Top Tier — South Carolina Battery Sales Reference

Dominion Energy South Carolina · Midlands & Lowcountry (Columbia · Charleston area)

Sales reference for reps working Dominion Energy SC territory. This is the deep reference — how to sell it up top, full utility detail below. SC moved off retail net metering under Act 62 (the Solar Choice tariff), and Dominion has a distinctive Super-Off-Peak overnight window (1–5 a.m.) that's a real battery-charging play — the two facts that shape the Dominion pitch.

What kind of market this is

Dominion Energy SC is a net-billing market under Act 62's Solar Choice TOU tariff, with statutory grandfather cohorts and a distinctive 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak window that makes a battery-charging arbitrage play. Four defining facts:

1. SC moved off retail net metering under Act 62. New solar customers are on the Solar Choice TOU tariff (net billing, not 1:1 retail). Grandfather cohorts are statutory and set by application date (see the Cohort Map) — with the biggest cohort's full-retail deal ending 5/31/2029.
2. Solar Choice is a TOU rate with a Super-Off-Peak window (1–5 a.m.) and a summer on-peak (4–8 p.m.). That structure is a real battery play: charge cheap overnight (or from solar), discharge into the expensive on-peak evening. Because solar can't offset the 1–5 a.m. window (sun's down), the battery is the only way to exploit it.
3. The SC 25% state tax credit (TC-38) is live and has no expiration — the only tax incentive left for SC buyers now that the federal ITC has expired. It covers the solar portion; the battery portion isn't confirmed (verify with a tax advisor).
4. Hurricane Helene (Sept 2024) hit Dominion SC hard — ~446,000 customers out (about 54% of its SC customers), the largest restoration in company history; resilience is a lived, recent concern.

Your lead is rate protection + TOU arbitrage + resilience. Net billing means exports earn less than retail, so a battery that self-consumes captures the spread; the Super-Off-Peak/on-peak TOU spread adds an arbitrage angle; the 25% state credit offsets cost; and after Helene, backup is a concrete 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 South Carolina's Solar Choice rules, most solar customers now export their surplus for less than they pay to buy power back — you send power to the grid cheap and buy it back at full price. If you went solar years ago you may still have the old full-retail deal, 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). Net-billing customers: the export-vs-retail spread is the leak. Grandfathered full-retail customers: no current leak, but the 5/31/2029 cliff (for the biggest cohort) is coming — lead rate protection + VPP + resilience + "lock in before the cliff." Objection — "I get credits for my solar." At the Solar Choice export rate, which is below retail — not the full rate you pay to buy it back. 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 after Helene, you know why that matters. 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. Midlands/Lowcountry context: Hurricane Helene (Sept 2024) knocked out ~446,000 Dominion SC customers — about 54% of its SC base, the largest restoration in the company's history, with days-long outages. The Charleston-area Lowcountry is directly hurricane-exposed and carries the Hugo (1989) memory. Objection — "We don't get many outages." After Helene took out over half of Dominion's customers, most take it seriously.

The Solution

A battery keeps your power — and plays the TOU spread. Stores your daytime solar (or charges from the cheap 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak rate) and discharges into the expensive 4–8 p.m. summer on-peak window instead of buying at the top rate.

• Self-consumption: "Use your stored solar during the expensive on-peak evening instead of buying at the top rate — and charge cheap overnight."
• Backup: "Keeps your home running when the grid goes down AND plays the TOU spread the rest of the time."

Monthly Cost Chart and Net Bill Breakdown render here.

Rep layer: First cure beat. The Dominion mechanism: the Solar Choice TOU rate has a 4–8 p.m. summer on-peak (expensive) and a 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak (cheap). A battery charges from solar or overnight and discharges into the on-peak, avoiding the top rate. Solar alone can't touch the 1–5 a.m. window (sun's down), so the battery is the only way to exploit that overnight rate. No live VPP at Dominion (unlike Duke SC) — the value is spread + TOU arbitrage + resilience.

