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Tamara Jude is a seasoned content writer with more than seven years of experience in research and content production. She specializes in the solar energy, home warranty, and windows categories. Her interest in home improvement began as a child, when she regularly completed home projects alongsid…
See full bioSolar batteries are a big investment, costing an average of $10,000 without installation. When you include installation of a solar battery, the typical cost range is $10,000 – $19,000. However, they’re a valuable addition to your solar energy system to maximize efficiency. These add-ons store excess energy your system generates to use at night and during low sunlight hours. You can also tap into them to offset electricity costs when rates are high.
Our team has spent more than 700 hours researching the best solar companies and top solar batteries. This guide details solar battery costs, types, and installation fees, plus their long-term savings potential.
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A report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that a solar battery including installation can cost almost $19,000* to install, including the price of the battery itself and labor. Installation and permitting fees vary by location and installer, but the NREL estimates the battery itself typically costs $16,007.
*Based on a 2022 report.
Many factors influence the total cost of a solar battery storage system. We’ve broken down the most important ones below.
The installation location, its accessibility, and your existing electrical infrastructure all impact labor costs. The harder the site is to access and work on, the higher the installation costs.
Different manufacturers offer solar batteries with varying quality, performance, and warranty terms. Well-established brands, such as Tesla, have a track record of reliability, so they come with higher up-front costs but greater peace of mind and long-term value.
A solar battery system’s storage capacity directly impacts its cost. Batteries with higher capacities cost more than batteries that store less energy.
Like solar panels, solar batteries require inverters to convert the stored direct current (DC) energy into alternating current (AC) energy for household or commercial use. Inverter costs vary depending on the battery system’s compatibility and the installation’s specific requirements.
You’ll have to pay for ongoing maintenance for your chosen battery system. Understanding warranties, maintenance requirements, and potential replacement costs is crucial for understanding your long-term costs.
Integrating a solar battery system with an existing solar panel system versus a new solar energy system affects the overall cost. Retrofitting existing systems to ensure compatibility between components costs more.
There are four main types of solar batteries. Each type of battery has unique characteristics and advantages.
These are a newer technology that uses two electrolyte tanks to store energy. This technology provides a long life cycle, 20 years or more, and these batteries store more significant amounts of energy than other batteries. However, they have the heftiest price tag.
These are the oldest type of solar battery, and they are known for low prices and dependability. They come in two types: sealed lead-acid batteries and flooded lead-acid batteries. Though they only have a lifespan of three to five years, they are compatible with almost any solar energy system.
These are the most popular solar battery types. Originally used in electric vehicles, they have become the standard for residential solar energy storage. With a competitive price point, they are smaller, lighter, and longer-lasting than lead-acid batteries.
Nickel-cadmium batteries are less widely used than lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are ideal for regions that experience extreme temperatures and feature a long life span of 20+ years.
Solar batteries can be a significant investment; whether they are worth the cost depends on individual circumstances. However, most residential solar panel systems use solar batteries. Here are some factors to consider:
Adding batteries to your system doesn’t make your panels more efficient, but it provides backup power during blackouts and helps you avoid peak demand charges from your utility provider.
If you live in a state with full-retail net metering, you may save just a little money with a solar battery because you can save the same amount of money with or without one. However, many homeowners use the excess energy in their battery backup to gain energy independence and generate extra credits to reduce their electricity bills.
If you use more energy, you may need two solar batteries to power your home, which increases the cost.
If you live in a state with solar incentives and rebates, you can reduce the total price of solar batteries.
All solar energy storage systems qualify for the
federal solar tax credit
, which helps reduce the overall system costs on your owed federal taxes (up to 30%).
Help reduce your energy bills
Provide more energy independence
Assist in receiving net metering credits
Features a high up-front cost
Link to OMMO Require more additional maintenance
Have a limited capacity, so you may need more than one
Solar batteries are necessary for most residential solar panel systems, and you’ll need a professional solar installer to install the equipment. This is especially true if you want an off-grid solar energy system. Solar battery installation is as complicated as solar panel installation.
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Most homeowners only need one solar battery to help supply electricity during power outages or low sunlight hours. For example, a 400 amp-hour, 6-volt battery can provide around 2.4-kilowatt hours (kWh) of power.
The life span of solar backup batteries varies based on the type of battery and how it is used. Lithium-ion batteries, the most common solar battery type, typically last between 10 and 15 years.
If the power generated by your solar panel system exceeds your solar battery’s capacity, it can overcharge the system. An overcharged solar system can severely damage a battery’s life.
Without running AC or electric heat, a 10-kWh battery can power a home’s basic operations for at least 24 hours.
We aim to provide comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparent reviews and data to back up our recommendations. Our rating system for solar batteries is on a 100-point scale based on five factors:
Does the company disclose its depth of discharge (DoD) rating? Does the DoD meet the industry standard of 80%? The higher the rating, the higher the score.
How efficient is the battery? Does it meet or exceed the industry standard of 80%? The higher the round-trip efficiency, the more points we awarded.
