A Lemon Grove solar-plus-battery proposal may describe the battery or the whole installation as non-export. That can be a useful design for serving household electricity needs, but the proposal should identify exactly which equipment is restricted and how the home will operate.
The practical question is: Does non-export describe the battery, the entire solar system, or just a temporary setting? Those arrangements should not be treated as interchangeable.
What non-export means
SDG&E's interconnection overview, dated October 2024, explains that non-export systems serve local loads and use controls to prevent energy from flowing onto the utility grid. Its current Rule 21 resource page includes non-export storage diagrams and agreements, including a third-party non-exporting agreement.
For a homeowner, the useful distinction is between electricity supplied to your own appliances and electricity sent beyond your meter. A battery may serve household demand without being authorized to discharge onto the grid.
Ask the designer to label the permitted energy flows on the proposal. If you already have exporting solar, ask separately how that existing system is treated. Do not assume a new battery preserves an existing billing arrangement without project-specific confirmation from SDG&E.
Lemon Grove approval still matters
Non-export is not a reason to skip the city or utility process. Lemon Grove's SolarAPP+ instructions describe city permitting and a job card for final building approval and the PV and/or battery release to SDG&E. Have the installer confirm the appropriate permit route for your exact project.
SDG&E states that generation operating in parallel with its distribution system requires interconnection. Ask which application and authorization apply, who submits them, and what documentation you receive before operation. A setting in an app does not replace the approved design or utility authorization.
If equipment changes after the proposal, use our Lemon Grove equipment-change checklist to keep the plans and installation aligned.
Check backup capability separately
Non-export describes grid energy flow; it does not by itself establish outage operation. The Department of Energy explains that solar-plus-battery systems need suitable inverters and a design that supports operation without the grid.
Request a written backup scope covering supported circuits, isolation equipment, available battery power and usable energy. Runtime depends on charge, loads, reserve settings and losses. Solar recharge depends on sunlight and compatible operating equipment.
For an illustrative evening scenario, assume the grid is available and the battery is permitted to supply household loads but not export. It may help supply the refrigerator and lights within its operating limits. That says nothing about whether those same circuits remain powered after the grid fails; the backup design must answer that second question.
Make the PPA comparison match the design
A suitable qualifying no-upfront solar-plus-battery PPA can provide access to equipment without purchasing it upfront. The CPUC solar guide explains that the provider owns the solar system and charges for generated electricity under the agreement.
Ask the provider to model the actual export restrictions and explain how reduced production, battery charging and any unused solar affect billed energy. Confirm the PPA rate, escalator, term, eligibility, battery ownership and fees, maintenance, replacement and home-sale transfer provisions. Ongoing PPA payments and remaining utility charges still apply; no upfront cost does not mean free electricity or guaranteed savings.
Bring your current bill and the proposed operating diagram to West Coast Alternatives to discuss a Lemon Grove solar and battery option that fits your household priorities.