In the last year, nearly two-thirds of solar.com customers paired their solar panels with a home battery energy storage system (aka BESS). Why? Because home battery storage has something to offer everyone—from backup power to bill savings to self-reliance.
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With this in mind, there is no single “best” battery. There are different solutions to meet the varying requirements and needs of homeowners across the country.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best home battery storage products on the market today and what to look for in a battery storage system. To find a solution that best meets your needs, consult a solar.com Energy Advisor to review custom designs, proposals, and savings estimates.
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July 4, update: The “One Big Beautiful Bill” was signed into law, with an end to the 30% tax credit for solar and battery storage effective December 31, . Systems installed in will still qualify for this tax credit. If you want battery storage for any of the reasons below, connect with a solar.com Energy Advisor to get your system designed and installed before the tax credit is gone.
To find the best battery for your home, start with a goal. What problem are you trying to solve? There are three main use cases for adding a battery storage system to your home.
Time-of-Use Shifting
Sometimes called solar arbitrage or load shifting, Time-of-Use shifting allows you to capture the excess power your solar array generates relative to what your home is consuming. It then banks this power and discharges it in the late afternoon or early evening when utility rates are typically higher and your solar array isn’t producing as much.
This cost-saving strategy also works well in areas where the net metering or buy-back rate is less than your purchase rate, and is especially true in California under NEM 3.0.
Self-Consumption
Some areas and utilities don’t actually allow solar generators to send power back to the grid. Or, if they do, they provide no value for it. In this instance, battery storage acts like a giant sponge to soak up your excess generation and discharge it in your home later to avoid buying power from your utility provider.
Resilience
With power outages from natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and ice storms occurring with greater frequency, almost every area of the US experiences periodic grid outages. And, unless you have a specifically configured system called “sunlight backup,” your solar array will shut down if there’s a grid outage (this is to code for the safety of line workers, working to re-establish power). Because of this, many homeowners choose to add a battery to provide an element of resiliency to their project so they can keep food at safe temperatures, have some lights at night, and be able to keep their phones charged.
Need to dial in your home energy goals? Connect with a solar.com Energy Advisor to explore your home’s potential for savings and self-reliance.
Evaluating the best home battery storage system goes beyond published specifications. The solar.com team also considers pricing, the bankability of the manufacturer, and the controlling software, as the best battery hardware is useless without operating controlling software to tell it what to do. And, as discussed above, different battery use cases will dictate what capacity (size) and capabilities you’ll want to look for when selecting a home battery storage system.
It’s also important to note that some utility providers offer generous rebates for homeowners to install a home battery system that’s on their approved list, and not every battery qualifies for every program.
Because there’s no perfect battery for every solution, here are the battery storage systems that solar.com Energy Advisors find work well with homeowners who invest in solar and battery.
Quick tip: If you’re unfamiliar with some of the technical terms, we left a handy guide below!
From a hardware and software perspective, the Tesla Powerwall 3 is an outstanding product. Building on the successful prior generations of Powerwalls, Tesla continues to pack a lot of value in a high-feature set, high-capacity product. Because the Powerwall 3 has an integrated inverter built in, if you install a Powerwall 3 with your solar array, you can eliminate the need for a standalone solar inverter.
Tesla Powerwall 3 tech specs
Feature Measurement Usable capacity 13.5 kWh Peak power 185 LRA (75% higher than Powerwall 2) Continuous power 11.5 kW Warranty Up to 10 years Round-trip efficiency 90% Depth of discharge 100%Things to consider about the Powerwall 3
As of early , demand for the Powerwall 3 is far outpacing supply, which is creating significant lead times and delaying installations. It’s for this reason that solar.com energy advisors are not currently recommending the Powerwall 3 to homeowners, although we can still quote and arrange installation if requested.
The leading inverter company, not surprisingly, offers a fantastic home battery storage solution in the Enphase IQ Battery 5P. This smaller capacity battery comes in at a lower price point than larger capacity competitors, and can often get the job done in Time-of-Use shifting applications for bill savings. And, the Enphase app provides powerful insights in a user-friendly format.
