NHEC Battery Sales Reference

New Hampshire Electric Co-op — Central & Northern NH, Lakes Region · Q3 2026 · Internal Use Only

What kind of market this is

• A member-owned co-op that writes its own rules — including its own net metering → NHEC isn't under PUC rate jurisdiction; its programs are member-governed, and we quote zero dollars until its current rate schedule is verified
• The co-op runs a Net Metering Time of Day option that pays more for weekday-peak exports → genuinely battery-friendly structure — a battery can aim exports and self-consumption at the valuable hours — quantified only from the member's own statements
• Their territory is the most outage-exposed in the state — rural lines through forest, Lakes Region to the North Country → winter resilience is the lead pillar here, full stop
• Nobody's standing behind their system → Top Tier takes it over: fresh 10-year workmanship warranty after inspection, Align Solar Protection standard, one number to call

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.
• ❌ 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.
• ❌ NEVER promise takeover before inspection. Top Tier can decline non-compliant systems with written notice within 7 days.
• ❌ NEVER quote dollar savings, rates, or credit values in this territory. NHEC's current Schedule of Rates is pending verification. Structure yes, dollars no — everything computes from the member's own statements at proposal time.
• ❌ NEVER apply IOU net metering rules here. The PUC formula (100/100/25) and the RSA statutory cohort dates govern the investor-owned utilities. NHEC sets its own member-governed net metering terms — do not import the IOU story, including the 2040 statutory lock, into co-op territory.
• ❌ NEVER quote the NHCEF $3,000 here. It requires an Eversource NH account. NHEC members are not eligible.
• ❌ NEVER pitch the Transactive Energy Pilot or any NHEC pilot as available income. Pilot status and enrollment are unconfirmed. If a member mentions it, note it's a co-op innovation worth asking NHEC about — quote nothing.
• ❌ NEVER promise locked or grandfathered terms. NHEC's board can revise member programs; we have no confirmed grandfather structure here. The honest register: member-governed, currently favorable in structure, verified per member.
• ❌ NEVER claim a state rebate or federal credit. SB 303 repealed the rebate; the ITC expired 12/31/2025.
• ❌ NEVER disparage the co-op. Members often have genuine loyalty to NHEC — it's their co-op. We sell alongside that relationship, never against it.

Go get the sale. A battery is a strong product — clean energy, independence, backup, long-term savings. 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 A — The Pitch

The Problem

Your lines run through the hardest miles in New Hampshire. NHEC territory is rural by definition — the Lakes Region, the North Country, forest roads with long radial lines and a lot of trees per member. When ice or wind comes, co-op territory is hit early and restored late: December 2008 blacked out 400,000+ customers statewide with fourteen-day restorations, and October 2017's winds knocked out 230,000+ with 100+ hour outages — and rural members waited longest.

Rep layer: In NHEC territory the outage conversation needs no setup — ask how long they were out in 2008 or 2017 and listen. Many have generator stories; that's your comparison teed up.

Winter outages here aren't inconvenience — they're property risk. Multi-day cold-weather outages mean frozen pipes, dead well pumps, and unheated homes — and grid-tied solar shuts off with the grid every single time. Panels on the roof, no power in the house.

Rep layer: Most solar members have never been told their panels won't run in a blackout. Let it land before you fix it.

Your solar's value depends on rules your co-op can change. NHEC runs its own net metering — including a Time of Day option that values weekday-peak exports above off-peak ones. That's member-governed structure: currently thoughtful, genuinely battery-relevant, and set by the co-op's board rather than by statute. The exact credit values live in NHEC's current rate schedule, which we verify with the member's own statements.

Rep layer: The co-op angle cuts both ways honestly — member governance means responsiveness AND revisability. Frame it straight: "your co-op designed a rate that rewards power at the right hours — a battery is the tool built for exactly that design."

Nobody's standing behind your system. The installer shakeout reached the North Country too — orphaned systems, expired warranties, aging inverters, long drives for any service at all.

Rep layer: Rural service scarcity makes the rescue worth more here than anywhere — the takeover seed plants itself.

The Solution

The battery runs the house through the outage your territory is famous for. Heat circulation, well pump, refrigeration, lights — through the ice storm, recharging from the roof every daylight hour of a multi-day event, silent, no generator fuel run on iced roads.

