Can home batteries make money and stay charged for blackouts?

Researchers tested whether coordinating 543 residential batteries across ERCOT's wholesale market—where they earn money by buying low and selling high—works when each home must reserve power for blackouts. Pooling batteries while respecting individual backup requirements still beats standalone operation, but the benefit shrinks as backup obligations tighten (from 13.5% at 2-hour reserves down to 11.8% at 24-hour reserves). The tradeoff matters: tighter backup commitments lock up battery capacity that could otherwise earn money.