Enphase IQ 5P tech specs
Feature Measurement Usable capacity 5 kWh Peak power (3 seconds) 7.68 kW Continuous power (with solar) 3.84 kW Warranty Up to 15 years Round-trip efficiency 90% Depth of discharge 98%Things to consider about the Enphase 5P
The downside is, of course, lower capacity means less availability for power if the grid goes down. But, if you live in an area with a relatively stable grid that isn’t prone to long-duration outages, the 5P might just get the job done. And, if you like the Enphase ecosystem but the 5P is too small? Enphase offers a 10C battery, which offers higher capacity.
Franklin is a relatively new entrant to the home battery storage space but has quickly cemented its position as offering a sleek all-in-one package that’s simple to install and provides “whole home” backup. What makes Franklin’s aPower2 a great option for resiliency applications is that it can be integrated with almost every solar inverter (great if you already have solar and want to add battery storage), AC power generator, or the grid itself.
The aPower2 is a 15kWh capacity battery that offers 10kW of continuous output, which means you can power just about anything as long as you have enough charge in the battery. The aPower2 is controlled by the aGate, which runs your charge and discharge algorithms, and feeds information to Franklin’s well-designed app.
Franklin aPower2 tech specs
Feature Measurement Usable capacity 15 kWh Peak power 15 kW (10 seconds) Continuous power 10 kW Warranty Up to 15 years Round-trip efficiency 89% Depth of discharge 100%Things to consider about the Franklin aPower2
Quoted prices are typically at the high end of the spectrum, which makes the solution from Franklin a premium choice. And while it does offer a premium user experience and feature set, the extra cost might not be warranted in all applications. Franklin is also a relatively new company, and so we have to flag whether they can survive long-term to continue to operate the app and provide warranty support. While there’s no known financial issues today (they’re privately held), the home battery storage space is notoriously challenging.
Frankly, there is a lot to consider when choosing a solar battery. The industry jargon doesn’t help, and neither does the fact that most battery features are things we don’t think about on a daily basis.
So, in this section, we’ll give a brief summary of some common battery terms and what they mean.
It’s important to understand the difference between Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) batteries because DC batteries, while more efficient, can be challenging to add to an existing solar system.
This is due to differences in which type of power is generated, stored, and used in each system, shown in the table below.
System Type of current Solar panels Produce DC power Batteries Store DC power Home (lights, AC, fridge) Use AC power Utility grid Distributes AC powerExisting solar systems typically have solar inverters, which change the DC power produced by panels to AC power that can be consumed in your home or exported onto the grid. But if you want to store that AC power in a battery, it needs to be inverted again to DC power.
Each time the power is inverted, a little bit is lost during the inversion process (hence the lower efficiency of AC-coupled systems).
In a DC-coupled system, the DC power produced by the panels can be directly stored in the battery and inverted only once to be used in your home or exported to the grid.
Related to AC vs DC coupling, round-trip efficiency is a measure of how much of the original power put into the power can be retrieved later on.
As we mentioned above, a small amount of power is lost each time it is inverted from AC to DC, or likewise. So, for AC-coupled systems with multiple inversions, efficiency is typically around 85-90%, while DC-coupled systems with fewer inversions can boast up to 97.5%.
If you plan to use your battery on a daily basis to charge an EV or avoid peak time-of-use rates, small differences in efficiency can really add up.
The next thing to consider is the composition of the battery. Every battery on our list is either lithium-ion or lithium iron phosphate (LFP). While similar, the differences are noteworthy. LFP batteries typically have longer lifespans and increased thermal stability (aka less heat and fire risk). They also do not use nickel or cobalt, which can be toxic and dangerous to mine.
Learn more about the different types of home battery storage here.
Batteries can also be categorized as backup versus consumption-only.
Traditionally, the main feature of solar batteries was to provide backup power for grid outages. However, as net metering policies are weakened and removed, there is a growing demand for batteries that allow homeowners to save money by storing and using their own solar production without providing backup power – known as consumption-only or non-backup batteries.
Why would anyone want this? Well, the components, programming, and labor that go into providing backup capabilities are expensive, and removing these things can reduce the cost of a battery by 20-30%.
So, consumption-only batteries enable all of the bill savings of a traditional backup battery at around 75% of the upfront cost – which can be well worth it for homeowners who aren’t concerned with grid outages.
Most batteries feature two numbers that represent their capacity to provide power.
Peak power is the measure of the battery’s ability to handle surges of power, like when an air conditioner turns on. This is a short burst of energy that can typically only be sustained for 10 seconds or so.
