AES Solar Certified · Class A Electrical Contractor Since 1968

Solar panels and whole-home battery storage in Northern Virginia

Power outages keep getting more common. Energy costs keep going up. Solar plus battery storage gives you control over both — and unlike most installers, we own the electrical work end to end as a Class A licensed contractor.

Book a Solar + Battery Consultation Call (703) 361-3383

Three reasons Northern Virginia homeowners are going solar in 2026

Energy bills keep climbing

Dominion and Northern Virginia Electric Co-op rate increases have outpaced inflation for the last decade. Solar locks in your generation cost for the next 25-30 years — the lifespan of a quality panel system — and Virginia’s net metering rules let you sell surplus back to the grid.

Outages keep getting longer

Storm-driven outages across Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William have gotten longer and more frequent. A solar-plus-battery system keeps your essentials (or your whole home) running through multi-day events without the fuel-supply problems of generators.

The incentives are still here

The federal solar tax credit lets you deduct 30% of the installed cost from your federal taxes. Virginia adds a property-tax exemption so the value solar adds to your home doesn’t raise your property assessment. The combined effect changes the payback math significantly.

Four battery systems we install — matched to your home

We do not run a one-size-fits-all install. We design the battery system around the home: your existing solar (if any), your inverter, your panel capacity, what you actually want to keep running. These are the four product lines we install and service across Northern Virginia.

Enphase IQ Energy

Modular · Easy to expand

Best fit if your home already runs Enphase microinverters
Modular — start with one battery, add more as your needs grow
Simple Enphase app for real-time monitoring + alerts
Fast installation, strong UL-certified safety features
Works for partial-load or full-home backup

SolarEdge Home Battery

Best for SolarEdge systems

Integrates directly with the SolarEdge Energy Hub inverter
High DC-coupled efficiency — less energy loss
Clean single-vendor install, all components designed to work together
Whole-home backup capable with the right inverter sizing
Advanced monitoring through the SolarEdge mobileSetApp

FranklinWH

Whole-home backup champion

Built for higher load demand — runs more of the house
Pairs cleanly with a backup generator for hybrid resilience
Smart load-management routes power where it matters
Expandable to multiple units for larger homes
Strong fit if you want true whole-home backup without compromises

EG4 Electronics

Flexible · Budget-conscious

Wide product range covers many install configurations
Hybrid-inverter compatibility with most major panel brands
More cost-effective entry point than most premium systems
Easy to expand over time as your needs change
Strong fit when flexibility matters more than single-vendor cohesion

What a solar battery actually does for you

A battery does three jobs at once. It keeps your essentials running during an outage — lights, refrigeration, internet, well pump, medical equipment. It stores surplus solar generation from peak sun hours so you can use that power after sundown instead of pulling from the grid. It shifts your usage off the grid’s most expensive time-of-use windows on rate plans that price evening power higher.

For homes without solar, a battery still earns its keep through time-of-use savings and outage backup. For homes with solar, the battery is what closes the loop — turning a grid-tied solar array into a system that actually keeps the lights on when the grid fails.

Essential-load vs whole-home backup

Essential-load backup protects a subset of your circuits — lights, fridge, internet, sump pump, key outlets. Smaller battery, faster install, lower up-front cost. The right fit for most homes.

Whole-home backup runs everything — HVAC, electric range, dryer, full lighting. Requires a larger battery (or stacked batteries) and careful panel + load sizing. The right fit for homes with medical needs, work-from-home offices, or anyone who simply wants the outage to be invisible.

We walk you through which loads matter to you, what they actually draw, and what the right battery sizing looks like before you buy anything.

Already have solar? You probably don’t need to start over.

In most cases we can add a battery to your existing solar without replacing the panels or the inverter. We review your inverter make and model, look at your service panel capacity, confirm the new system passes load calculations and code, then design the backup plan around what you actually want protected.

Common pairings we do for Northern Virginia homes: solar + battery for daily savings and short outages, plus a standby generator for multi-day events. Solar handles the routine, the battery covers transient outages and time-of-use arbitrage, the generator picks up when the storm sits for three days. We install all three from one truck.