Rep layer: This is the purchase in NHEC territory — lead with it, close with it. Well pump and heat first; the generator comparison writes itself: no fuel, no noise, no morning cord-pulls at ten below.

The battery is built for the co-op's own rate design. NHEC's Net Metering Time of Day values weekday-peak energy most — and a battery is the only device that lets a solar home choose when its power shows up: self-consuming or exporting into the valuable window instead of dumping everything at midday. The exact dollars come from the member's statements and NHEC's current schedule.

Rep layer: Structure-first pitch: "your co-op already built the rate that rewards this — we're adding the hardware that plays it." Zero invented numbers; the member's own statement carries the math.

Stored power is yours no matter how programs evolve. Member-governed terms can change; self-consumed kWh from your own roof and battery are the part of the bill no rate redesign touches.

Rep layer: The hedge register, co-op edition — never a threat ("the board will cut your credits"), always ownership ("this part is yours regardless").

We take it over and stand behind it — from a company that shows up. Fresh 10-year workmanship and roof-penetration warranty at takeover (after inspection), the 5-year Align Solar Protection contract standard ($0 deductible, insurance-backed, non-transferable), OEM-warranty coordination, one number to call — in a territory where service visits are rare and precious.

Rep layer: Transfer precision as always. And say the quiet part: "when something fails up here, the question is who drives out. That's us."

Urgency

The storm clock — the real one. NHEC territory takes the state's outages first and longest. A battery installed before ice season protects this winter; one considered in January arrives after.

The direction-of-travel clock. No rebate, no ITC, no program to wait for. Nothing pending improves this purchase.

What we never do: invent deadlines, borrow Eversource's funding clock, or turn member governance into a fear pitch. NHEC territory's urgency is honest and singular: winter is coming, and it always keeps the appointment.

The Close

Step 1 — The territory. "You know what outages look like up here — 2008, 2017, and every ice storm since. Your solar shuts off with the grid every time. The battery is the piece that changes that."

Step 2 — The co-op's own design. "NHEC built a net metering option that pays more for power at the right hours. A battery is the only way a solar home can actually aim its power at those hours — and we compute the dollars from your own statements, not a brochure."

Step 3 — The stack. "So: a house that runs through the next multi-day outage — well pump, heat, lights — hardware built for your co-op's own rate design, and a 10-year warranty on the whole system from a company that drives up here. That's the purchase."

Sell Hard, Sell Honest

NHEC is the resilience market, sold with co-op respect and zero invented numbers. The member's relationship with their co-op is an asset — NHEC's TOD design genuinely favors batteries, and saying so honestly aligns us with the co-op instead of against it. Discipline: no dollar claims until the rate schedule pins, no IOU rules imported into co-op territory, no grandfather promises, no pilot income, and never a word against the co-op. The stack that closes here is the oldest one in the book: winter, ownership, and somebody who shows up — with the co-op's own rate design as the modern kicker.

PART B — The Deep Reference

1. Orientation

• Utility: New Hampshire Electric Cooperative — member-owned, central and northern NH, Lakes Region into the North Country.
• Market type: Qualitative resilience-first — co-op sets its own NEM terms (including a Time of Day option), rates pending verification; zero-dollar-claims register.
• Default config: backup-capable ($18,500 / $23,942 / ~$228); self-consumption ($17,000 / $22,068 / ~$210). Backup capacity prioritized — this is the most outage-exposed territory in the state.
• Battery brand: no incentive attaches to battery brand — recommend on fit, with backup capacity prioritized.

2. How the NHEC Bill Works

Member statement structure: a member service charge plus energy charges built from the co-op's own components (Co-op Power supply, distribution, regional access) — current values pending verification from NHEC's Schedule of Rates; the member's statement is the rate card at proposal time. NHEC is not PUC rate-jurisdictional: rates and programs are set by the co-op's member-elected board. Some members participate in NHEC's optional time-differentiated programs — the statement shows which.