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. Dominion SC rates are climbing — a 7.6% increase took effect July 2026, plus the Canadys gas plant (whose cost doubled from $2.5B to $5B) and Helene recovery. And if you're on the old full-retail deal, it expires (5/31/2029 for the biggest 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%. Dominion drivers: the 7.6% July-2026 increase + the Canadys gas plant ($2.5B→$5B) + Helene recovery + demand +25% by 2044. For grandfathered customers, the 5/31/2029 cliff is the concrete rate-protection anchor. Objection — "Rates might not go up that much." Dominion just raised 7.6% and its Canadys plant cost doubled — the trend is up.

What you actually own. The savings hero — combined value: net-billing spread capture (or protected full-retail) + TOU arbitrage (Super-Off-Peak → on-peak) + the 25% state credit + resilience + the takeover bundle.

• Self-consumption: "Maximizes bill savings + TOU arbitrage. 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: Dominion combined value = spread + TOU arbitrage + state credit + resilience. The Super-Off-Peak window is the differentiator. No-backup disclosure fires ONLY for self-consumption config.

Urgency

The clocks that make acting now better than waiting.

The grandfather clock (grandfathered customers). If you're on the old full-retail net metering, it has an expiration date — 5/31/2029 for the biggest cohort. A battery lets you lock in your energy independence before that transition.

Rep layer: This beat is strongest for the 5/16/2019–5/31/2021 cohort (full-retail until 5/31/2029). Honest — it's a real statutory date, not manufactured. For customers already on Solar Choice, lead the spread + VPP instead.

The rate clock. Dominion rates are climbing — a 7.6% settlement increase took effect July 2026 (~$12/mo), plus generation buildout (the Canadys gas plant) and Helene recovery. Every month you wait is a month closer to higher rates with no hedge.

Rep layer: The 7.6% July-2026 increase is concrete, documented urgency. Dominion also had a bigger ask (12.73%) settled down to 7.6% — the pressure is real and ongoing.

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 application date. Run the credit check. And confirm when the solar was interconnected/applied — it determines the Act 62 cohort and the pitch.
2. Customer reads and signs the service agreement. Walk through the key disclosures honestly — including the Solar Choice TOU terms (on-peak 4–8 p.m. summer, Super-Off-Peak 1–5 a.m.), and that the 25% state credit covers the solar portion (battery portion to be verified with a tax advisor).
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: Dominion Energy South Carolina (DESC) — SC PSC-regulated (formerly SCE&G).
• Territory: the Midlands (Columbia) and parts of the Lowcountry (Charleston area) — central and coastal-central SC.
• Market type: Net billing under Act 62's Solar Choice TOU tariff (with a 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak window), statutory grandfather cohorts. No live battery VPP.
• Default config: Backup-capable ($18,500 / $23,942 / ~$228). Self-consumption-only optional ($17,000 / $22,068 / ~$210).

2. Cohort Map — Act 62's statutory cohorts (SC dates, NOT the NC Duke dates)

Three cohorts, set by application date under Act 62 — statutory and uniform across all three SC IOUs. Ask the sorting question first.

THE SORTING QUESTION: "When did you apply for / interconnect your solar?" The Act 62 cohort follows the application date, and it determines the net-metering terms.

Cohort 1 — NEM 1.0 (applied before 5/16/2019). Had full-retail 1:1 net metering until 12/31/2025, then moved to the Solar Choice TOU rate on 1/1/2026. So this cohort is now (2026+) on Solar Choice TOU. Battery value: spread capture + VPP + resilience + rate protection.

Cohort 2 — NEM 2.0 (applied 5/16/2019–5/31/2021). Full-retail 1:1 net metering until 5/31/2029, then moves to Solar Choice TOU. This is the cohort with the live grandfather + a concrete cliff — the "lock in before 5/31/2029" pitch. Battery value: protect + extend the full-retail position + VPP + resilience.

