SolarCity today announced energy storage for new homes and a special low, fixed-rate solar power offering for California homebuilders and their buyers.

Founded in 2011, the SolarCity Homebuilder Program currently works with builders across the nation to give many new home buyers the option to add solar power systems without increasing the home's purchase price, and pay less for solar electricity than they would otherwise pay for utility power. SolarCity also handles everything from design and installation to monitoring and repairs.

The SolarCity Homebuilder Program is now taking orders for solar and home energy storage systems. The new energy storage service, in conjunction with solar power, includes the Tesla Powerwall battery pack, advanced hybrid inverter, monitoring and control systems and a warranty and service agreement. While battery backup is the primary application, depending on utility service territory, SolarCity's management system may in the future enable the Powerwall to be configured for a broad range of uses including time-of-use shifting and grid response. The Powerwall is quiet and odorless, can be mounted indoors or outdoors and requires no fuel—all significant advantages over traditional backup generators.