Continuous power is a measure of how much output the battery can sustain over long periods of time. This figure is especially important if you plan on using a battery for backup power during grid outages.
Usable capacity is a figure that represents how much power you can draw from your battery at one time. This is different from the nameplate capacity, which represents the total amount of power a battery can store.
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The key difference is that draining a battery all the way down to 0% can damage the system and reduce its lifespan. It’s typically recommended to leave at least 10% of the nameplate capacity in the battery at all times to prevent damage, hence the term “usable capacity.”
Depth of Discharge is the manufacturer’s recommendation for how much power you can pull from the battery at one time relative to its total capacity. This figure ranges from 84% to 100%. Some manufacturers say “go ahead and empty the tank,” while others say it is best to keep a minimum charge of 16%.
Like solar panels – and everything else – batteries naturally degrade over time. Battery warranties guarantee a certain level of performance over a stated time frame.
For example, every battery on our list has a warranty guaranteeing that it will have 70% of its original usable capacity available after 10-15 years or a certain level of usage (measured in throughput capacity or cycles), whichever comes first.
As we’ve shown above, not all solar batteries are created equal, and the best battery is the one that serves your needs. So, it’s important to begin your search with some goals, beginning with your energy needs.
In , there are several reasons to want battery storage for your solar system. These include:
Your energy goal(s) will play a big part in dictating the best solar battery for you. For example, if your primary goal is bill savings, then you will likely be shopping for smaller batteries than if your goal is to back up your entire home.
Once you’ve used your energy goals to narrow down a few brands and models, take a deeper dive into the specifications. If you’re comparing backup batteries, pay attention to usable capacity and continuous power. If you’re comparing self-consumption batteries that will charge and discharge every day, focus on efficiency.
Finally, if you’re having trouble deciding between two battery models that check all your boxes, use the warranty offerings as a decision-maker.
While the goal is to never have to use your warranty, it can be worth the peace of mind to have a more robust guarantee on your side.
Let’s face it: Choosing a solar battery can be daunting. However, by starting with your energy goals and focusing on two or three batteries that check your boxes, it can be much easier to identify a storage system that meets your needs.
Solar.com’s best solar batteries of are a great place to start. If you’re ready to compare prices, connect with an Energy Advisor to see exactly how much solar batteries cost through installers in your area.
Solar.com’s top choices for best solar batteries in include the Tesla Powerwall3, Enphase IQ 5P, and the Frankling aPower2. However, it’s worth noting that the best battery for you depends on your energy goals, price range, and whether you already have solar panels or not.
Some of the best solar battery companies in include Tesla, Enphase, and Franklin. These companies all have a track record of producing quality products and offer some of the most robust warranties on the market.
Since solar batteries are a relatively new technology, we are still waiting to see which batteries last the longest. In , you’ll see battery makers offer up to 15-year warranties, but it’s worth paying attention to how many cycles or power output are tied to those warranty lengths.
Solar panels are built to work in all climates, but in some cases, rooftops may not be suitable for solar systems due to age or tree cover. If there are trees near your home that create excessive shade on your roof, rooftop panels may not be the most ideal option. The size, shape, and slope of your roof are also important factors to consider. Typically, solar panels perform best on south-facing roofs with a slope between 15 and 40 degrees, though other roofs may be suitable too. You should also consider the age of your roof and how long until it will need replacement.
If a solar professional determines that your roof is not suitable for solar, or you don’t own your home, you can still benefit from solar energy. Community solar allows multiple people to benefit from a single, shared solar array that can be installed on- or off-site. Costs associated with purchasing and installing a solar energy system are divided among all of the participants, who are able to buy into the shared system at a level that best fits their budget. Learn more about community solar.
Those interested in community solar can take advantage of a tool from SETO awardee EnergySage. The company's Community Solar Marketplace aggregates the many available options in one place and standardizes project information, allowing interested consumers to easily locate and compare multiple community solar projects in their area.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a tool called PVWatts for this purpose. It estimates the energy production and cost of energy of grid-connected PV energy systems for any address in the world. It allows homeowners, small building owners, installers, and manufacturers to easily develop estimates of the performance of potential PV installations, and can even compare solar’s cost to utility bills. These tools are great for getting started, but make sure to work with a solar installer for a custom estimate of how much power your solar energy system is likely to generate.