Cohort 3 — Solar Choice (applied on/after 6/1/2021). On the Solar Choice tariff (Interim from 6/1/2021, Permanent from 1/1/2022) from interconnection — net billing, exports below retail. Battery value: capture the spread + VPP + resilience + rate protection.

Why this matters — and the critical cross-state note: these are the Act 62 SC statutory dates, NOT the NC-side Duke dates. (NC Duke = legacy 1:1 closed 9/30/2023, Bridge deadline 12/31/2026, sunset ~2027 — those are a DIFFERENT state's rules.) A rep who carries the NC dates into SC will misstate every cohort. SC = Act 62: the 5/16/2019 and 5/31/2021 application windows, the 12/31/2025 and 5/31/2029 cliffs.

Boundary note: the statute reads "between May 16, 2019 and May 31, 2021"; if a customer's application date is right on 5/16/2019, confirm the exact boundary treatment before pinning their cohort.

3. Rate Reality + Why Rates Climb

The TOU structure (the Dominion differentiator): Solar Choice is a time-of-use rate. On-peak is 4–8 p.m. weekdays in summer (May–Sep) and 6–9 a.m. weekdays in winter (Oct–Apr); Super-Off-Peak is 1–5 a.m. year-round. Exports credit first against same-period usage, then spill to equal-or-lower-value periods — so the 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak has structurally zero solar offset (the sun's down). That's exactly why the battery matters: it's the only way to charge cheap overnight and discharge into the expensive on-peak. (Flag: a winter Super-Off-Peak period appears to be proposed/evolving — re-check before quoting winter specifics.)

What's driving Dominion SC's rate increases (named forward drivers):

1. The 7.6% July-2026 increase — settled down from a 12.73% ask (~$12/mo on a typical bill), flowing to bills now.
2. The Canadys gas plant — a new gas plant (joint with Santee Cooper) whose cost doubled from ~$2.5B to ~$5B; recovered through rates.
3. $1.4B invested since 2023 — grid + generation investment recovered through rates.
4. Load growth — Dominion projects demand up ~25% by 2044 (data centers + economic growth), driving capacity needs.
5. Hurricane Helene recovery — the Sept 2024 storm (Dominion's largest-ever restoration, ~446K out) — recovery costs via riders.

Documented vs. speculation (say this right):

• ✅ "Dominion SC raised rates 7.6% effective July 2026" (documented)
• ✅ "The Canadys gas plant cost doubled to ~$5B" (documented)
• ✅ "Helene was Dominion's largest restoration ever (~446K out)" (documented)
• ❌ "Your bill will be $X by 2030" (speculation)

4. Bill Anatomy — Reading a Dominion SC Bill

Why a Solar Choice customer still has a bill even with solar. A Solar Choice TOU (net-billing) Dominion bill has:

1. The fixed monthly customer charge — every month, solar or not.
2. Energy bought from Dominion on the TOU rate — most expensive during the 4–8 p.m. summer on-peak (right as solar fades), cheapest during the 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak.
3. A below-retail export credit — your exported surplus credited below retail, crediting first against same-period usage then spilling to lower-value periods.

The leak (two layers here): (1) you export surplus below retail but buy back at retail — the net-billing spread; and (2) your most expensive hours are the 4–8 p.m. on-peak, right when solar's fading, and you can't offset the 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak with solar at all. The battery fixes both by storing solar (or cheap overnight power) and discharging into the expensive on-peak. For grandfathered full-retail customers (Cohort 2 until 5/31/2029): no current spread leak — the battery's value is TOU arbitrage + resilience + protecting the position before the cliff.

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

• Confirm the cohort — application date sets it; check whether they're on full-retail (grandfathered) or Solar Choice net billing.
• Find the export credit rate — if it's below retail, they're on Solar Choice (spread pitch applies).
• Check the TOU periods — if they're on Solar Choice TOU, look at how much usage falls in the 4–8 p.m. on-peak; that's what the battery displaces.

