Lithium-ion technology is frequently being pushed into new frontiers, and those advancements are increasing our potential to live more environmentally-friendly and economically-savvy lives. Home energy storage is a relatively new technology that’s steadily gained interest over the past few years, and it’s hard to know where to start when comparing all your options. Top solar batteries like those made by Tesla and Sonnen make it possible for homeowners and businesses to store their excess solar energy instead of sending it back to the grid, so that when the power goes out or electricity rates spike they can keep the lights on.

 

The Powerwall is a battery bank designed to store electricity from solar panels or other sources, and then act as an emergency power supply or an additional power source during peak electricity usage times — when using the power grid is expensive. Using lithium batteries to offset a consumer’s power demand isn’t a new concept—we offer that solution ourselves—but the availability of products like this can change how people interact with their homes. 

What are the top solar battery manufacturers?

If you want to install a solar battery at your home, you have a few different choices currently available to you. Many property owners have heard of Tesla and their batteries, cars, and solar roof tiles, but there are several high-quality Tesla Powerwall alternatives on the battery market. Read on below to compare the Tesla Powerwall vs. Sonnen eco vs. LG Chem vs. BSLBATT Home Battery in terms of capacity, warranty, and price.

 

Tesla Powerwall: Elon Musk’s solution for home solar batteries

 

Capacity: 13.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh)

List price (before installation): $6,700

Warranty: 10 years, 70% capacity

 

The Tesla Powerwall is an energy storage industry leader for a few reasons. First and foremost, the Powerwall is the battery that brought energy storage into the mainstream for many homeowners. Tesla, already well known for its innovative electric cars, announced the first-generation Powerwall in 2015 and overhauled the “Powerwall 2.0” in 2016. The Powerwall is a lithium-ion battery with similar chemistry to the batteries used in Tesla vehicles. It is designed for integration with a solar panel system, but can also be used solely for home backup power.

 

The second-generation Tesla Powerwall also offers one of the best ratios of cost to the capacity of any product available in the United States. One Powerwall can store 13.5 kWh – enough to power essential appliances for a full 24 hours – and comes with an integrated inverter. Before installation, the Powerwall costs $6,700, and the required hardware for the battery costs an additional $1,100.

 

The Powerwall comes with a 10-year warranty that assumes your battery is used for daily charging and draining. As part of its warranty, Tesla offers a minimum guaranteed capacity. They ensure that the Powerwall will sustain at least 70 percent of its capacity over the course of its warranty period.

 

Sonnen eco: Germany’s leading battery producer takes on the U.S.

 

Capacity: starts at 4 kilowatt-hours (kWh)

List price (before installation): $9,950 (for a 4 kWh model)

Warranty: 10 years, 70% capacity

 

The Sonnen eco is a 4 kWh+ home battery manufactured by sonnenBatterie, an energy storage company based in Germany. The eco has been available in the U.S. since 2017 through the company’s installer network.

 

The eco is a lithium ferrous phosphate battery that is designed for integration with a solar panel system. It also comes with an integrated inverter. One of the main ways that Sonnen distinguishes the eco from other solar batteries on the market is through its self-learning software, which can help homes with solar panel systems connected to the grid increase their solar self-consumption and manage time-of-use electricity rates.

 

The eco has a smaller storage capacity than the Tesla Powerwall (4 kWh vs. 13.5 kWh). Like Tesla, Sonnen also offers a minimum guaranteed capacity. They ensure that the eco will maintain at least 70 percent of its storage capacity for its first 10 years.

 

 

LG Chem RESU: home energy storage from a leading electronics maker

 

Capacity: 2.9-12.4 kWh

Listed price (before installation): ~$6,000 – $7,000

Warranty: 10 years, 60% capacity

 

Another major player in the worldwide energy storage market is leading electronics manufacturer LG, based in South Korea. Their RESU battery is one of the more popular options for solar-plus-storage systems in Australia and Europe.

 

The RESU is a lithium-ion battery and comes in various sizes, with usable capacities ranging from 2.9 kWh to 12.4 kWh. The only battery option currently sold in the U.S. is RESU10H, which has a usable capacity of 9.3 kWh. It comes with a 10-year warranty that offers a minimum guaranteed capacity of 60 percent. Because the RESU10H is relatively new to the U.S. market, the equipment cost isn’t yet known, but early indicators suggest that it is priced at between $6,000 and $7,000 (without inverter costs or installation).

 

 

BSLBATT Home Battery: A subbrand owned by Wisdom Power, which has 36 years of battery experience, for an on/off-grid hybrid system

Capacity: 2.4 kWh,161.28 kWh

Listed price (before installation): N/A ( price ranges from $550-$18,000)

Warranty: 10 years

The BSLBATT home batteries come from VRLA manufacturer WIsdom Power, which has made a bigger breakthrough in energy storage and clean energy with BSLBATT research and development. 

Unlike some other home batteries, the BSLBATT Home Battery is specifically intended to be installed alongside a solar panel system and can be used for both on-site consumption of stored solar energy and grid services like demand response.

Powerwall is BSLBATT’s revolutionary home battery that stores the sun’s energy and intelligently delivers this clean, reliable electricity when the sun isn’t shining. 

Before solar battery storage options, extra energy from the sun was sent straight back through the grid or wasted altogether. 

BSLBATT Powerwall, charged with a state of the art solar panel system, holds enough energy to power an average home through the night.

The BSLBATT Home Battery uses an ANC-manufactured lithium-ion battery cell and comes paired with a SOFAR inverter, which can be used for both on-grid and off-grid home energy storage.  SOFAR offers two different sizes for the BSLBATT Home battery: 2.4 kWh or 161.28 kWh of usable capacity.

Where to buy solar batteries for your home

If you want to install a home battery pack, you will most likely need to work through a certified installer. Adding energy storage technology to your home is a complicated process that requires electrical expertise, certifications, and knowledge of the best practices required to install a solar-plus-storage system correctly.

A qualified Wisdom Power BSLBATT company can give you the best recommendation about the energy storage options available to homeowners today. If you are interested in receiving competing installation quotes for solar and energy storage options from local installers near you, simply join the BSLBATT today and indicate what products you’re interested in when filling out your profile’s preferences section.