Top Tier Battery Sales Reference — West Virginia (APCo WV + Mon Power + Potomac Edison)

Three-utility market — all POST-SUNSET on 1:1 net metering at launch. Top Tier's WV launch covers the three investor-owned utilities serving residential solar customers:

• Appalachian Power WV (APCo) (~430-440K WV customers — Charleston / Huntington / Beckley / Bluefield corridor; southern WV)
• Mon Power (FirstEnergy subsidiary; ~390K WV customers — Morgantown / I-79 corridor / north-central WV)
• Potomac Edison WV (FirstEnergy subsidiary; ~155K WV customers — Eastern Panhandle: Berkeley / Jefferson / Morgan / Hampshire / Mineral / Hardy / Grant / Pendleton counties)

All three utilities are POST-SUNSET for new applicants:

• APCo WV: sunsetted March 1, 2026 (application cutoff) / September 1, 2026 (completion cutoff). New customers credited at ~12.4¢/kWh export vs ~17.2¢/kWh retail = ~4.8¢/kWh spread.
• Mon Power + Potomac Edison: sunsetted January 1, 2025 (application) / December 31, 2025 (completion). New customers credited at $0.0934/kWh export vs ~13-14¢/kWh retail = ~4-5¢/kWh spread.

All three IOUs are PJM members. APCo WV operates in PJM APS Zone (same zone as APCo VA, different jurisdiction). Mon Power + Potomac Edison are FirstEnergy operating companies under PJM — same parent as OH's CEI / Toledo Edison / Ohio Edison.

Cohort: ALL THREE utilities = edg_net_billing. The post-sunset structure IS net billing — sub-retail export credit + retail import. No new cohort type needed. The "lock in 1:1 NM" framing is NOT available anywhere in WV — the cliff has already happened across the entire state.

The rep's first job: confirm utility (APCo WV vs APCo VA — different states with completely different rules; Potomac Edison WV vs PE in MD/PA/VA; Mon Power is WV-only). Don't cross-contaminate sister-state regimes.

Pitch architecture mirrors other EDG markets — what shifts is the emphasis. Resilience is co-equal with the EDG spread story because:

• APCo WV's ~4.8¢ spread is moderate (not GA-sized) → resilience does heavier lifting
• Mon Power / Potomac Edison's ~4-5¢ spread is moderate but FirstEnergy's documented 27-28% 2025 supply hike + proposed 2026-2027 distribution increases widen the retail side over the system lifetime → spread + rate-hike hedge BOTH matter
• WV "leads the nation in lingering ice-storm outages" per WV Gazette-Mail / NBC News reporting → resilience is genuinely load-bearing, not theater

The Opening: Lead With Takeover, Not Math

The customer booked the appointment because they're frustrated about their utility bill AND their installer is unreachable. Don't open with savings math. Don't open with rate-case statistics. Don't open with the post-sunset story. Open with:

1. The free system inspection. "I'm here to inspect your existing solar system at no cost. If it's running well, we'll confirm that. If anything's wrong, we'll surface it. Either way, you walk away with a clearer picture of what you own."
2. System takeover. "When your inverter fails — and inverters do fail, usually between year 8 and year 20 — you need someone to handle the warranty claim and the replacement. Top Tier becomes your single point of contact for the next 10 years on the entire system, not just on anything new we install."
3. Then bridge to the bill. "You're still seeing a [APCo / Mon Power / Potomac Edison] bill after going solar. The reason is the same across all three WV utilities — but the math looks a little different depending on which one you're on. Let me walk you through it."

The battery is the upsell that makes the deal economic for Top Tier; takeover/inspection is the lead the customer agreed to. Reps get paid on battery sales. Don't lose the open by leading with the close.

WV-specific note on the LEAD: Don't open with "lock in 1:1 net metering" — that ship has sailed at all 3 WV IOUs. Don't open with "post-sunset urgency" either (the urgency window already closed; new customers are already on the post-sunset rate). DO open with the inspection + takeover, then bridge to the EDG spread story with the right utility's specific math.