Seasonal shape (Midlands/Lowcountry): hot, humid summers (heavy AC into the 4–8 p.m. on-peak, the highest bills) and mild winters. A solar customer's bill is highest in summer, when the on-peak AC load is most expensive — exactly what the battery displaces. Hurricane season (June–Nov) overlaps peak AC season, so the battery's arbitrage and resilience value both concentrate in summer.

5. The Savings Story — Worked 25-Year Analysis

The savings story is net-billing spread capture + TOU arbitrage (Super-Off-Peak → on-peak) + rate protection — with the 25% state credit offsetting cost up front.

Representative Solar Choice TOU customer: ~1,100 kWh/mo, below-retail exports, meaningful 4–8 p.m. on-peak usage.

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

With battery — annual net cost (spread self-consumption + TOU arbitrage: discharge into the 4–8 p.m. on-peak):

The TOU arbitrage advantage: because Dominion's on-peak (4–8 p.m. summer) is materially pricier than the Super-Off-Peak (1–5 a.m.), a battery discharging into the on-peak — charged from solar or the cheap overnight rate — captures more value per kWh than a flat-rate market. This sharpens the self-consumption case beyond the net-billing spread alone.

Cumulative 25-year comparison (bill only; 25% state credit additional):

Plus the 25% SC state credit on the solar portion (up-front cost offset). The TOU arbitrage (on-peak vs Super-Off-Peak spread) is baked into the with-battery figures. Rates flagged pending verification — tool computes the customer's actual figure.

Break-even calendar (approximate; TOU arbitrage + state credit accelerate it):

The Year-1 honesty script (Dominion version):

"Here's the honest math. Under South Carolina's Solar Choice rules, you export your surplus below retail but buy it back at full price — so a battery that keeps your power instead saves you that spread. And Dominion's rate is time-of-use: your most expensive power is 4 to 8 p.m. in summer, right when your solar's fading, and the cheapest is 1 to 5 a.m. when your panels are dark. A battery charges cheap and runs your expensive evening off it. South Carolina's 25% state tax credit offsets the solar cost. Your total with the loan may be roughly flat the first year, then pulls ahead as Dominion's rates climb — they just went up 7.6% — and you've got backup after what Helene did here."

6. Pitch Framework — Archetypes

Archetype A — Grandfathered full-retail owner (Cohort 2, until 5/31/2029).

• On the old full-retail deal, worried about the coming transition.
• Fit: strong — protect + VPP + resilience.
• Opening: "You've got the old full-retail net metering, but it expires in 2029 under South Carolina's rules. A battery lets you lock in your energy independence before that — plus play the time-of-use spread and have backup after Helene."

Archetype B — Solar Choice TOU owner (Cohort 1 or 3).

• On net billing + TOU, feels the on-peak evening cost + the export spread.
• Fit: strong — spread + TOU arbitrage.
• Opening: "You're exporting below retail but buying back at full price, and your worst hours are 4 to 8 p.m. in summer. A battery keeps your power and runs your expensive evening off cheap stored energy instead."

Archetype C — Reliability-motivated (post-Helene).

• Lived through Helene (Dominion's largest-ever restoration, ~446K out); values backup.
• Fit: strong.
• Opening: "Helene knocked out about 446,000 Dominion customers — the biggest restoration in the company's history. A battery keeps your essentials running through the next one, and plays the time-of-use spread the rest of the year."

7. Market-Specific Plays — the Dominion edge

PLAY 1 — The Super-Off-Peak arbitrage window (the Dominion differentiator). Dominion's Solar Choice is a TOU rate with a cheap 1–5 a.m. Super-Off-Peak and an expensive 4–8 p.m. summer on-peak. Solar can't touch the overnight window (sun's down), so the battery is the ONLY way to charge cheap overnight and discharge into the expensive evening. Frame it: "Your most expensive power is your summer evenings, and your cheapest is the middle of the night — a battery lets you buy low and use high." This TOU arbitrage is distinct from a flat-rate market and is the Dominion edge.

