Enphase Vitality is a large title in photo voltaic, and is best-known for his or her industry-leading microinverters that enable photo voltaic programs to supply extra vitality than they might with conventional string inverters.
Now, Enphase has expanded their product choices to incorporate photo voltaic batteries. They presently provide 4 battery fashions – the IQ Battery 3, 3T, 10, and 10T, all of which make the most of Enphase’s widespread microinverter expertise.
Along with batteries, Enphase has additionally created a whole vitality storage ecosystem, aptly named the Enphase Vitality System, that simply connects photo voltaic, storage, and even gas-powered turbines, that enables owners to observe each side of their vitality utilization.
Let’s take a better have a look at how this all works, and if the Enphase IQ battery system is best for you.
What’s the Enphase IQ battery and the way does it work?
The Enphase IQ battery is designed to work with grid-tied photo voltaic panel programs to offer owners with entry to dependable backup energy.
The following video gives an overview of how solar panels and batteries work together to power your home:
Enphase’s IQ batteries are AC-coupled. An AC-coupled battery is manufactured with a built-in inverter, making it easy to pair with existing solar panel systems. There are tons of AC-coupled batteries on the market (like the Tesla Powerwall) but what makes the Enphase IQ batteries unique is that they use microinverter technology.
It’s not clear how much of a benefit it is to use microinverters over more traditional battery inverters.
Enphase also uses lithium iron phosphate battery modules, which makes them safer and longer-lasting than cobalt-based lithium-ion batteries.
Can you use the Enphase IQ battery with a gas-powered generator?
Yes, Enphase has designed their IQ batteries to connect easily with gas-powered generators.
Don’t get us wrong, solar batteries are a great source of backup energy for when there’s a power outage. You could also utilize a solar generator. But, sometimes you just want the added security of a gas-powered generator that doesn’t need sunny weather to operate and can be quickly refueled.
Despite that, connecting solar systems with generators can be a bit tricky. The good news is, the Enphase storage system makes it easy to attach a gas-powered generator to your house and permits your photo voltaic panels, battery, and generator to function all on the similar time. Plus, you may monitor the generator and management how and while you need it to function by utilizing the Enphase App.
Enphase batteries are compatible with a lot of the prime generator manufacturers, together with Kohler, Generac, and Cummins. This isn’t a characteristic with most photo voltaic batteries right this moment, so in case you dwell someplace that experiences frequent grid outages and also you need to guarantee you’ve got essentially the most dependable, uninterrupted energy system obtainable, Enphase IQ batteries may very well be the best resolution for you.
How a lot do Enphase batteries price?
The Enphase IQ Battery 3 fashions will price someplace round $3,000, and the Enphase IQ Battery 10 Fashions will price between $7,000 and $9,000 earlier than set up prices are thought-about.
Depending on your energy storage system design, you might need to upgrade your electrical panel or get a backup sub-panel put in, as effectively. Electrical panel work can add one other $1,000 on prime of your different prices.
Methods to minimize prices in your battery set up
Though it’s a bit dear, the Enphase IQ does qualify for the 26% federal solar tax credit when it is paired with a solar panel system (whether you purchase your battery and have it installed with your solar system, or add it to an existing solar system).
Plus, homeowners in Arizona who are customers of Arizona Public Service can earn an additional $3,750 towards their battery installation costs through the utility’s battery storage program.
Learn more about all of the solar battery tax credits, rebates, and incentives you can qualify for in our in-depth guide.
What types of Enphase batteries are available?
Enphase offers four battery models:
The IQ Battery 3 and 3T have identical operating specifications, but differ in physical size. The same goes for the IQ10 and 10T.
Let’s take a closer look at the performance metrics of the IQ batteries and how they stack up to other batteries on the market:
| Feature | Enphase IQ battery 3/3T | Enphase IQ battery 10/10T |
|---|---|---|
| Usable energy capacity | 3.36 kWh | 10.08 kWh |
| Round-trip efficiency | 96% | 96% |
| Continuous power output | 1.92 kW | 3.84 kW |
| Dimensions | 14.45 in x 26.14 in x 12.56 in / 16.9 in x 30.5 in x 7.4 in | 42.13 in x 26.14 in x 12.56 in / 50.5 in x 30.5 in x 7.4 in |
| Weight | 114.6 lbs / 107.6 lbs | 341 lbs / 316.5 lbs |
Enphase IQ Battery 3/3T
Image source: Enphase
The Enphase IQ Battery 3 fashions are the smallest batteries provided by Enphase, by way of each bodily measurement and the way a lot vitality they’ll retailer. The 3T is barely thinner and weighs about 7 kilos lower than the IQ 3.
Nevertheless, by way of precise working specs, the Enphase IQ Battery 3 and 3T are equivalent. Each are capable of retailer 3.36 kWh of usable vitality and ship 1.28 kW of energy. This implies one Enphase IQ Battery 3 can run your fridge, cellphone charger, a couple of lights, a WiFi router, a pc, and a TV for about 7 hours throughout a blackout.
