How did you choose your home battery reserve setting?

[Alan]

Quick planning thread for the Home Battery Forum

When you set up your battery reserve, what’s your simple logic for picking a number that works?

I’m noticing a lot of new owners assume the battery will magically cover everything during an outage, then they discover one or two loads can crush runtime way faster than expected

So what reserve percent do you run, and what loads did you learn to keep off the backup panel
And if you had to redo your backup priorities today, what would you change first

 

[BioMech_Deus]

I started too low because I assumed the system would “optimize” it. First outage taught me the hard way that runtime is all about loads, not vibes. After that I bumped my reserve up and got stricter about what’s actually on the backup panel.

 

[AriaDawn]

Reserve percent mattered less for me than deciding what not to back up. Space heaters, EV charging, and anything resistive was an instant no. If you could only keep three things alive in an outage, what would they be.

 

[ZellDincht]

I learned quickly that one or two loads can eat the battery fast. I picked a reserve that I’m not willing to dip below even on normal days, then I only go lower if a storm is coming.

 

[ZinVathek]

Which loads surprised you the most when you first tested backup, like HVAC, well pump, fridge, or something random? I’m trying to understand what actually crushes runtime so I can plan a realistic reserve. Also do you test your backup setup on purpose or just wait for a real outage?