Standing Rules (Do NOT Violate)

• ❌ NEVER coach reps to disqualify based on home tenure. If a customer plans to sell in 3 years, the right move is the resale story (system raises home value; closing equity pays off loan; warranties carry over per their actual transfer rules) — not "walk away."
• ❌ NEVER claim "all warranties transfer." Workmanship transfers WITH WRITTEN CONSENT. Manufacturer warranties transfer per their own terms. The 5-year Align Solar Protection service contract is NON-TRANSFERABLE.
• ❌ NEVER fabricate inspection findings. The inspection is mostly about education + diagnosing the bill problem + future-failure prevention.
• ❌ NEVER pitch "lock in 1:1 net metering before the cliff" in WV. The cliff already happened at all 3 WV IOUs. APCo WV sunsetted March 2026; Mon Power + Potomac Edison sunsetted January 2025. New customers in 2026 are already on the post-sunset rate — there is no grandfather window open.
• ❌ NEVER cross-contaminate APCo VA and APCo WV. APCo serves both states under different regulatory regimes. WV is post-sunset; VA preserved 1:1 NM in September 2025. Confirm service-address county before quoting any APCo rate dynamics.
• ❌ NEVER cross-contaminate Potomac Edison WV with PE in MD / PA / VA. Different state regulatory regimes apply to different PE service areas. WV Eastern Panhandle counties: Berkeley / Jefferson / Morgan / Hampshire / Mineral / Hardy / Grant / Pendleton.
• ❌ NEVER pitch a utility-paid VPP / DR program at any WV IOU. No WV utility runs one today. Adjacent-market programs (Duke NC EnergyWise, MD DRIVE Act pilots) are not available to WV customers.
• ❌ NEVER pitch the Section 25D federal battery-with-solar 2026 residual credit without tax-counsel review. Some installer sources claim residual eligibility; primary IRS guidance does not affirm. Federal solar ITC expired 12/31/2025 — pitch THAT as fact, not a workaround.
• ❌ NEVER reference the historic 30% / $2,000-capped WV solar credit. No longer in current state tax code per WV Tax Department forms. Don't quote it.

Why You Still Have a Bill — Cohort Bridge (edg_net_billing)

Use AFTER you've opened with takeover/inspection. All 3 WV utilities are on the same edg_net_billing cohort — the bill anatomy framing is shared. What differs is the specific export rate, retail rate, and the rate-trajectory pressure (APCo PJM APS Zone capacity-cost framing vs FirstEnergy 27-28% supply-hike pattern).

Canonical bridge copy (shared across all 3 WV utilities)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, edg_net_billing template — reps see the same language the customer sees):

You went solar and still see a bill. Here's why.

[Utility] doesn't pay you the same rate for the energy you export as they charge for the energy you import. You pay retail when you buy from them; you get a sub-retail credit when you sell to them. The spread is why your bill isn't zero. A battery captures that spread by storing your daytime solar production and discharging it during your evening use — every kWh the battery shifts from "exported" to "self-consumed" earns you the full retail rate instead of the sub-retail export credit.

Utility-specific rate substitution

APCo WV customers:

• Retail import: ~17.2¢/kWh (March 2026; +4% rate hike effective June 1, 2026 = ~$4.84/mo on a 1,000 kWh bill; ~25% rate growth over the past 5 years)
• Post-sunset export credit: ~12.4¢/kWh
• Spread: ~4.8¢/kWh — a moderate dollar story (smaller than GA's ~7¢ spread, but real)
• Rate-trajectory pressure: PJM APS Zone capacity-cost pass-through (PJM capacity costs spiked 833% in the 2025/26 auction; same dynamic that hit APCo VA, Dominion VA, BGE, AEP Ohio)
• April 2026 PSC offer: APCo agreed in exchange for the +4% June 1, 2026 hike to delay filing a new base-rate increase case — but the underlying capacity-cost pressure continues

Mon Power + Potomac Edison customers:

• Retail import: ~13-14¢/kWh (FE proposed +3% Aug 1, 2026 + +2.9% June 1, 2027 distribution rate increases)
• Post-sunset export credit: $0.0934/kWh
• Spread: ~4-5¢/kWh — moderate today, widening as FirstEnergy's documented trajectory plays out
• Rate-trajectory pressure: FirstEnergy 27-28% 2025 supply-rate hike (driven by PJM capacity-cost pass-through; same pattern that hit FirstEnergy's OH operating companies — Ohio Edison + The Illuminating Company + Toledo Edison)
• The cross-state FirstEnergy pattern is the load-bearing framing here. Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers in WV are absorbing the same FirstEnergy rate-pressure pattern that's documented through PUCO filings in OH. It's not utility-specific speculation; it's a cross-state corporate pattern.

