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“I’m extremely happy with my decision.”
Photo Credit: iStock
As more homeowners look for ways to shield themselves from rising energy costs, one real-world home electrification setup is drawing attention for doing more than just keeping the lights on.
In a LinkedIn post, summarized by Electrek, microgrid expert and GM Energy employee Jim Reilly shared how his rooftop solar panels, home battery, and electric truck are helping him lock in his energy costs for decades.
Reilly outlined his all-electric setup: a rooftop solar array, a GM Energy home backup battery, and a GMC Sierra EV that can send power back to the house through bidirectional charging.
The hardware and materials for his solar-plus-vehicle-to-home system came to roughly $15,000 before discounts and tax credits. The panels are expected to produce about 10,000 kilowatt-hours annually, or around 253,000 kWh over the warranty period. Using that math, Reilly estimated the electricity cost works out to about $0.06 per kWh over the next quarter-century.
Reilly’s calculations highlighted how impactful clean energy upgrades can be for lowering household energy costs. By pairing solar panels with a home battery, he can also store excess energy generated during the day and use it later, helping him avoid expensive peak electricity rates.
If you’re curious about how much solar panels and battery storage can reduce your energy bills, connect with EnergySage. Its free tools can snag you competitive quotes from vetted installers. 
EnergySage has partnered with electrification company Qmerit to ensure homeowners can grab the best deals possible on battery storage based on their home and budget. 
On the EV side of the equation, Reilly contrasted a gas-powered Silverado with a 24-gallon tank with his Silverado EV equivalent. At $5.25 per gallon, the gas truck costs $126 for a fill-up, while charging the EV’s roughly 200-kWh battery at his solar rate costs about $12, a difference of $114 each time.
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Battery backups are often framed as storm-prep tools, but Reilly’s post points to another benefit: cost stability. Instead of being exposed to swings in gasoline prices or relying entirely on utility rates, homeowners with solar, storage, and EV charging can shift more of their energy use to power they generate themselves.
Those savings can add up quickly for frequent drivers. Reilly estimated that a full EV charge costs about $28 using grid electricity at home — far less than the $96 to $126 he typically spent filling a gas tank. When powered by his solar system, the cost of driving drops even further.
Reilly noted that his setup provides “backup power for those bad winter storms.” For homeowners dealing with outages and rising bills, the setup offers both reliability and lower fueling costs.
Reilly acknowledged that his exact math “might not work for everyone,” especially because he was able to install the solar himself. Still, his example shows how home electrification can pay off.
“I’m extremely happy with my decision,” Reilly added. 
If Reilly’s testimony has you considering a solar panel or battery upgrade, check out EnergySage’s free resources. It offers helpful mapping tools to understand the average costs of battery and solar upgrades in your area, as well as details on local incentives. 
If you’re not looking for a whole-home battery, Pila offers plug-and-play battery options that are a fraction of the cost of larger systems and require no installation. 
While Pila’s Mesh Home Battery is only roughly the size of a briefcase, it has enough power to keep your fridge running for 32 hours during an outage or charge your phone over 100 times.
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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