Storage is the new solar.
After July 4, 2026, the federal credit for new solar starts is gone — but battery storage carries its own incentive runway. Demand charges, peak time-of-use rates, and resilience needs make storage-first designs the smart play for Inland Empire businesses.
Why storage, why now
Three forces driving storage-first
Demand charges are brutal
For commercial SCE customers, demand charges can be 40-60% of the total bill. A single 15-minute spike sets your demand charge for the month. Battery discharge flattens that spike.
Resilience is non-negotiable
Wildfire PSPS events, grid instability, and equipment-sensitive operations mean outages aren't just inconvenient — they're expensive. Battery backup keeps critical loads running.
Peak rates reward storage
Time-of-use rates are highest in the late afternoon and evening. A battery charges when energy is cheap and discharges during the peak window, cutting your energy cost.
Use cases
Storage solves real operational problems
Warehouses & Distribution
Warehouses & Distribution
Demand charges can be 40-60% of your bill. Peak draw from conveyor systems, dock equipment, and HVAC spikes your kW demand.
Battery discharges during peak windows, flattening demand and cutting the demand-charge line item. Solar charges the battery off-peak.
Cold Storage & Food Processing
Cold Storage & Food Processing
Refrigeration loads cannot go down — even a brief outage means product loss. Compressor start-up surges are notorious demand-charge drivers.
Battery provides seamless transition during outages (sub-second transfer) and absorbs compressor inrush currents to cap demand peaks.
Data-Adjacent & Telecom
Data-Adjacent & Telecom
Even edge data centers and server rooms need UPS-grade reliability. Diesel generators have 10-30 second lag — too slow for modern equipment.
LFP battery banks provide instant transfer and bridge the gap until generators spin up, or replace them entirely for shorter outages.
Retail & Restaurants
Retail & Restaurants
POS systems, refrigeration, and lighting need to stay up. A 4-hour outage during business hours means lost revenue and spoiled inventory.
Right-sized battery keeps critical circuits running through most outages. Solar reduces the baseline bill so the battery ROI accelerates.
Agriculture & Irrigation
Agriculture & Irrigation
Pump scheduling is dictated by TOU rates. Remote sites may face unreliable grid or no grid at all. Diesel is expensive and dirty.
Solar-charged battery runs pumps on schedule regardless of grid status. Off-grid configurations eliminate the utility connection entirely.
Commercial battery storage
Six LFP batteries, one integrator
We're not locked to one manufacturer. Every battery below uses LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry, and we size the right one for your load profile, backup needs and site. Every battery is AC-coupled, so any of them can join any stack.
Discover AES Cabinet
- Nameplate
- 212 kWh
- Power
- 104 kW
- Enclosure
- IP55 outdoor
- Chemistry
- LFP
Outdoor-rated LFP storage, 212 kWh nameplate at up to 104 kW, run by a Solis S6-EH3P hybrid inverter.
Approved by Solis for its S6-EH3P 30–60 kW inverters; the cabinet carries a UL 9540 listing.
Discover AES is not yet listed for California’s JA12, so we pair it with existing buildings, retrofits and additions, not new construction where the Energy Code requires a battery.
Best for: Existing buildings, retrofits and additions
Manufacturer page
Discover AES RACKMOUNT
- Per module
- 5 kWh
- Per enclosure
- 30 kWh
- Scales to
- 180 kWh
- Chemistry
- LFP
5 kWh LFP modules, six to a 30 kWh Slimline enclosure that is UL 9540 listed as installed, for smaller critical loads on a 48 V inverter.
Discover AES is not yet listed for California’s JA12, so we pair it with existing buildings, retrofits and additions, not new construction where the Energy Code requires a battery.
Best for: Smaller critical loads, offices, telecom rooms
Manufacturer page
Generac SBE Cabinet 125
- Power
- 125 kW
- Nameplate
- 258–1,032 kWh
- Chemistry
- LFP
- Rated duration
- 2–8 h
Outdoor-rated, liquid-cooled LFP storage with its own 480 V inverter, rated for 2 to 8 hours at 125 kW.
