Storage simulations show you how a solar-plus-battery system performs for a specific home. You can evaluate self-sufficiency, estimated bill savings, and backup potential — and compare the impact of different storage configurations in real time.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Before you begin
- Understanding the simulation results
- How design changes affect results
- What you can do with simulation results
- FAQs
Before you begin
Your design must include at least one connected battery before you can run a storage simulation. If you haven't added storage yet, see Add storage in Design Mode.
Run a simulation
- Open a design in Design Mode with a connected battery.
- In the left panel, click Simulate system.
The simulation runs based on your current system configuration.
Understanding the simulation results
After running a simulation, results are organized into three tabs: Self-sufficiency, Bill savings, and Production. Each tab shows a different view of system performance.
Storage affects how energy is used and valued, not how much energy is produced. As a result, self-sufficiency and bill savings update when storage changes, while production remains the same.
Self-sufficiency (new)
The Self-sufficiency tab focuses on how well the system meets the home’s energy needs using solar and storage.
Here you can see:
- Self-sufficiency percentage — the share of the home’s energy load met by solar and storage
- Grid reliance — how much energy is still drawn from the grid
- Monthly and daily usage charts showing:
- Solar production
- Battery charging and discharging
- Grid usage and exports
You can:
- Hover over charts to view detailed values
- Drill into individual months for more detail
- Toggle the battery on or off to compare system performance with and without storage
Bill savings (updated to reflect storage)
The Bill savings tab shows the financial impact of your system.
Here you can see:
- Annual and monthly bill estimates before and after solar + storage
- Bill offset percentage
- A monthly bill chart comparing current vs. projected costs
- Utility rate details, including pre- and post-solar rates and compensation policy
Production (unchanged)
The Production tab shows how much energy your system generates.
Here you can see:
- Annual production, average monthly production, and system offset
- A monthly production chart comparing:
- Energy usage
- System production
- System metrics such as:
- Number of panels
- System yield
- Performance ratio
How design changes affect results
Simulation results update when you run a simulation after making changes that affect system performance. When a change impacts results, Aurora enables the Simulate system button so you can re-run the necessary simulations.
Aurora only runs the simulations affected by your changes:
- Changing solar components → runs both performance and storage simulations
- Changing storage components → runs storage simulation only
- Making unrelated changes → does not trigger the need to update the simulation
Examples
- Increasing backup reserve reduces the energy available for self-consumption, which may lower your self-sufficiency percentage
- Adding expansion units increases total capacity, which typically improves self-sufficiency
Use the battery inspector
Click any battery on the canvas to open its inspector. From here you can:
- View system capacity and estimated output
- Set the operating mode: backup, self-consumption, or energy arbitrage
- Adjust backup reserve
- Modify battery quantity or expansion units
Notes:
- Changes to operating mode, backup reserve, quantity, or expansion units affect simulation results. After making these changes, click Simulate system to update system metrics.
- Operating mode and backup reserve settings apply to all storage components in the design — they're shared across the system, not per-battery.
What you can do with simulation results
Storage simulations help you:
- Compare storage configurations in real time before finalizing a design
- Understand how specific design choices affect backup coverage and self-consumption
- Have informed conversations with homeowners about tradeoffs between backup and bill savings
For more on storage configurations and how they appear in downstream outputs, see Storage system types and outputs.
FAQ
Why is my self-sufficiency percentage low?
High backup reserve settings reduce the energy available for everyday self-consumption. Try lowering the reserve to see how it affects your self-sufficiency results.
Why didn't my simulation rerun after I made a change?
Aurora only enables the Simulate system button when a change affects system performance or storage. Changes that don’t impact energy modeling (such as moving a component on the canvas) won’t require a simulation.
Can I compare results with and without storage?
Yes. Toggle the battery on or off in the Self-Sufficiency panel to compare scenarios side by side.