Standard · Grid Edge
$450 underserved · $550 low-income
12 PM–9 PM · ~3 hrs each
Within 8–10 wks after each season
- Check the address in the Grid Edge Checker -- enter zip + circuit for an instant answer. Grid edge = $130/kWh vs $30/kWh -- a 4× difference. Confirm before arrival.
- Know the utility: Eversource or United Illuminating (UI).
- Check if address is in a Distressed Municipality (DECD list) -- underserved customers earn $450/kW/year vs $300 standard.
- Have the Trinity ESS MOU ready. Know the system's kWh so you can fill in the enrollment estimate on the spot.
- Verify interconnection approval date -- the ESS enrollment application must be submitted within 6 months of interconnection approval. Flag any jobs where this window is approaching or has passed before the appointment.
- Confirm battery model is on the ESS Eligible Equipment List.
- Do NOT reference the 30% federal ITC for cash or loan customers -- expired December 31, 2025. For TPO/PPA customers, Section 48E applies through 2027 (construction start before July 4, 2026) -- present accurately.
"Beyond the battery itself, I want to walk you through a Connecticut state program that actually pays you for owning one. It's run by the CT Green Bank and your utility. Starting April 1st they redesigned it -- and it's a genuinely better deal for homeowners who participate."
"The basic idea: when the grid is under stress -- hottest summer afternoons, coldest January days -- your utility needs extra power fast. Instead of firing up old expensive power plants, they can pull from batteries like yours. You get paid for that."
"The change this year: instead of one large upfront rebate, you get a consistent payment twice a year for 10 years. The total lifetime value is actually higher -- and your battery isn't locked into a rigid schedule anymore. The utility only calls on it when the grid actually needs help."
"One thing I checked before coming today -- your neighborhood is what the state calls a 'grid edge' area. Your circuit has historically seen more outages during major storms than average. Because of that, the state set aside a higher incentive specifically for homeowners like you."
"Instead of $30 per kilowatt-hour, you qualify for $130 per kilowatt-hour on the enrollment credit. On a 13.5 kWh Powerwall 3, that's roughly $1,755 instead of $405 -- before the 10-year performance payments even start. The enrollment credit is paid by CT Green Bank to Trinity and applied as a project cost discount -- it does not go directly to the customer as a separate check."
Eversource or UI can draw power from the customer's battery during dispatch events. And customers will ask "what if I change my mind?" Both must be addressed openly -- the answers are actually reassuring when delivered with confidence.
"Here's the part I want to be clear about -- because it's where people usually have questions."
"When you enroll, your utility has the ability to send a signal to your battery on certain days and pull stored energy into the grid. That's how you earn the payments. In practice it's completely automatic -- you don't do anything. About 24 hours notice, roughly 3 hours per event, between noon and 9 PM."
"Your backup reserve is always protected. We set a minimum -- default 20% -- and the utility can never go below that. Storm coming? They won't call an event. Want to skip a specific day? Open the app and opt out."
"Let me walk through what this looks like financially for your system. There are two separate pieces."
"First is the enrollment credit -- one time, based on your battery's capacity in kilowatt-hours. You're getting a [XX] kWh system. At [$30 or $130] per kilowatt-hour, that's about $[amount]. That goes to Trinity and gets applied to your project cost -- it's not a separate check to you."
"Second is the performance payment -- the 10-year income stream. Based on the average kilowatts your battery contributes during events, your utility pays you directly, twice a year. For a standard customer at $300 per kilowatt per year, that's typically several hundred dollars a year, paid right to you by Eversource or UI after each season."
"Over 10 years, those performance payments can add up significantly -- on top of everything the battery already does for your home."
Use: ESS rates reviewed annually by PURA -- not permanent. Grid edge status could shift in future years. Installing this spring = first full summer dispatch season. Do NOT use: The 30% federal ITC -- expired Dec 31, 2025 for cash/loan purchases.
For customers interested in a lease or PPA, Trinity's TPO products qualify under Section 48E (30% investment tax credit) for systems beginning construction before July 4, 2026. Real, time-limited urgency driver -- present it accurately for the right product.
| System | kWh | Std. Enrollment | Grid Edge | Est. Annual Perf. (Std.) | Est. 10-Year (Std.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powerwall 3 -- 1 unit | 13.5 | ~$405 | ~$1,755 ⭐ | ~$300–$450/yr | ~$3,000–$4,500 |
| Powerwall 3 -- 2 units | 27.0 | ~$810 | ~$3,510 ⭐ | ~$600–$900/yr | ~$6,000–$9,000 |
| FranklinWH aPower 2 | 13.6 | ~$408 | ~$1,768 ⭐ | ~$300–$450/yr | ~$3,000–$4,500 |
* Illustrative only. Actual payments based on measured kW-AC. Some manufacturers may retain a portion. Use as conversation ranges -- not guarantees.