3. Net Metering — the Co-op's Own

NHEC runs its own net metering for solar/battery members, separate from the IOU framework — the PUC formula and RSA cohort dates do NOT apply here. Two confirmed structural facts: (1) a standard co-op net metering program exists; (2) a Net Metering Time of Day option exists under which members earn higher credits for exports during weekday peak hours — a structure that directly rewards battery-timed power. Credit values, netting mechanics, and any legacy-member treatment: pending verification from NHEC's published program terms; verified per member at proposal time. No grandfather structure is confirmed — quote none.

4. Rate Reality + The Honest Math

The honest math is the method: (1) read the member's statement components; (2) identify standard vs. TOD program enrollment; (3) if TOD, the battery story computes from the printed peak/off-peak credit differential; (4) self-consumption value = the member's retail energy components avoided. No pre-computed dollars exist in this guide by design; the refinement queue holds the Schedule of Rates pull that upgrades this territory to full math.

5. Incentives & Programs — the Straight Talk

No battery purchase incentive exists in NHEC territory. NHCEF is Eversource-only (active Eversource account required). NHEC's innovation pilots (including a Transactive Energy Pilot exploring hourly pricing) have unconfirmed current status — interesting co-op forward-motion, quotable as zero dollars. No state rebate (SB 303, permanent), no ITC (expired 12/31/2025). No sales tax in New Hampshire — the entire purchase. Optional municipal property-tax exemption (RSA 72:62) — member checks with their town. The pitch runs entirely on structure, winter, and ownership — nothing in it can be defunded.

6. 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 market-specific.

The Orphaned Solar Customer Problem. Many 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."

Quantifying the rescue value:

This is independent of bill savings — the rescue alone can be worth $4,000–7,500. NHEC-specific: rural service scarcity makes an orphaned system costlier here than anywhere — long drives, few installers, aging boom-era inverters, post-ITC replacement economics gone.

7. Outage Reality

December 2008 ice storm: 400,000+ out statewide, 211 of 256 municipalities, fourteen-day restorations — rural co-op territory restored last. October 2017 windstorm: 230,000+ out statewide, 100+ hour outages, NHEC's forested territory among the hardest hit. Long radial lines through woods mean co-op members face the state's highest outage exposure, and winter outages here are frozen-pipe and safety events. Grid-tied solar shuts off in every one; solar plus battery carries well pump, heat circulation, refrigeration, and lights through restoration, recharging from the roof daily — no fuel runs on iced roads, no generator noise across the lake.

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

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."

9. Battery Products

• Backup config (the point — this is the most outage-exposed territory in the state): Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh; Redline: $20,500), FranklinWH aPower 2 (15 kWh; Redline: $20,500). Not compatible with HDM.

• Self-consumption config: Enphase IQ 5P (10 kWh; Redline: $15,500 SC / $17,600 BU), SolarEdge Home Battery (9.7 kWh usable; Redline: $14,500 SC / $16,000 BU), SolarEdge Nexis (self-consumption only pending crew backup training; Redline: $15,500 SC).

• NHEC note: no incentive attaches to battery brand — recommend on fit, prioritizing backup capacity and multi-day outage performance in this territory. Confirm config in the tool.

• Financing terms vary by lender — price deals through the proposal tool.

10. Objection Handling

"What will I actually save?"

"Honest answer: we compute it from your NHEC statement — your co-op sets its own rates and I won't quote numbers I haven't verified. What I can tell you without any math: your solar shuts off in every outage, and up here that's the expensive problem. The battery fixes that regardless of what the rate math says."

"I have a generator."

"Then you know the routine — fuel runs on iced roads, the cold-morning start, the noise. The battery starts itself in milliseconds, runs silent, refuels from your roof every daylight hour of a multi-day outage, and on the days the grid works it's still earning its keep against your bill. Plenty of members keep both — battery first, generator as the deep reserve."

"My neighbor got $3,000 for their battery."

"They're an Eversource customer — that fund requires an Eversource account, so it's not available to co-op members. What you have instead is a co-op that built a time-of-day net metering option a battery is genuinely made for — and the state's best reason to own backup power."

"Will the co-op change the net metering rules?"

"They could — it's member-governed, which means it's responsive in both directions, and I won't promise you otherwise. Two things hold either way: the power you store and use yourself is yours regardless of any rate design, and the backup value doesn't depend on net metering at all."

"I'll think about it until spring."

