All-Electric Family Home, Athens, Georgia
All-Electric Forever Home in Athens, Georgia
OVERVIEW
Situated on a working cattle farm outside Athens, Georgia, this new-construction “forever home” was designed as a high-efficiency, all-electric residence. From the outset, the homeowner prioritized long-term reliability and energy resilience, with plans for solar self-consumption in a future phase of construction.
CHALLENGE
The immediate requirement for the homeowners was dependable whole-home backup power. During this initial stage of construction, solar panels were not installed, but the system should allow for easy expansion and modification.
The home operates with a 3 kW base load and relies entirely on electrical appliances, including for cooking and heating, making outage protection essential during the colder months.
Late in the project, the Authority Having Jurisdiction determined that batteries could not be installed inside the home. They needed an outdoor battery solution capable of reliable year-round operation, even in harsh environments.
SOLUTION
Because of the outdoor installation, selecting a dependable, outdoor-rated, heated lithium battery was critical. This would ensure code compliance while maintaining battery availability, performance, and longevity through seasonal temperature changes. The solution: Discover's HELIOS ESS.
DISCOVER PRODUCTS
- 4 × Discover HELIOS ESS Batteries (64 kWh total)
OTHER PRODUCTS
- 2 × Sol-Ark 15K-2P Hybrid Inverters
- 1 × 26 kW Generac Guardian generator
APPLICATION
- Backup power
REQUIREMENT
- Long-term reliability and energy resilience
- In the future, integrate with a solar array for self consumption
SUMMARY
The completed system delivers reliable battery-backed power for daily loads, with generator support during prolonged outages. When the planned ground-mount solar array is installed in the next phase, the system will expand to include self-consumption, practically eliminating generator runtime and increasing overall energy independence.
The result is a scalable, future-ready energy system well-suited for rural living and long-term ownership.
Key Project Details
- New construction, all-electric residence
- 2 × 15 kW Sol-Ark hybrid inverters
- Outdoor-rated, heated batteries:
◦ 4 × Discover Helios 16 kWh lithium batteries
◦ 64 kWh total battery storage - 26 kW Generac Guardian generator
- Phase 2, ground-mounted solar array
Gain Solar is a family-owned solar business committed to helping families have the best solar that they can have. Johnny, the owner, has been installing solar since 2009. He is a licensed, unrestricted electrician in the state of Georgia and a NABCEP-certified solar installation professional.
Discover Energy Systems has over 75 years of experience in the battery business, supplying dependable batteries and power electronics that make sustainable power a reality for current and future generations.
For information on the HELIOS energy storage solution, visit this page.
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