Why the customer still sees a bill (the actual answer)

For all 3 WV utilities post-sunset, the customer sees a bill because:

1. The post-sunset export credit is sub-retail. Every exported kWh earns less than the retail rate the customer pays for imports.
2. Fixed monthly charges (customer charge, riders, taxes) aren't offset by net billing — only the energy charge.
3. Consumption mismatch within a billing period. Daytime production exported at sub-retail; evening usage imported at retail.
4. Rate increases continue. APCo +4% June 2026; FirstEnergy +27-28% 2025 supply + +3% Aug 2026 + +2.9% June 2027 distribution proposed. Retail side keeps climbing.

A battery captures the spread by shifting kWh from "exported" to "self-consumed" — every shifted kWh earns retail instead of the sub-retail export credit. For WV customers, the spread is moderate today and widens as the documented retail-rate trajectory plays out.

How to use it in conversation

APCo WV customers:

"You're on APCo, and you're on what they call the post-sunset rate — the application deadline to lock in 1:1 net metering expired March 1, 2026. New customers are credited at about 12.4 cents per kWh when you export, but you pay 17.2 cents when you import. That ~4.8 cent spread is why you still see a bill, even though your solar is doing what it should. The battery captures that spread on every kWh it shifts from exported to self-consumed. And on top of that, APCo raised rates 4% in June 2026 and there's PJM capacity-cost pressure flowing through their pass-through riders — the retail side is climbing, which means the spread you're capturing is widening."

Mon Power / Potomac Edison customers:

"You're on [Mon Power / Potomac Edison], which is a FirstEnergy company. You're on the post-sunset rate — the grandfather window closed January 1, 2025. New customers get 9.34 cents per kWh on exports against about 13-14 cents on imports. That ~4-5 cent spread is what the battery captures. The interesting thing about FirstEnergy is they're the same parent company as Ohio Edison, the Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison in Ohio — and FirstEnergy raised supply rates 27-28% in 2025 across all their operating companies, you absorbed that here in WV, and they've proposed another 3% distribution increase August 2026 plus 2.9% June 2027. The retail side keeps climbing, which means the spread the battery captures keeps widening."

What NOT to say

• ❌ "Lock in 1:1 net metering before the cliff." (Cliff already happened — March 2026 for APCo WV; January 2025 for Mon Power + Potomac Edison.)
• ❌ "WV's getting better rates next year." (Documented trajectory is the opposite — APCo +4% June 2026; FirstEnergy +3% Aug 2026 + +2.9% June 2027 proposed.)
• ❌ "Your bill will go to zero with a battery." (Not true — fixed charges remain regardless; the battery captures the spread, not the entire bill.)
• ❌ "The battery saves you $400/mo." (At a $150/mo bill with a 4-5¢ spread, the dollar story is moderate. Set realistic expectations.)
• ❌ Conflating APCo WV with APCo VA, or PE WV with PE in MD/PA/VA. (Different states, different rules.)

Hidden Costs Avoided: The $11K System Takeover Bundle

Pillar 3 of the pitch. When Top Tier takes over the system, you bundle in services the customer would otherwise pay out of pocket over the 25-year horizon. These are estimates, not firm line-item quotes — but they total over $11K of value the customer doesn't see on the proposal's headline savings number. Applies to all 3 WV IOUs equally.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/HiddenCostsAvoided.tsx):

How to use it in conversation

The pitch: "On top of the EDG spread we walked through — which is moderate but real — you're picking up over $11K of bundled services that aren't sold separately. We don't quote them as line items because they're built into the takeover. If your inverter fails in year 12, the manufacturer warranty handling alone is worth a few hundred dollars. The replacement coordination saves you another $3-5K. The 5-year Align contract on your existing system is $1,500 you'd otherwise pay if you went looking for it. After WV's January 2026 statewide State of Emergency, service-call wait times across the state spiked — having a service contract pre-paid into the takeover means you're not on a 90-day waitlist when you need post-storm diagnostics."

Especially powerful for WV because of recurring severe-weather patterns — 2012 derecho, 2021 Winter Storm Shirley, 2022 Double Derecho, January 2026 statewide State of Emergency across all 55 counties. WV leads the nation in lingering ice-storm outages per documented reporting. Service-call wait times structurally spike after these events.

