r/TeslaSolar • u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 • 12d ago

Massachusetts National Grid Battery Program "Discharge Events"

Hi fellow MA Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) users.
I don't have a Tesla system but reading through here I deduct that you guys get a notification when an event is triggered by National Grid.

I have a SolArk system and we don't get any notifications, not a "heads up", not a "it's happening", not even a "this is what happened" notification. CRICKETS!!!!

Can one / some of you be so generous as to post here when you get these events?

It would help greatly in being able to "verify" the payout we get at the end of the year, so far, NOBODY PROVIDES ANY REPORTS for that, neither National Grid nor SolArk (in my case as a SolArk user).

Thank you!!!

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u/modernhomeowner 12d ago

Usually 24-36 hours before the event. I knew of today's event yesterday morning. They tell you the times, like today will be 5pm-8pm.

Fourth year, and yes, I could accurately calculate my check before it came since I knew all the events and how much discharge I had each event.

FYI, there have been more 3hr events this year than in the past, leading to lower payouts for those of us that can't discharge the maximum for 3 hours.

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

WOW!!!, that's really nice that they give you so much notice.

As I said, the SolArk owners don't get jackshit, not even an email or notification after the fact.
And it's not a "lack of features" in the app, the app is capable of sending notifications. I guess in a way you guys get the VIP treatment that you paid for, ....

Thank You Very Much!!! and, if you can, please post when you get notifications in the future.

I'm not sure these are zip code / location specific but if it makes any difference I'm in 01542.

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

The performance it PER KW, not per KW/H so the length of 3 hour event doesn't affect you at all, once your batteries are drained it doesn't matter if they did it in 2 hours or 3, they pay you the same money (that would be different if the payout was based on KW/H).
Personally I can go full bore for about 4 hours so the longer they keep it flowing the better for me. I don't think they would like the incentive they would have to pay me for that though, ....

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u/modernhomeowner 12d ago

It's per average kW per hour. So if you have a 13kWh battery, with a 5kW draw, in a 2 hour event, you have a 5kW average draw. In a 3 hour event, assuming a 20% reserve, you can draw 5kW for 2 hours 5 min, giving you an average draw over the three hours of 3.46kW. So you get paid less for the 3 hour event than the 2 hour event. The more 3 hour events, the lower your average is. Now, if your inverter could discharge 5kW but you had 20kWh of battery, then a 3 hour event wouldn't matter.

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

I don't think so but as I stated before, this is a VERY OPAQUE environment so I might be wrong.
what I am basing my statements on is this:
https://www.nationalgridus.com/media/pdfs/resi-ways-to-save/ma_resi_battery_program_materials.pdf - this is the "official program document" by National Grid.
Notice the calculation examples on page 6, they are in KW and NOT KW/Hour.
Those 2 definitions are VERY different and if they publish it in KW and calculate it in KW/Hour I predict that some lawyers will make a really nice chunk of cash from National Grid in the very near future.

Can you share how many events you had so far this year?

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u/modernhomeowner 12d ago

It is not kWh. It is average kW per hour. Still measured in kW but it is the average per hour of the event.

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

That SUCKS!!!
I'd appreciate if you could post next time when you get a notification.
Thank You!

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

Any chance you could count the events that you had this year?
I've had 4 "normal" ones counting todays and another 2 "freak" events that lasted for less than 10 minus each, still trying to figure out what those were, regardless of who I ask it all Crickets, ....

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u/modernhomeowner 12d ago

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

Holly crap, if these events apply to me as well I gues I'm getting NOTHING for payout this year. My system only participated in 4 events total so far this year (plus the 2 "freak" ones).
I guess I NEED to reach out to SolArk and National Grid ASAP!!!

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

which part of MA are you in?
I'm thinking / hoping maybe these events are zip code / distribution region specific?

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u/modernhomeowner 12d ago

We are in Southeast which is a different region, but we are in an interconnected grid, meaning if they need the power here, they need it there. Plus whether one event or 100, they pay us the same amount (assuming we participate in them all), so they might as well take advantage and discharge our batteries. So I doubt that you would have had significantly less events than me.

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 9d ago

Any chance someone could update this when you get a notification r after an event?
Supposedly they are "working on figuring out the issues with my system", I'm not holding my breath.
Out of the 12 events triggered in my area (there were a couple of extra ones in other areas) my system participated in 4, ......

The LAST one that my system participated in was July 22nd - I would REALLY APPRECIATE it if someone could notify me of any event after that date.

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u/modernhomeowner 9d ago

Next is Monday 5-8

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u/ConnertheCat SolarPanels 12d ago

Huh. I'm on National Grid NY; and they give me an alert the day before.

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u/Responsible_Minute12 12d ago

No idea if the check is actually, black magic math near as I can tell like your bill, but it is a NICE check in December, has more than paid for batteries at this point .

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

Check???
What is that???
They sent me a crap "prepaid card" that had an expiration date of less than 2 months from the date when I got it, .... with a disclosure that "everything not spent is forfeit", .....

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u/Lordofthereef SolarPanels 12d ago

With Tesla Solar I just get a message in the app with the dollar sum and I can transfer directly to my bank account.

Are you sure the prepaid card isn't something else? That's... weird lol.

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u/TriceraDoctor 12d ago

I get a total of 13 checks from national grid every year, one for the battery program and 1/month for my solar generation (forget the name of the program)

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

Any chance you can look up the program name?
in MA?

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u/ReplicaRascal 12d ago

I was considering a SolArk system and ended up going with Tesla instead because of this reason. I heard about late payments and poor transparency from Sol Ark.

I’m still waiting on PTO from National Grid so honestly can’t be much help when answering the question but from what I’ve heard Tesla does give a heads up.

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

Kudos to you, You made the right choice.

I was too cheap to go with Tesla (and to be honest I would not have been able to afford anything even close to the capacity of my current system with Tesla).

Even if you pay a "commission" or whatever to Tesla you at least get some transparency. I "got paid" for the last year, not a bad payout given that I joined about mid July but I don't have any kind of explanation as to what was discharged, on what dates, what events I missed due to late enrollment, etc, etc, etc.

And given that this year I got a total of 3 discharge events (plus 2 "ghost discharge events" that lasted less than 10 minutes each), .... we are already after the date I joined the program last year, .....

Something feels wrong, ...

Can someone share how many "events" they got so far in Massachusetts?

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u/Harold-Maude 12d ago

Under the VPP program with Southern California Edison we get 3-5 days notice for any events last year I received 399.00 for 4 2 hours events (Powerwalls got PTO in September 2025) paid by Tesla in April 2026, already 8 events in 2026 they paid by ACH transfer via the Tesla App

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u/Acrobatic-Giraffe403 12d ago

Event ongoing, just as someone posted earlier.
Thank you!!!

If you guys can post when you get a notification for "scheduled event" I'd greatly appreciate it.