What is behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage?
BTM storage systems sit on the customer's side of the utility meter, serving the building they're connected to by reducing costs, shifting energy use, and providing backup power.
Behind-the-meter (BTM) energy storage refers to battery systems installed on the customer's side of the utility meter — at a home, commercial building, or industrial facility. Unlike front-of-the-meter systems that feed into the grid, BTM batteries serve the building they're connected to first.
A BTM system charges from the grid, from on-site solar, or both, and discharges to power the building when it's most valuable to do so. That might mean reducing peak demand charges, shifting energy use to cheaper time-of-use periods, or providing backup power during outages.
BTM storage is the fastest-growing segment of the energy storage market, driven by rising electricity costs, increasingly complex utility rate structures, and falling battery prices. Commercial and industrial buildings tend to see the strongest economics because their demand charges — fees based on their highest 15-minute power draw in a billing cycle — can represent 30–50% of their electric bill.