Battery program design template

Last updated: October 22, 2026

Every decision your utility needs to make to launch a home battery program. Not all of these may apply to your program; this is meant to be a guide for questions to align on with your program needs.

1. Program basics

Item	What we need	Your answer
Utility name	As customers know you. It's shown on the program page and in partner apps
Program name	Shown on your program page and to customers in partner apps
Program description	Up to three sentences customers will see: what the program does, what they earn, and how they stay in control
Utility logo	A .png or .jpg for the program page and partner apps
Primary contact	Name and email for program decisions
Billing / credits contact	Who applies customer incentives or bill credits
State(s) and time zone	Where the program is offered, and the time zone used to schedule events
Target launch date	When you want to begin enrolling customers
Program term	Ongoing, or a fixed end date
Program page URL	Where customers will learn about the program on your website

2. Program type and goals

Decision	Standard	Options
What's enrolled	—	Home batteries
How batteries are used	Event-based: reducing load on a limited number of high-demand days, called with notice	Daily peak window: shedding load in the same short window (for example 30 minutes) most or all days
Participation goal	—	Number of batteries you're aiming for
Participation or budget cap	—	Any limit on devices or program spend

3. Eligibility

Customers can pause participation or opt out of a single event; the program terms set the consequences.

Decision	Standard	Options
Device ownership	Customer-owned only	Customer-owned, utility-owned, or a mix
Service territory	—	ZIP codes or service territory where the program is offered
How applications are checked	—	By account number, service address, or ZIP code
Rate (tariff) requirement	None	A specific rate, such as time-of-use
Event opt-out	Customers can opt out of any event and forfeit that event's incentive	Required for customer-owned batteries
Storm Watch opt-outs	Don't count against the customer's incentive	—
Tax credit impact	None stated; customers are responsible for their own tax compliance	—
Other customer costs or savings	None beyond the incentives	—

Utility-owned batteries. If your utility owns batteries in customers' homes, such as a low-income storage program, those can run with opt-out and pause turned off. That requires a separate setup, so flag it here.

4. Incentives

We typically see programs pay around $500 upfront with a ~$300 annual bill credit, but this depends on your program's economic goals.

Decision	Standard	Options
Enrollment incentive	$500	$0 – $1,000; scales with kW
Ongoing incentive	$300 / yr	Up to $750 / yr; scales with kW
How incentives are paid	Monthly bill credit	Bill credit, check, rebate, or gift card
Incentive cap	None	A fixed dollar cap, per device, or per kW
Value of a kW to your utility	Not needed if using the standard incentives	Your $/kW figure

Non-export homes. Homes that cannot export to the grid still qualify, but only offset their own load. Expect roughly 20–30% of a full drawdown, so those customers earn less under a per-kW incentive.

5. Event details

Option A: Event-based

Decision	Standard	Options
Season	Year-round, all four seasons	Summer only, winter only, specific months
Average event duration	4 hours	—
Maximum event duration	5 hours	—
Maximum events per month	8	Lower limit
Events per day	1	—
Time of day	Any time	Specific windows (for example 4–9 pm)
Customer notice	Day-ahead	Day-ahead notice, or no notice
Capacity committed per event	80% (with 20% reserve)	60 – 80%

Option B: Daily peak window

Decision	Standard	Options
Window length	—	How long load must be shed each day (for example 30 minutes)
When your peak falls	—	Typical time range of the daily peak (for example 5–7 pm)
How the window is set	—	Fixed time each day, or set daily from your peak forecast
Days	—	Every day, weekdays only, or forecast peak days only
Season	—	Year-round, or the months your peak drives costs
Load reduction needed	—	Target kW across the fleet, or % of each battery per dispatch
Backup reserve	—	Minimum the battery keeps for the customer during the window
Customer notice	—	Whether customers are told about each daily dispatch
What you're measured on	—	The peak you're reducing (for example monthly coincident peak, transmission charge)

6. Device configuration

Every enrolled battery in the standard program can charge from the grid and export back to it. These settings apply at all times, not only during events.

Decision	Standard	Options
Backup reserve during events	Starts at 20%; customers can adjust between 20% and 40%	No restriction; a fixed value; a different range
Grid charging	All batteries may charge from the grid	Keep each home's existing setting; never charge from the grid (solar homes protecting a tax credit)
Energy exports	All batteries may export solar and stored energy	Keep each home's existing setting; solar exports only

Backup reserve. Applies only during events. Outside an event, the customer's normal backup setting is used.

7. Enrollment and customer experience

Texture hosts the program page and terms, enrolls customers, and handles customer support. Your utility keeps control of incentive levels, event windows, and notice.

Decision	Standard	Options
Enrollment path	Your website links to the Texture-hosted program page and enrollment form	In-app enrollment may be added later
Terms and conditions	—	Your own terms
Details for your website	Incentive amounts, eligibility, and who to contact	—
Program marketing	Your utility	Your utility, the device maker, or both
Customer support contact	—	Add a utility contact for billing questions
Customer communications	Your utility's channels	Newsletter, bill insert, email, social
In-app experience	Shared program label in the Tesla app	—

8. Fit check

Check any statement that applies so we can talk through options before launch.

☐ We need to dispatch batteries by substation or feeder, especially events at the same time in different areas.

☐ We want to shave a peak every day, not call occasional events.

☐ We only need a single peak season, and a year-round program doesn't match our budget or customer messaging.

☐ We want our own program name, URL, and branding inside the Tesla app.

☐ We want our own terms and conditions rather than standard program terms.

☐ We own some or all of the batteries and want full dispatch control over them.

None checked

You're ready for the standard program.

Any checked

We'll talk through options with you. Some are quick to handle; others shape the program design or the timeline.

Feeder-level dispatch can often be handled through opt-outs for events that aren't simultaneous. Starting on the standard program first is often the fastest way to build the performance data that supports a custom design later.