Solar done right starts with the electrical work

Plenty of companies sell batteries. Fewer install them correctly. We’ve been a Class A licensed electrical contractor since 1968 and we hold AES solar certification — which means the electrical foundation under your battery (panel sizing, load calculations, surge protection, generator integration, code compliance) is handled by the same team that’s been wiring Northern Virginia homes for three generations.

In-house

Proper load calculationsNEC Article 220 sizing so the battery + inverter + panel actually work together

Required

Code-compliant installPermit, inspection, utility coordination — we run all of it

Standard

Surge protectionWhole-home and per-circuit surge devices protect the battery investment

Included

Generator integrationIf you have a standby generator we wire the transfer logic correctly with the battery

What customers say about our solar work

★★★★★ · Google

Great service. Thanks

Solar & Battery FAQ

Common questions about solar and battery storage

Is solar still worth it in 2026 with the federal tax credit?

Yes. The federal solar tax credit lets you deduct 30% of the installed cost from your federal income tax. Virginia adds a property-tax exemption so the value solar adds to your home doesn’t increase your property assessment. With rising Dominion rates and 25-30 year panel lifespans, the math still works for most Northern Virginia homes.

Do I need a battery if I have solar?

A grid-tied solar system without a battery cannot power your home during an outage — it shuts down for safety. A battery is what turns solar into actual outage backup. Even without solar, a battery earns its keep through time-of-use savings and short-outage protection.

What battery brands does Benfield install?

We install four product lines and match them to your home: Enphase IQ Energy (best for Enphase microinverter systems, modular and expandable), SolarEdge Home Battery (best for SolarEdge inverters, high efficiency), FranklinWH (built for whole-home backup, pairs cleanly with a generator), and EG4 Electronics (most flexible, hybrid-inverter compatibility, more budget-friendly).

Can you add a battery to my existing solar?

In most cases, yes — without replacing the panels or inverter. We review your inverter make and model, confirm your service panel has capacity, run load calculations, and design the backup plan around what you actually want protected (essential circuits vs whole-home).

Essential-load vs whole-home backup — which do I need?

Essential-load backup protects a defined set of circuits (lights, fridge, internet, sump, well pump) with a smaller battery. Whole-home backup runs everything including HVAC. Whole-home requires a larger battery (or stacked batteries) and careful panel sizing. We help you decide based on what you actually want to keep running and what the load calculation supports.

Does solar + battery replace the need for a standby generator?

For most outages, yes. Solar plus a properly sized battery handles routine power-quality issues and short-to-medium outages cleanly. For multi-day storm events that Northern Virginia gets a few times a year, a standby generator picks up where the battery’s capacity runs out. They’re complementary, not redundant — and if you want true whole-home, multi-day resilience, all three (solar + battery + generator) is the answer. Generator is sold separately.

What certifications does Benfield hold for solar?

We are AES Solar Certified and a Class A licensed electrical contractor in Virginia. The electrical foundation under any solar or battery install (panel sizing, load calculations, surge protection, code compliance, permit coordination) is handled by the same team that has been wiring Northern Virginia homes for three generations.

How long does a solar installation take from contract to power-on?

Typical timeline is 6-12 weeks: engineering review and permit submission (1-2 weeks), permit approval (2-4 weeks depending on jurisdiction), installation (2-3 days on site), utility interconnection approval and meter swap (2-4 weeks). The longest variable is the utility interconnection queue with Dominion Energy. We handle all permit and utility coordination so you don’t chase paperwork across three agencies.

Can I add more solar panels later if my energy use increases?

Yes, if your inverter and service panel were sized with expansion capacity from the start — which is exactly how we design systems. Adding panels later requires a new permit and utility amendment, but the electrical foundation is already there. If you’re planning an electric vehicle, heat pump upgrade, or future addition, tell us during the initial design so we size the inverter and panel correctly the first time.