What NOT to say

• ❌ Don't promise the line items as standalone products. Top Tier does NOT sell Align Solar Protection or service call coverage as standalone purchases. The values above are estimated 25-yr cost avoidance, not a price sheet a customer could shop.
• ❌ Don't pitch the headline as a guarantee. "Over $11K" is the estimated typical bundle value. Headline rounds DOWN from $11,800 specifically to read as an estimate.
• ❌ Don't confuse Align (non-transferable) with the manufacturer warranty (transferable per its own terms) in the resale story.

What You Own vs What You Rent — Dollar-Comparison Reframe

Pillar 4 of the pitch. WV's edg_net_billing cohort routes to the DOLLAR-COMPARISON template — the customer's "rent" number (utility bill compounded over 25 years) is meaningful because the bill doesn't zero out under post-sunset net billing the way it does under preserved 1:1 NM. The comparison works in WV.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, DOLLAR-COMPARISON branch):

Over 25 years: are you renting power or owning it?

The 25-year horizon isn't about which line is lower on the chart — it's about whether you walk out with an asset.

Utility-specific framing nuance

APCo WV customers: The dollar math is moderate (APCo WV's bill anchor is higher than the FE utilities, around $190/mo default, but the spread is smaller — ~4.8¢/kWh). The cumulative rent number over 25 years compounds at the documented 3-7% rate-of-change scenarios + the +4% June 2026 hike. The dollar story IS real, but resilience is the co-equal anchor — pitch the asset-ownership reframe alongside the WV outage-pattern hook. Don't lead with "you'll save $50,000 over 25 years" framing that overstates the moderate-spread economics.

Mon Power + Potomac Edison customers: The dollar math is stronger because FirstEnergy's documented trajectory (27-28% 2025 supply hike + +3% Aug 2026 + +2.9% June 2027 distribution proposed) compounds the retail side aggressively. The "rent" line grows faster than at APCo WV because FE rate pressure is more documented and more aggressive. You CAN lead with bill savings here, layer resilience as additional value. The cross-state FirstEnergy pattern (same parent + same playbook in OH) makes the trajectory credible.

What ~$41K over 15 years (the loan total) buys the WV customer

• Ownership of generation + storage. System is yours. Loan paid off at year 15; years 16-25 you own outright with no payment.
• Incremental home value: $3K-$10K. Lawrence Berkeley Lab storage-premium research suggests battery adds this on top of solar's premium. Your customer's solar likely added ~$15K-$20K at original install — battery builds on that, NOT duplicates it.
• Resilience for derecho + winter-storm events. Your solar shuts off during grid outages today (anti-islanding). A battery keeps critical loads running. WV outage pattern: 2012 derecho (10+ days out in rural counties), 2021 Winter Storm Shirley (~100k out), 2022 Double Derecho (Wheeling / northern WV), January 2026 statewide State of Emergency (~99,544 APCo customers out).
• Locked-in spread economics before the next legislative or regulatory change. HB 2568 (2025) sought to eliminate WV net metering entirely; died in committee but could return 2026/2027. Customers with batteries installed lock in the EDG spread economics regardless of future legislative outcomes.
• 10-year Top Tier workmanship warranty + service path. When your original installer is unreachable, Top Tier is your single point of contact for the next 10+ years.

How to use it in conversation

APCo WV:

"Over 25 years, the question is whether you're renting power or owning it. Your APCo rent number compounds — APCo just raised rates 4% in June 2026, and the documented trajectory is about 25% growth over 5 years. The dollar math is moderate, not dramatic. What ~$41K over 15 years buys you is ownership of the asset, $3-10K of incremental home value Berkeley Lab attributes to battery, real outage protection for the next derecho or ice storm, locked-in spread economics if HB 2568 comes back in a future session, and a single point of contact for service for 10+ years."

Mon Power / Potomac Edison:

"Over 25 years, the question is whether you're renting power or owning it. With FirstEnergy, the rent number compounds aggressively — they raised supply rates 27-28% in 2025, and they've proposed another 3% in August 2026 and 2.9% in June 2027 on distribution. The dollar story is stronger here than at APCo because FirstEnergy's trajectory is more documented and more aggressive — same pattern they've run in Ohio. What ~$41K over 15 years buys you is ownership of the asset, $3-10K of incremental home value, outage protection for the WV severe-weather pattern, locked-in spread economics, and 10+ years of service-path coverage."

