a cap ran out.
• Never imply Indiana has a battery VPP or rebate — there's none; the value is the spread + TOU + resilience.
• Never say I&M tracks MISO — it's the lone Indiana utility on PJM; its EDG and capacity costs track PJM.
• Never quote the full 19.7% rate-case ask as approved — the ask isn't the outcome, and a PJM-rider credit offsets part.
• Never quote the federal ITC (expired).
• Always confirm the install date — it sets the SEA 309 cohort and the pitch.