More frequent severe weather, rising electricity demand, and a growing appetite for energy independence are pushing more homeowners toward solar-plus-battery systems. Tesla Powerwall has been the name most people know, but a roundup from Electrek makes the case that it's no longer the only serious option on the market — and in some cases, not even the best fit for a given home. The alternatives worth knowing about span a range of needs. Modular systems like the Anker SOLIX X1

A water heater is one of the biggest energy users in any home, yet it rarely gets the smart-home attention that solar panels and heat pumps do. A Boston startup called Reservoir is trying to change that with a heat pump water heater that learns a household's hot water habits and times its heating around off-peak electricity rates — potentially saving homeowners hundreds of dollars a year while easing strain on the grid. The idea builds on a simple insight: the average person