AC-coupled, so it sits beside any stack; a 208 V site adds a step-down transformer. Backup for critical loads during shorter outages adds Generac’s microgrid controls and switchgear, which we specify per site.
Best for: Warehouses, cold storage, high demand charges
Manufacturer page
Sol-Ark L3 HVR-60
- Per cabinet
- 61 kWh
- Power per inverter
- 30–60 kW
- Scales to
- 6 per inverter
- Enclosure
- IP55 outdoor
Outdoor LFP cabinets with built-in climate control and fire suppression, run by a Sol-Ark 30K or 60K hybrid inverter that moves critical loads to backup in milliseconds.
Each cabinet comes with a Sol-Ark commercial hybrid inverter. Each inverter takes up to 60 kW of your solar (30 kW at 208 V). The rest stays grid-tied and shuts off in an outage. Backup covers the loads we wire to it.
Best for: Retail, restaurants, offices that need backup
Manufacturer page
Fortress Power eSpire 306
- Power
- 125 kW
- Per block
- 306 kWh
- Scales to
- 6.1 MWh
- Chemistry
- LFP
Liquid-cooled LFP storage that ships with its own 125 kW inverter and Keystone microgrid controller, and grows in roughly 300 kWh blocks.
Built for 480 V service; a 208 V site adds a step-down transformer. Backup and off-grid running use Fortress Power’s backup package.
Best for: Microgrids, agriculture, critical facilities
Manufacturer page
Enphase IQ Battery C80
- Per cabinet
- 80 kWh
- Power
- 33–40 kVA
- Scales to
- 2 MWh
- Chemistry
- LFP
An 80 kWh, all-in-one AC-coupled cabinet that pairs with Enphase commercial microinverters to trim demand charges and shift solar into peak-rate hours.
Pre-orders are open and Enphase expects to ship in 2027. Enphase lists backup as a future release, so we do not offer the C80 for backup yet.
Enphase has published only preliminary warranty terms for the IQ Battery C80, and they may change before it ships.
Best for: Pinnacle sites on Enphase microinverters
Manufacturer pageGood to know:
- Capacities are nameplate. Final equipment and specs are confirmed in your proposal.
- Batteries are not covered by SI-Commercial. Each battery system, including its built-in or paired inverter, carries its manufacturer’s limited warranty; terms vary by model.
- For new buildings that require storage under California’s Energy Code, we specify a battery model listed for Joint Appendix JA12, which may differ from the models shown here.
Architecture choice
Solar+storage or standalone?
Charged by the sun
- Solar charges battery during peak production
- Maximum bill offset — both energy and demand
- May qualify for Section 48E (if construction began by July 4, 2026)
- MACRS depreciation on full system
- Ride through outages on solar + battery
Best when you have roof/ground space and high daytime + evening loads.
Grid-charged or generator-integrated
- No roof space needed — works anywhere
- Charges during off-peak TOU, discharges during peak
- Demand charge reduction only (no energy offset)
- Backup power for critical loads
- MACRS depreciation eligible
Best when roof isn't viable or your primary pain is demand charges.
Quick sizing
Storage sizing calculator
No email required to see the estimate.
Instant estimate
Size your system
Drag the sliders. The estimate updates live — no dollar figures, just system sizing and offset range.
Estimated system
200 kW solar
150 kWh battery
Estimated bill offset range
55–70%
Ballpark only. Our team confirms final sizing after a site review.
Full assessment
Give us the details, get a real proposal
The more we know up front, the faster we can model your incentive stack and return a real Artemis proposal — not a vague range.
Tell us about your business
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30 minutes with a commercial storage specialist. Bring your last utility bill.
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Get a complimentary solar assessment from a GC-licensed team backed by 30+ years of family construction experience. No pressure, just honest numbers.