All Green Bank incentive estimates use a 62% average fleet capacity factor -- the measured average kW-AC output across all enrolled batteries vs. their maximum possible output during dispatch hours. It accounts for real-world variables across the entire program. Use it to set honest expectations:
- How the math works -- Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh / 5 kW AC): Max output = 5 kW. Apply 62% → ~3.1 kW average dispatch contribution per event
- Standard residential annual estimate: 3.1 kW × $300/kW/yr = ~$930/year
- Underserved annual estimate: 3.1 kW × $450/kW/yr = ~$1,395/year
- Low-income annual estimate: 3.1 kW × $550/kW/yr = ~$1,705/year
- Standard 10-year total: ~$9,300 | Underserved 10-year: ~$13,950 | Low-income 10-year: ~$17,050
- Two Powerwall 3 units (27 kWh): approximately double the above
What moves a customer above or below 62%:
- Backup reserve setting ↓ earns more: A 20% reserve leaves more kWh available to dispatch vs. 50%. Higher reserve = more outage protection, lower contribution. Customer's choice -- document it.
- Per-event opt-outs ↓ reduce earnings: Every opt-out lowers the season average. Customers who opt out of all events earn $0 that season -- no penalty, just no payment.
- OEM dispatch compliance: Some manufacturers respond more reliably to utility signals. Green Bank's upcoming data dashboard will rank OEMs by performance -- use it to guide equipment recommendations.
- Event frequency: The utility controls how many events are called. Trinity cannot control this -- never promise a specific event count.
Always frame as estimates: "Based on the state's average program performance, a home like yours could earn approximately $X per year." Never promise a specific dollar amount. Use the Green Bank calculator at energystoragect.com for precise figures.
When the Green Bank issues a Reservation of Funds letter, it locks in both the enrollment incentive amount and the 10-year performance rate simultaneously. If PURA revises rates next year, the customer is protected at today's rates for the full 10 years. Use this when a customer asks "what if the program changes?"
If a customer already has a battery, they still have options. Green Bank confirmed these paths:
- Never enrolled in ESS: Can enroll now through Trinity and access both the enrollment incentive and full 10-year performance stream. Must be within 6 months of original interconnection approval.
- In Connected Solutions: Can switch to Construct 5. No enrollment incentive on the switch, but performance rate jumps from ~$75/kW/yr to $300/kW/yr. On a PW3 at 62% factor: gain of ~$698/yr × 10 years = ~$7,000 more over the program term. No new equipment needed.
- Non-export system (interconnected before Jan 1, 2026): Still eligible for ESS. Actual performance may be below fleet average -- disclose clearly.
The Trinity ESS MOU is a disclosure and acknowledgment document -- not a binding contract. Walk through it verbally together. Don't just hand it over to sign.
"I want to walk through this with you -- it's our record that we covered the CT ESS Program and you understand what you're agreeing to."
"Section 2 fills in your actual numbers -- enrollment credit, estimated annual performance payment, and 10-year total. Confirm those match what we talked about."
"Section 3 is the acknowledgment checklist. Let me go through each one with you: [Walk each checkbox verbally -- utility access, event schedule, advance notice, backup reserve, storm protection, opt-out rights, no passive dispatch, direct utility payment, non-participation terms, home sale terms, data sharing, 10-year term, ITC status.]"
"Section 4 is your enrollment election -- yes or no. Section 5 is your backup reserve preference."
- Open Tesla app → Powerwall → Virtual Power Plant
- Have utility bill ready (account number needed)
- Enter name, utility account number, email, phone
- Tap "Agree and Apply"
- CT Green Bank reviews; approval notification in Tesla app
- Adjust VPP Backup Reserve setting any time here
- FranklinWH dispatches via EnergyHub
- Trinity installer confirms EnergyHub enrollment post-commissioning
- Utility account number needed for enrollment verification
- Performance payments from Eversource or UI after each season
"Once we install your battery, we handle all the technical setup. There's one last step you do from your phone -- [walk through app enrollment]. Takes about 5 minutes. After that, you're fully enrolled."
"When you add it all up -- backup power during outages, solar storage, energy independence -- and layer the CT ESS program on top, your battery becomes a grid asset that earns you direct payments for 10 years."
"The enrollment is handled by Trinity. The app step takes about 5 minutes after install. Twice a year -- after summer and after winter -- a direct payment from your utility."
"And here's the thing about flexibility: if you ever decide you don't want to participate in a given season, just opt out through the app. No penalty. The enrollment credit stays. The only thing to be aware of is the home sale scenario, which we covered in the MOU."
"Does the ESS program make sense for you, or do you have more questions before we go through the MOU together?" → Every customer walks through the MOU -- whether they enroll or decline. Move to the MOU now regardless of their answer.
Walk through the MOU together. Fill in system details and incentive estimates. Check each acknowledgment item verbally -- especially non-participation and home sale. Customer selects the YES enrollment box on Section 4. Record backup reserve preference. Collect signatures from all parties. The signed MOU is your record that the program was explained and the customer elected to enroll. Submit ESS application after installation.
Walk through the MOU with the customer anyway -- do not skip it. Check the NO / Decline box on Section 4. Collect the customer's signature on the MOU confirming their opt-out decision. This signature is required: it is Trinity's record that the program was fully explained and the customer made an informed choice to decline. Note the decline in Salesforce. Battery contract proceeds without ESS. Don't push -- their decision is valid and now documented. Customer can revisit enrollment in the future through Trinity or energystoragect.com.