PLAY 2 — The Act 62 cohort clock (get the SC dates right). SC's grandfather cohorts are statutory (Act 62): the biggest live-full-retail cohort expires 5/31/2029. For grandfathered customers, that's the concrete "lock in before the cliff" anchor. CRITICAL: use the SC Act 62 dates, NOT the NC Duke dates — they're different, and mixing them misstates the customer's position.

PLAY 3 — The 25% SC state tax credit (the only tax incentive left). Now that the federal ITC has expired, SC's TC-38 25% state credit is the only tax incentive for SC buyers — and it has no expiration. It covers the solar portion (confirmed). Frame it as a real, current cost offset. (Battery-portion eligibility isn't confirmed — see Incentives.)

PLAY 4 — Helene resilience (Dominion's largest-ever restoration). Helene (Sept 2024) knocked out ~446,000 Dominion SC customers — about 54% of its entire SC customer base — the largest restoration in company history. For a Dominion customer, that's a recent, concrete, personal reason backup matters. Charleston/Lowcountry customers also carry the Hugo (1989) memory.

8. Incentives & Programs

• Battery VPP — none (Category 3): Dominion SC has no residential battery VPP today (unlike Duke SC's EnergyWise). Frame honestly: "first in line if a program launches" — the value rests on the TOU arbitrage + spread + rate hedge + resilience, not VPP income.
• SC 25% state tax credit (TC-38) — LIVE, no expiration: 25% of cost, $3,500/yr cap, $35,000 lifetime, limited to 50% of annual tax liability, non-refundable (carries forward). Covers the solar portion (confirmed). ⚠️ Battery/storage eligibility is NOT confirmed — TC-38 describes a "solar energy system"; whether a standalone battery qualifies isn't pinned. Do NOT tell a customer the battery gets 25% back. Frame: "the solar qualifies for SC's 25% credit; whether the battery portion qualifies isn't confirmed — verify with SC DOR or your tax advisor." (TODO: pin TC-38 battery eligibility.)
• Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025. Do not quote 30%.
• Utility battery rebate: none at Dominion SC (Duke's PowerPair is NC-only and doesn't apply anywhere in SC anyway).

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 the Midlands & Lowcountry

Why outages happen here. Dominion's Midlands and Lowcountry territory faces:

• Hurricane Helene (September 2024) — the defining recent event: it knocked out ~446,000 Dominion SC customers (about 54% of its SC base), the largest restoration in company history, with days-long outages. The concrete, recent, personal resilience anchor.
• Hurricane Hugo (1989) — the generational Lowcountry catastrophe (Charleston devastated); the "you remember Hugo" anchor for coastal-area customers.
• Coastal + tropical systems — the Lowcountry (Charleston area) is directly hurricane-exposed; tropical storms and flooding recur.
• Severe thunderstorms + wind — summer convective storms and occasional winter ice bring down lines in the Midlands.

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 — AC or heat, 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 Helene — the biggest outage in Dominion's history — you know that's not hypothetical." Helene makes this concrete: over half of Dominion's SC customers lost power.

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

• What you rent: grid power on Dominion's climbing rates (7.6% July 2026 + Canadys + Helene recovery), on a TOU rate where your evening power is priciest, with exports below retail, and no protection when the grid fails.
• What you own (with the battery): your production, stored and used during the expensive on-peak at today's locked cost — plus backup, plus (grandfathered) your protected full-retail deal until the cliff.
• Hidden costs avoided: the $11K takeover bundle + exposure to the rate climb + the spread on the power you'd otherwise keep buying.