What NOT to say

• ❌ Don't oversell the home-value range. $3K-$10K is the incremental battery premium per Berkeley Lab — NOT the total solar + battery premium.
• ❌ Don't quote dramatic $50K+ "rent" numbers at APCo WV. The moderate spread doesn't support those numbers; overpromising kills credibility.
• ❌ Don't apply Mon Power / Potomac Edison FE rate-pressure framing to APCo WV customers. APCo is AEP, not FirstEnergy. PJM APS Zone framing is right for APCo; FirstEnergy 27-28% framing is right for FE utilities. Don't mix.
• ❌ Don't lead with the qualitative VA-style framing ("your bill is small today"). WV is not VA — customers do see meaningful bills on post-sunset net billing.

Rate Increases: WV Trajectory

WV's three IOUs split into two rate-trajectory framings:

Appalachian Power WV (AEP / PJM APS Zone)

• April 2026 +4% rate hike effective June 1, 2026 (~$4.84/mo on a 1,000 kWh bill)
• ~25% rate growth over the past 5 years per WV PSC filings
• PJM APS Zone capacity-cost pass-through — 833% spike in 2025/26 PJM capacity auction; same dynamic flowing through APCo's pass-through riders
• Rate-of-change scenarios: 3% / 5% / 7% (more stable rate environment than the FirstEnergy utilities; AEP's rate-case cadence is documented but less aggressive than FE's recent trajectory)

Mon Power + Potomac Edison (FirstEnergy / PJM)

• 2025 supply rates +27-28% — direct PJM capacity-cost pass-through (PJM capacity costs spiked 833% in a single 2024 auction); same hike that hit FirstEnergy's OH operating companies
• 2026-2027 distribution increases proposed: +3% Aug 1, 2026 + +2.9% June 1, 2027
• Same parent + same pattern as OH's CEI / Toledo Edison / Ohio Edison — cross-state FirstEnergy pattern makes the trajectory documented, not speculative
• Rate-of-change scenarios: 4% / 6% / 8% (more aggressive than APCo to reflect FE's documented supply + distribution cadence)

Three Scenarios per utility (Proposal Columns)

APCo WV (3/5/7):

Mon Power + Potomac Edison (4/6/8):

Reps: quote moderate (5% APCo / 6% FE) as the working assumption. Don't anchor on aggressive (it's the upper bound). Don't anchor on optimistic (PJM dynamics don't pause).

Federal & State Tax Credits — WV

What's Gone

• Federal ITC expired December 31, 2025 per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. New 2026 cash or financed residential battery installations do not qualify. Approximately $5,000-7,000 of lost incentive value on a typical $18,500 install.
• The historic 30% / $2,000-capped WV state solar credit is no longer in current state tax code per WV Tax Department forms. Treat as expired. Don't quote it.

What Remains for WV

• WV residential solar property tax exempt — added home value from solar installation is NOT assessed for property tax purposes. Saves the customer ongoing year-over-year, separate from any income tax credit. Battery storage paired with solar generally also qualifies (verify with county assessor on filing — exemption is automatic for solar but battery treatment is less explicitly documented).
• No state battery rebate (no MD-RCES equivalent in WV).
• No state solar income tax credit (no SC-TC-38 equivalent in WV).
• No utility VPP / DR program at any WV IOU (no Duke-NC-EnergyWise equivalent in WV).

Section 25D residual battery-with-solar 2026 eligibility

Some installer sources reference residual Section 25D battery-with-solar eligibility for 2026 installations — primary IRS guidance does NOT clearly affirm this. DO NOT pitch this to customers without tax-counsel review. The federal ITC expiration is the simple, accurate framing.

How to Handle the Conversation

"You may have heard about the 30% federal tax credit. That expired at the end of 2025 for direct purchases. West Virginia doesn't have a state solar income tax credit either — there was one historically capped at $2,000, but it's no longer in current state tax code. So for cash or financed purchases like ours, there's no income-tax credit on this install. WV does have one good thing: residential solar is exempt from property tax assessment, so your installation doesn't increase your property's assessed value year over year. That's the only state-level benefit. The case rests on structural value — the post-sunset EDG spread, the PJM-driven rate-trajectory hedge, system takeover, and outage resilience."

VPP / Future Income — WV Has None

West Virginia is unique in this list because NO WV utility runs a residential battery VPP or demand-response program today.