Like we mentioned, the Enphase IQ Battery 3 fashions are small, so in case you’re seeking to run greater home equipment otherwise you need to cowl a majority of your nightly electrical energy utilization, the Enphase IQ 3 isn’t going to chop it.
The excellent news is that the IQ 3 battery is modular (which means you may set up a couple of) and they are often paired with the Enphase IQ Battery 10 fashions, as effectively. Having the smaller 3.36 kWh choice means you could find the vitality storage system measurement that’s best for you, as an alternative of getting to buy one that’s too large or too small.
Enphase IQ Battery 10/10T
Picture supply: Enphase
Similar to the IQ 3 fashions, the IQ Battery 10 and 10T fashions are the identical in each approach apart from the scale and guarantee. The 10T mannequin is thinner and lighter than the IQ 10.
Each IQ Battery 10 fashions include 10.08 kWh of usable storage, which is far more than the IQ 3. For reference, the typical american dwelling makes use of about 29 kWh of electrical energy a day, so the IQ 10 shops about 35% of that.
However, for a battery this measurement, they’ve a reasonably low energy output at simply 3.84 kW. Most photo voltaic batteries of this measurement have an influence output of at the very least 5 kW. This implies in case you go along with the Enphase IQ, you gained’t have the ability to energy as many home equipment as different batteries, just like the Tesla Powerwall or LG RESU Prime, can.
On the intense facet, the IQ 10 and 10T are modular, similar to the IQ 3 batteries. So, in case you wanted extra energy or capability to fulfill your wants, you could possibly set up a couple of IQ battery to get the right system measurement. Simply remember the fact that this can improve your set up prices.
What’s Enphase’s IQ battery guarantee?
The Enphase IQ battery guarantee states that the battery will function at at the very least 70% of its preliminary capability after it reaches one of many following circumstances:
- 10 years in age,
- 4,000 cycles accomplished, or
- 2.8 megawatt hours (MWh) {of electrical} throughput per kWh of rated capability (which is only a fancy approach of claiming as soon as 9.8 MWh of electrical energy has been discharged from the IQ 3 fashions and 29.4 MWh has been discharged from the IQ 10 fashions)
Mainly, this implies after 10 years, your battery will have the ability to retailer at the very least 70% of the vitality it was capable of while you first put in it, nevertheless it may find yourself being lower than 10 years, relying on how typically you cost and discharge the battery.
So, which guarantee benchmark are you probably to hit first? If you’re utterly charging and discharging your battery each single day, you’ll in all probability attain that throughput measurement first, making your guarantee go from 10 years to simply about 8 years.
In the event you wished to be sure that your battery can be warrantied for the total 10 years, you need to solely use about 80% of the facility saved in your IQ battery day by day. Your guarantee phrases may range relying on the circumstances by which the battery is put in, which you’ll be able to learn in additional element about here.
Though there are some batteries in the marketplace right this moment which have higher guarantee phrases (just like the sonnenCore), that is pretty normal for many batteries. And since Enphase is understood for being a dependable firm with stable customer support, you may belief that they are going to honor your guarantee do you have to run into any issues.
Is the Enphase IQ battery best for you?
Enphase’s IQ battery fashions are fairly stable, however there are some things to remember in case you’re contemplating putting in them:
- 1. The IQ batteries have a lower-than-average energy output, so if you wish to run power-hungry home equipment like an air conditioner, you’ll have to put in a number of IQ batteries. Or you could possibly go along with a unique battery, just like the Kohler Power Reserve, that has a higher power output.
- 2. They’re designed to work with solar systems that have Enphase microinverters, which tend to be more expensive than solar systems that use other types of inverters. So, be prepared to spend more on the installation.
That being said, Enphase has a solid battery warranty and they’re one of the most reliable brands in solar. You can expect an IQ Battery to work well, and if there are any issues, you can trust them to honor their warranty.
Plus, the fact that the Enphase system can so easily pair with a generator is a huge bonus for homeowners who experience prolonged power outages. This is especially important if you have someone in your household who has critical medical equipment that needs continual power.
Not to mention, if you’re an Arizona homeowner looking to install battery storage and you’re a customer of Arizona Public Service, then the Enphase IQ battery is definitely the best battery for you, since it is one of only two batteries that qualify for the utility’s incentive program.
Overall, you probably won’t be disappointed with an Enphase energy system – they’re a trusted brand, you can easily customize the system size, they come at a decent price, and the energy system can be easily monitored through Enphase’s user-friendly app.
Key takeaways
- Enphase Energy has expanded beyond microinverters and now offers four of their own solar battery models, the IQ Battery 3, 3T, 10, and 10T.
- Depending on the model you chose, the Enphase IQ batteries will cost anywhere between $3,000 and $9,000 before installation costs.
- The biggest advantage of the Enphase IQ battery is that it can easily pair with a gas-powered generator to provide extra resilience in the event of a power outage.
- Enphase’s batteries have average overall performance specifications, but fall on the lower end when it comes to power output so they can’t power as many appliances as their competitors.
- The IQ batteries are modular, meaning you can install more than one in order to get the size and power output that best meets your energy needs.