12. Battery Products

• Backup config (Dominion default — resilience + TOU arbitrage + self-consumption): 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).
• TOU note: any config can play the Super-Off-Peak/on-peak arbitrage — the value is in charging cheap (overnight or solar) and discharging into the 4–8 p.m. on-peak. Confirm config in the tool.

13. Objection Handling

Universal objections (swap in Dominion figures) + SC-specific objections.

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

"It depends when you went solar. If you're on the newer Solar Choice rules, you're exporting below retail and buying back at full price — a battery keeps that power instead. If you're on the old full-retail deal, it expires in 2029, so a battery locks in your independence before that. Either way, the battery plays Dominion's time-of-use spread — charge cheap overnight, run your expensive evening off it — and you get backup after Helene."

"How does a battery help with time-of-use?" (Dominion-specific — the Super-Off-Peak play)

"Dominion charges you the most from 4 to 8 p.m. in summer and the least from 1 to 5 a.m. Your solar can't help at 1 a.m. — the sun's down — so a battery is the only way to grab that cheap overnight power, or store your daytime solar, and then run your expensive evening off it. You're buying low and using high."

"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 South Carolina's 25% state tax credit offsets the solar portion."

"Is there a tax credit?" (SC-specific)

"South Carolina has a 25% state tax credit — that's the one still around now that the federal credit expired. It covers your solar, up to $3,500 a year with a lifetime cap. Whether it covers the battery portion isn't something I can promise — check with your tax advisor — but the solar part qualifies."

"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 net-metering cohort stays with the system, so a grandfathered 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; Dominion SC rates + the Solar Choice TOU periods should be verified against current tariffs.
2. ☐ 25-year projections are scenarios, not guarantees; depend on SC PSC rate cases.
3. ☐ SC net-metering cohorts are statutory (Act 62); full-retail grandfathering expires by cohort (12/31/2025 for NEM 1.0; 5/31/2029 for NEM 2.0), then moves to Solar Choice.
4. ☐ Solar Choice is net billing (exports credited below retail), not 1:1 retail.
5. ☐ Dominion Solar Choice is a time-of-use rate (on-peak 4–8pm summer / 6–9am winter; Super-Off-Peak 1–5am); a winter Super-Off-Peak period may be evolving — confirm current periods.
6. ☐ The SC 25% state tax credit (TC-38) covers the solar portion; battery/storage eligibility is not confirmed — verify with SC DOR or a tax advisor. No federal ITC after 12/31/2025.
7. ☐ Align Solar Protection is non-transferable; workmanship warranty transfer requires written consent; manufacturer warranties transfer per OEM terms; net-metering 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: Solar Choice (net billing, below-retail exports)
• Grandfather cohorts: NEM 1.0 → Solar Choice 1/1/2026; NEM 2.0 full-retail until 5/31/2029 (Act 62 SC dates)
• Export credit: below retail (2026 NEEC value — verify)
• TOU: on-peak 4–8pm summer / Super-Off-Peak 1–5am; battery VPP: none (Cat 3)
• SC state credit: 25%, $3,500/yr, $35K lifetime (solar confirmed; battery unconfirmed)
• Federal ITC: expired 12/31/2025
• Recent increase: +7.6% (eff. July 2026)
• Inverter replacement out-of-pocket: $3,500–5,000
• System takeover bundle: ~$11,800
• Rescue value: $4,000–7,500+
• 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 cohort transfers with the system.
• Never claim all warranties transfer. Align is non-transferable; workmanship needs written consent; manufacturer per OEM terms.
• Never use the NC Duke cohort dates in SC — SC is Act 62 (different dates); mixing them misstates the customer's position.
• Never imply Dominion has a live battery VPP — it doesn't (unlike Duke SC); the value is TOU arbitrage + spread + resilience.
• Never tell a customer the 25% state credit covers the battery — only the solar portion is confirmed; battery eligibility must be verified.
• Never quote the federal ITC (expired).
• Always confirm the application date — it sets the Act 62 cohort and the pitch.