Unlike Duke NC's EnergyWise Home Battery Program (up to $92/mo + $6.50/kW continuous discharge) or Maryland's BGE + Pepco DRIVE Act pilots, APCo WV, Mon Power, and Potomac Edison customers cannot enroll a battery in any utility-paid dispatch program. There is no in-flight WV VPP known.

How to handle the conversation

"In some neighboring states, utilities pay customers to let them dispatch the battery during peak demand events — Duke North Carolina runs one called EnergyWise that pays up to $92 a month, Maryland has pilots in flight, Virginia has the Community Energy Act mandate coming late 2026. West Virginia doesn't have anything like that today. None of the three WV IOUs run a residential battery VPP, and there's no in-flight program announced. So we're not pitching you VPP income — the WV battery value case rests on the post-sunset EDG spread, the rate-hike hedge, system takeover, and outage resilience. If a WV utility ever launches a VPP, customers with batteries installed are first in line — but we're not promising that today because it isn't real today."

What NOT to say

• ❌ "Duke / Dominion / BGE pays for VPP." (None of those utilities serve WV residential customers.)
• ❌ "WV utilities are launching a VPP next year." (Not on record at any IOU; don't fabricate.)
• ❌ "You can earn from EnergyWise." (Duke NC program; not available in WV.)

The Inverter Hidden Risk

Most homeowners don't realize how exposed they are without a service relationship.

• Typical inverter failure window: 8-15 years for SolarEdge string inverters; 10-20 years for Enphase microinverters
• Replacement cost out of pocket: $3,000-$5,000+ if out of warranty
• The catch most don't learn until they need it: when the inverter fails and the original installer is gone, finding someone willing to handle the warranty claim and replacement is hard. Most installers refuse work on someone else's system.

With Top Tier, you're not on your own with it. Whenever a manufacturer warranty claim is needed — on the new battery or the existing panels and inverter — Top Tier coordinates it at no cost. And on top of equipment's existing manufacturer warranties, every installation includes a 5-year Align Solar Protection service contract at no extra cost, covering existing solar equipment for mechanical breakdown, parts and labor, with $0 deductible. Coverage is confirmed through a system inspection.

WV-specific: Service-call wait times structurally spike after major weather events (2021 Winter Storm Shirley, 2022 Double Derecho, January 2026 statewide State of Emergency). Pre-paid service contract = no 90-day waitlist for post-storm diagnostics.

Loan Economics

Service Finance loan structure for the backup-capable configuration (WV default):

Note: Service Finance loans cannot be re-amortized. Extra payments shorten the loan term but do not lower the monthly payment.

The self-consumption configuration runs slightly lower. WV defaults to backup-capable given the severe-weather pattern + state-documented lingering-ice-storm outage history.

Objection Handling

"What if I sell the house before the loan is paid off?"

"Solar plus battery raises your home's value at sale. Your closing equity pays off whatever's left on the loan, so the new owner inherits a fully-owned system with no payment to take over. Most warranties carry over: Top Tier's 10-year workmanship and roof penetration warranty transfers to the new owner with written consent (we coordinate this at closing), and the manufacturer warranties on your inverter and battery transfer per the manufacturers' own terms. The 5-year Align Solar Protection service contract is non-transferable — the seller benefits from the inspection and 5-year coverage. The next owner gets a turnkey, manufacturer-warrantied home with severe-weather backup built in; you get a higher sale price."

"Why didn't I lock in 1:1 net metering when I went solar?"

"If you went solar before the sunset date for your utility — March 1, 2026 for APCo or January 1, 2025 for Mon Power / Potomac Edison — and you completed your interconnection before the completion deadline (September 1, 2026 for APCo; December 31, 2025 for Mon Power / PE), you ARE grandfathered into 1:1 for 25 years. Verify the dates with your interconnection paperwork — if you're grandfathered, your battery economics work differently and we should pull that out before we go further. If you applied after those dates, you're on the post-sunset structure we walked through, and the battery captures the EDG spread the same way customers in OH and other post-sunset markets are doing."

"My APCo bill is small. Why do I need a battery?"

"Your APCo bill being small means your solar is doing its job offsetting the energy charges. What it isn't doing: hedging the next rate hike (APCo just raised rates 4% in June 2026 and PJM capacity-cost pressure is in their pass-through riders), capturing the 4.8-cent post-sunset export-vs-retail spread, or keeping your home running when the next severe-weather event hits — and WV has had a major derecho, two major winter storms, and a statewide State of Emergency in the past 5 years. The bill is the smallest piece of the value case in WV — resilience and the rate-trajectory hedge carry more weight."