For its analyses, NREL uses an average system size of 7.15 kilowatts direct-current with a 3-11 kilowatt range. According to SETO awardee EnergySage, that’s enough power to meet all the energy needs for an average home in Austin, Texas.
There are a number of mapping services that have been developed by SETO awardees that will help you determine if your roof is suitable for solar and can even provide you with quotes from pre-screened solar providers in your area. In addition to those resources, an internet search can help you find local companies that install solar panels. Because you will likely have many options to choose from, it’s important to thoroughly read reviews of solar companies to make sure you are selecting the best fit for you and your home.
Solar co-ops and Solarize campaigns can also help you start the process of going solar. These programs work by allowing groups of homeowners to work together to collectively negotiate rates, select an installer, and create additional community interest in solar through a limited-time offer to join the campaign. Ultimately, as the number of residents who participate in the program increase, the cost of the installations will decrease.
Most people going solar have a positive experience. But like other fast-growing industries, the rampant expansion of solar energy has opened the door to a small subset of bad actors.
Our Smart Shopping Tips for Solar outlines a few ways to identify red flags as you go solar:
On August 7, , the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer advisory to help you identify potential consumer solar scams and file complaints about suspicious behavior. Before you sign any documentation with a solar company, carefully review these educational materials:
Net metering is an arrangement between solar energy system owners and utilities in which the system owners are compensated for any solar power generation that is exported to the electricity grid. The name derives from the s, when the electric meter simply ran backwards when power was being exported, but it is rarely that simple today. Whether or not your solar system qualifies for net metering payments depends on policies and practices in your state and electric utility. Your local electric utility would be a good place to source information on net metering in your service area. When researching net metering policies and practices in your service area, there are some basic questions to consider, such as availability in your service area, eligible system size and customer type, rates, and design of bill credits.
Storage refers to energy storage, most often in the form of batteries. Installing energy storage with a solar system can help utilize the power generated when it’s needed most, regardless of whether it’s sunny outside at the time. Storage allows you to save that energy and use it later in the day, like when you turn the heat on at night or run the dishwasher after dinner or even when the power goes out. Ask your solar installer if they offer battery storage options and learn more about storing solar energy.
The amount of money you can save with solar depends upon how much electricity you consume, the size of your solar energy system, if you choose to buy or lease your system, and how much power it is able to generate given the direction your roof faces and how much sunlight hits it. Your savings also depend on the electricity rates set by your utility and how much the utility will compensate you for the excess solar energy you send back to the grid. Check the National Utility Rate Database to see current electricity rates in your area.
In some cities around the country, solar is already cost competitive with the electricity sold by your local utility. The cost of going solar has dropped every year since , a trend researchers expect to continue. Not only are the prices of panels dropping, so are the costs associated with installation, such as permitting and inspection—also known as “soft costs.” All of SETO's funding programs are working toward improving the affordability of solar and making it easier for consumers to choose solar.
It should also be noted that energy efficiency upgrades complement solar energy economically. By using Energy Star appliances and other products in your home, you’ll need less solar energy to power your home.
Consumers have different financial options to select from when deciding to go solar. In general, a purchased solar system can be installed at a lower total cost than system installed using a solar loan, lease, or power purchase agreement (PPA).
If you prefer to buy your solar energy system, solar loans can lower the up-front costs of the system. In most cases, monthly loan payments are smaller than a typical energy bill, which will help you save money from the start. Solar loans function the same way as home improvement loans, and some jurisdictions will offer subsidized solar energy loans with below-market interest rates, making solar even more affordable. New homeowners can add solar as part of their mortgage with loans available through the Federal Housing Administration and Fannie Mae, which allow borrowers to include financing for home improvements in the home’s purchase price. Buying a solar energy system makes you eligible for the Solar Investment Tax Credit, or ITC. In December , Congress passed an extension of the ITC, which provides a 26% tax credit for systems installed in -, and 22% for systems installed in . The tax credit expires starting in unless Congress renews it. Learn more about the ITC.
Solar leases and PPAs allow consumers to host solar energy systems that are owned by solar companies and purchase back the electricity generated. Consumers enter into agreements that allow them to have lower electricity bills without monthly loan payments. In many cases, that means putting no money down to go solar. Solar leases entail fixed monthly payments that are calculated using the estimated amount of electricity the system will produce. With a solar PPA, consumers agree to purchase the power generated by the system at a set price per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced. With both of these options, though, you are not entitled to tax benefits since you don’t own the solar energy system.