"That's exactly the season order that catches people — the outages this battery is for happen between now and spring. There's no program deadline up here; there's just ice season, and it's never missed a year."

11. DO SAY / NEVER SAY

12. Required Disclosures

1. ☐ NHEC rates, net metering credit values, and program terms are set by the cooperative and verified from the member's current statement and NHEC's published schedule at proposal time; no savings figures are estimated in advance in this territory.
2. ☐ NHEC net metering and time-of-day program terms are member-governed and may be revised by the cooperative; no rate lock or grandfather protection is promised.
3. ☐ No utility, state, or federal battery incentive or compensation program currently exists for NHEC members. The NHCEF incentive requires an Eversource NH account.
4. ☐ NHEC pilot programs are not offered or quoted as part of this proposal; any participation is between the member and the cooperative.
5. ☐ System takeover is contingent on passing Top Tier's site inspection; Top Tier may decline non-compliant systems with written notice within 7 days.
6. ☐ The Align Solar Protection contract is non-transferable and does not extend original equipment manufacturers' warranties. Workmanship warranty transfer requires written consent.
7. ☐ Backup power capability depends on selected equipment and configuration; not all home loads may be backed up simultaneously; backup duration depends on battery capacity, loads, and solar recharge conditions.

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

• THE REGISTER: QUALITATIVE RESILIENCE-FIRST — co-op sets own NEM, all rates pending, zero pre-computed figures, winter leads
• Rates: ALL PENDING — member statement is the rate card; zero dollars quoted (channel: NHEC Schedule of Rates, eff 8/1/2025 revision).
• Structure pinned: co-op sets own NEM (IOU formula/cohorts do NOT apply); Net Metering Time of Day option exists — higher credits for weekday-peak exports; Transactive pilot status unconfirmed — zero quoted.
• Programs: NONE for battery purchase; NHCEF = Eversource-only. No state rebate, no ITC, NO SALES TAX.
• No grandfather structure confirmed — none quoted.
• Default config: backup-capable ($18,500 / $23,942 / ~$228), capacity-prioritized.
• Rescue expected value $4,000–7,500+ (worth most in rural territory).
• Storm anchors: Dec 2008 (400K+ statewide, 14 days, rural restored last), Oct 2017 (230K+ statewide, 100+ hr, forested co-op territory hard-hit).

14. Sell Hard, Sell Honest

(See PART A closing — the register holds: winter leads, the co-op is respected, the TOD design is praised and unquantified, dollars wait for the member's own statement, and ownership carries what programs can't.)

Customer Archetypes

The Long-Outage Veteran. Days dark in 2008 or 2017, maybe both. The purchase is already made in their memory — connect solar-shuts-off to battery-doesn't.

The Generator Household. Owns the routine and its annoyances. Battery-first, generator-as-reserve — the upgrade pitch, not the replacement pitch.

The TOD Member. Enrolled in the co-op's time-of-day program — their statement prints the differential, and the battery-aims-your-power story computes from their own paper. The best quantitative conversation available here.

The Co-op Loyalist. Proud member, maybe attends the annual meeting. Sell WITH the co-op: "they built the rate; we're adding the hardware it rewards."

The Eversource-Envious. Heard about the $3,000. Honest geography, pivot to winter and the TOD design.

The Orphan. Installer gone, service an hour's drive away on a good day. The rescue is worth more here than anywhere in the book.

Reading the Statement (rep skill)

(1) Member service charge — the fixed line. (2) Energy components — Co-op Power / distribution / regional access; the self-consumption value lives here. (3) Program enrollment — standard NEM or Time of Day; TOD statements print the differential that makes the battery case. (4) Export credits — effective value per kWh, computed live. (5) Usage history — winter peaks size the backup; outage memories size the resolve.

Final Thoughts

NHEC is the book's purest resilience market: the most outage-exposed territory in the state, a member-owned co-op whose own rate design rewards exactly what a battery does, and no programs to lean on or lose. Sell winter first and always, respect the co-op, praise the TOD design without quantifying it, compute every dollar from the member's own statement, and let the rescue carry the orphans at the end of the long roads. Up here the pitch is as old as the territory: the lights stay on, the pipes don't freeze, and somebody answers the phone. The straight version is the strong version.