"FirstEnergy keeps raising rates. Why don't I just shop suppliers?"

"In WV, residential customers don't have the shopping option that Ohio Edison customers have. You're on FirstEnergy supply by default — no third-party supplier-choice market for WV residential. The 27-28% 2025 supply hike was directly passed through to you, and the proposed +3% August 2026 and +2.9% June 2027 distribution increases are on top of that. The battery captures the post-sunset spread on the FE side AND hedges the documented rate-trajectory. You can't shop your way out of the FirstEnergy trajectory; you can hedge it with self-consumption."

"What about the 30% federal tax credit?"

"It expired December 31, 2025 for direct purchases. Some lease and PPA models still qualify at the leasing-company level. For cash or financed purchases like ours, there's no federal credit on a 2026 install. West Virginia doesn't have a state income tax credit for solar either — the historic credit isn't in current state tax code. WV does have a property-tax exemption for residential solar, so your install doesn't increase your property's assessed value year over year. That's the only state-level benefit."

"My friend in Virginia is on APCo. Do we have the same situation?"

"No, and this is important. APCo serves both VA and WV under different regulatory regimes. In WV, you hit the sunset deadline — March 1, 2026 application cutoff — and new customers are on the post-sunset rate of about 12.4¢/kWh. In Virginia, the SCC preserved 1:1 net metering in September 2025. So same company, completely different rules. That's why your VA friend's pitch wouldn't apply to you and vice versa."

"Is WV about to eliminate net metering entirely?"

"Honest answer: there's a legislative threat. HB 2568 in 2025 sought to eliminate net metering in WV; it died in committee in the House Energy and Public Works subcommittee. The threat could come back in 2026 or 2027 sessions. We don't know what the next legislative cycle brings. What we DO know: customers with batteries installed today lock in the EDG spread economics regardless of what the legislature does next — the post-sunset spread is the floor, not a temporary state. If the legislature does something more aggressive, your battery is already capturing self-consumption value behind the meter where the rule change can't touch it."

What To Say · What NOT To Say

Key Disclosures for WV Customers

1. All 3 WV IOUs are post-sunset on 1:1 NM. APCo WV: March 1, 2026 (application) / September 1, 2026 (completion); ~12.4¢/kWh post-sunset export. Mon Power + Potomac Edison: January 1, 2025 (application) / December 31, 2025 (completion); $0.0934/kWh post-sunset export.
2. APCo WV +4% rate hike effective June 1, 2026 (~$4.84/mo on 1,000 kWh bill); ~25% rate growth over 5 years.
3. FirstEnergy WV supply rates +27-28% in 2025 (PJM capacity-cost pass-through); +3% Aug 2026 + +2.9% June 2027 distribution proposed.
4. APCo also serves VA with preserved 1:1 NM. Confirm customer's service-address state before quoting any APCo rate dynamics.
5. Potomac Edison serves MD/PA/VA under different regimes. Confirm WV territory (Berkeley / Jefferson / Morgan / Hampshire / Mineral / Hardy / Grant / Pendleton counties).
6. All 3 WV IOUs are PJM members. APCo in PJM APS Zone; Mon Power + PE under FirstEnergy operating-company PJM accounts. 2025/26 PJM capacity-auction 833% spike flows through APCo's pass-through and FE's supply rates.
7. HB 2568 (2025) sought to eliminate WV net metering; died in committee. Threat could return 2026/2027.
8. WV residential solar property tax EXEMPT (added home value not assessed). Battery storage paired with solar generally also qualifies.
9. No WV state battery rebate, no WV state solar income tax credit. The historic 30%/$2K credit is no longer in current state tax code per WV Tax Department forms — treat as expired.
10. No utility VPP / DR program at any WV IOU. Distinct from Duke NC's EnergyWise pattern; do not import that framing.
11. Federal ITC expired 12/31/2025. Section 25D battery-with-solar residual 2026 eligibility unverified — don't pitch without tax-counsel review.
12. WV outage exposure is structural. WV leads the nation in lingering ice-storm outages per WV Gazette-Mail / NBC News reporting.
13. Battery duration depends on loads. 10 kWh = 18-30 hr critical loads; not whole-home backup for sustained outages.
14. Service Finance loans cannot be re-amortized. Extra payments shorten term, not monthly payment.
15. 10-year workmanship warranty contingent on inspection acceptance. If existing system has issues we can't take over, written notice within 7 days.