Navigating the landscape of solar financing can be difficult. The Clean Energy States Alliance released a guide to help homeowners understand their options, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Download the guide.
DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable energy in the United States. It is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University and was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. By entering your zip code, DSIRE provides you with a comprehensive list of financial incentives and regulatory policies that apply to your home. Additionally, an experienced local installer should be able to assist you in claiming any state and local incentives, as well as the ITC.
If you want to learn more about state and federal solar policies regarding incentives and tax breaks, the Solar Power in Your Community guidebook (PDF) has a section—Appendix A on page 87—that explains it in detail.
Buying a solar energy system will likely increase your home’s value. A recent study found that solar panels are viewed as upgrades, just like a renovated kitchen or a finished basement, and home buyers across the country have been willing to pay a premium of about $15,000 for a home with an average-sized solar array. Additionally, there is evidence homes with solar panels sell faster than those without. In , California homes with energy efficient features and PV were found to sell faster than homes that consume more energy. Keep in mind, these studies focused on homeowner-owned solar arrays.
When it comes to third-party owned (TPO) systems, data shows that while they add some complexity to the real estate transaction, the overall impacts in terms of sales price, time on market, agreement transfers, and customer satisfaction are mostly neutral. In some cases, TPO systems can even add value.
The PV Value® tool is helpful for both home sellers and homebuyers. It calculates the energy production value for a PV system and is compliant with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and has been endorsed by the Appraisal Institute for the income approach method. Make sure your appraiser uses this tool to get the most accurate estimate of your PV system’s value.
There are two primary technologies that can harness the sun’s power and turn it into electricity. The first is the one you’re likely most familiar with – photovoltaics, or PV. These are the panels you’ve seen on rooftops or in fields. When the sun shines onto a solar panel, photons from the sunlight are absorbed by the cells in the panel, which creates an electric field across the layers and causes electricity to flow. Learn more about how PV works.
The second technology is concentrating solar power, or CSP. It is used primarily in very large power plants and is not appropriate for residential use. This technology uses mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat, which can then be used to produce electricity. Learn more about how CSP works.
Absolutely! All solar panels meet international inspection and testing standards, and a qualified installer will install them to meet local building, fire, and electrical codes. Also, your solar energy system will undergo a thorough inspection from a certified electrician as part of the installation process.
A working PV panel has a strong encapsulant that prevents chemicals from leaching, similar to how defroster elements are sealed in a car windshield. Occasionally, a solar panel may break due to weather or other events. According to the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Technology Collaboration Program, any lead and cadmium exposure from broken solar panels in residential, commercial, and utility-scale systems would be below the acceptable limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for soil, air, and groundwater.
Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power – In an effort to make going solar as effortless and streamlined as possible, the Solar Energy Industries Association developed this guide to inform potential solar customers about the financing options available, contracting terms to be aware of, and other useful tips.
A Homeowner’s Guide to Solar Financing: Leases, Loans and PPAs – This guide from the Clean Energy States Alliance helps homeowners navigate the complex landscape of residential solar system financing. It describes three popular residential solar financing choices and explains the advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as how they compare to a direct cash purchase.
Solar PV Project Financing: Regulatory and Legislative Challenges for Third-Party PPA System Owners– Third-party owned solar arrays allow a developer to build and own a PV system on a customer’s property and sell the power back to the customer. While this can eliminate many of the up-front costs of going solar, third-party electricity sales face regulatory and legislative challenges in some states and jurisdictions. This report details the challenges and explains alternatives.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Encouraging Solar Development through Community Association Policies and Processes – This guide, written for association boards of directors and architectural review committees, discusses the advantages of solar energy and examines the elements of state solar rights provisions designed to protect homeowner access to these benefits. It then presents a number of recommendations associations can use to help bring solar to their communities.
Selling into the Sun: Price Premium Analysis of a Multi-State Dataset of Solar Homes – This report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory finds that home buyers are consistently willing to pay premiums of approximately $15,000 for homes that have solar across various states, housing and PV markets, and home types.
Residential Solar-Adopter Income and Demographic Trends – This report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory finds that while solar adoption skews toward high-income households, low- and moderate-income households are also adopting, and that the rooftop solar market is becoming more equitable over time.
Learn more about the solar office's accomplishments.
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