Recent WV Outage Events (Resilience Pillar Anchors)

Reps cite these to ground the resilience case in events the customer probably remembers:

1. June 29-30, 2012 — Mid-Atlantic Derecho. State-defining. ~4M customers across multiple states; WV among hardest hit. Some WV rural counties out 10+ days. Hospitals on generator; food spoilage; summer-heat impact on elderly residents. Still the reference point WV reps return to.
2. February 2021 — Winter Storm Shirley + companion ice event. WV's worst ice event in ~10 years. ~100,000 residents lost power in a two-storm sequence. WV documented as "leading the nation in lingering ice-storm outages."
3. June 2022 — Wheeling / Northern WV Double Derecho. Two derechos in succession; widespread tree damage; >16,000 APCo customers still without power days later. Illustrates that 2012 wasn't a once-a-decade outlier.
4. January 2026 — Statewide Winter Storm State of Emergency. Governor Morrisey declared SoE across ALL 55 WV counties; ~99,544 APCo customers without power at peak. Recent reminder of structural exposure to severe winter storms.

Counter-narrative for sophisticated customers: APCo + FE have invested in grid hardening (vegetation management, line replacement, undergrounding in select corridors). That's real progress — but doesn't help during major derecho / ice-storm events that overwhelm even hardened distribution. WV's mountain terrain + rural distribution + coal-heavy generation mix combine to make sustained outages a recurring structural risk.

Walk-Away Profiles

When the deal doesn't fit, walk away cleanly. None of these are tenure-based.

• Customer has no existing solar. Top Tier specializes in battery added to existing solar. New solar + battery is a different conversation we don't quote today.
• Customer's existing solar is a lease or PPA. The third-party lease/PPA structure complicates the takeover. Document, route to Todd for case-by-case decision.
• Customer is grandfathered into 1:1 NM (applied + completed before sunset cutoffs). Different battery economics apply — pull the interconnection paperwork and quote against actual grandfathered position. The post-sunset pitch above does NOT apply.
• Customer is on a WV cooperative or municipal utility (Mountaineer Gas, City of Philippi Electric, Wheeling Power for some commercial cases, etc.). Out of scope at launch. Document and pass.
• Customer is an APCo customer in VA territory (don't quote WV dynamics — refer to the VA workflow).
• Customer is a Potomac Edison customer in MD / PA / VA (don't quote WV dynamics — refer to the appropriate state workflow).

TODO / Follow-Up

• Verify APCo WV Schedule R residential energy charge AND customer charge from the published tariff PDF (appalachianpower.com/.../WV*RatesTariffs.pdf). Phase A research couldn't extract these via WebFetch; use the pypdf-against-cached-PDF workaround. Refine defaultMonthlyBill and rate-trajectory framing in lib/markets/wv.ts accordingly.
• Verify Mon Power + Potomac Edison Schedule R residential energy charge AND customer charge from FirstEnergy's WV tariff PDF (firstenergycorp.com/.../WVMPRetailTariff.pdf and analogous PE PDF). Same approach.
• Monitor PowerPair-style program emergence at any WV IOU. Currently zero — but adjacent-state precedents (Duke NC PowerPair, BGE/Pepco DRIVE Act pilots) may create regulatory pressure for WV PSC to direct similar pilots. Watch WV PSC docket filings.
• Monitor HB 2568 + HB 4684 reintroduction in 2026 and 2027 sessions. If WV legislature passes net-metering elimination, the EDG spread floor changes materially — rep guide framing needs urgent update.
• Track FirstEnergy distribution rate-case progression (proposed +3% Aug 2026 + +2.9% June 2027). When WV PSC issues a final order, update Mon Power + PE rate-trajectory framing to reference the approved figures.
• Track APCo 2026 post-deal rate-case filing. APCo agreed to delay filing a new base-rate case in exchange for the April 2026 +4% offer — but the underlying capital pressure continues, so a new case will surface. Watch for filing date + scope.
• Optional municipal/coop expansion: WV has small munis (City of Philippi, Wheeling Electric, Town of New Martinsville) + a handful of co-ops. Out of scope at launch. If rep demand surfaces, add as additional MarketUtility entries under WV_MARKET.
• Track any WV VPP / DR program announcement at any IOU. If announced, update the VPP section + multistate-content WV framing paragraph + add to keyDisclosures.