We awarded more points to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries than Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) batteries due to their higher efficiency and longer lifespan.
We awarded more points to brands with multiple battery sizes for better customization rather than only one size.
How powerful will the battery be at the end of its warranty? Does the projected end-of-warranty capacity meet the industry standard of 60%? We awarded more points to batteries with higher end-of-warranty capacities.
How long is the battery’s warranty? Does it meet or exceed the standard 10-year warranty? Batteries with the longest, most comprehensive warranties ranked higher.
Total scores are divided by 20 for a final 5-point rating scale.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
Whole home battery backup systems are making their way into homes and replacing the noisy, pollutant-emitting fossil fuel generators that used to be standard.
Battery backup systems allow homeowners to weather even extended power outages and blackouts. With the right equipment, a whole home backup power solution can power an average household for at least a day and up to a week. If your battery backup system allows solar charging, you can add solar panels to generate clean, renewable electricity indefinitely.
Whole home battery backup systems typically cost between $3000 and $15,000 before installation. The prices vary widely depending on power output and storage capacity, home size, average electricity usage, and other factors.
Many factors come into play when pricing out a whole-house backup system. These include:
Battery storage capacity is a significant factor in the cost of a whole-house backup system. Larger systems can store more electricity and provide backup power for longer, but they also cost more. Battery cost is often the largest share of the total system cost. Increasing the battery size or adding additional storage will almost always increase the overall cost of the system.
However, the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity storage decreases as the battery size increases. It may be more cost-effective to install a more extensive system to increase the backup time and reduce the need for supplemental backup power sources, such as a traditional fossil fuel generator.
Determining the optimal battery size for your home backup needs is based on additional factors like:
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average household uses 886 kWh of electricity per month (or about 30 kWh per day). To maintain this level of electricity consumption, you’d need a backup battery system size of 30 kWh just to run your house as normal for one day during a blackout.
However, you can take steps during a blackout to reduce energy usage, decreasing the battery storage capacity you need to install and maintain. To minimize your electricity usage, keep these tips in mind:
Batteries store power as DC electricity. You’ll need an inverter or an all-in-one battery backup solution like EcoFlow’s portable power stations to convert the energy stored in your battery into AC (household) electricity.
Battery storage capacity and power output capacity are not the same things. Storage capacity is the maximum amount of energy that your battery can hold at any given time. Storage capacity is typically measured in watt-hours (Wh) or kilowatt hours (kWh).
Power output capacity is the maximum amount of electricity your battery backup system can output at once. Power output capacity determines what kind of appliances you can run based on their electricity demands — usually measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).
You can determine which appliances your battery backup system can run simultaneously by adding up the running wattage of each device you want to operate. One crucial thing to keep in mind is that many large appliances require more wattage to start up than they do to operate. This is called starting watts or surge power.
Here’s how to determine your power output needs step by step.
Volts (V) x Amps (A) = Watts (W)
Depending on what kind of home battery backup system you buy, installation costs can add up quickly. Standalone portable power stations are plug-and-play. You’ll only have to pay minor installation costs if you want to integrate your whole house backup battery solution with your existing home wiring.
An electrician will need to connect the system to your home circuit board using a transfer switch or a solution like EcoFlow’s EcoFlow Smart Home Panel.
Keeping your whole home battery backup system topped up with power is easy when the grid is up and running. You can keep the system or portable power station fully charged with electricity from the grid to ensure your batteries are full when the lights go out.
But recharging from the grid isn’t an option during an extended outage. For added energy security, it’s best to opt for a solution with multiple charging options — including solar.
For example, by adding four rigid or portable 400W solar panels to EcoFlow’s EcoFlow DELTA Pro portable power station, you can generate up to 1600W of electricity simultaneously and fully recharge the battery in 2.8 to 5.6 hours (depending on environmental factors).
Another option with the EcoFlow DELTA Pro is adding a Smart Generator Dual Fuel. The Smart Generator operates on clean-burning, easy-to-store propane (or gasoline) to provide a last line of defense if your battery storage runs out.
You could also opt for EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra. Starting with a 6kWh capacity, this powerful portable power station can reach a whopping 90kWh capacity, making it easy for it to grow with you if needed. You can add up to 42 400W Rigid Solar Panels to achieve 16.8kW of solar charging potential!
There are various whole-house battery backup systems on the market to choose from. You can build one from scratch step-by-step. Or you can customize a setup that meets your family’s needs by selecting products from EcoFlow’s Smart Home Ecosystem.
When determining the best option, remember it’s about much more than just price.
Other significant factors to consider are the backup battery system’s expected lifespan, recharge time, ongoing maintenance requirements, battery chemistry and efficiency, and warranty.
You may be tempted to choose the cheapest available whole house battery backup system, but what if you have to replace it in just a year or two?
A battery’s estimated lifespan is usually measured by cycle life. Each time you discharge and recharge the battery is called a cycle.
The number of cycles the battery will last without diminishing in efficiency is largely determined by its chemistry.
The cheapest backup battery chemistry option is lead acid. The basic technology behind lead acid batteries is over 150 years old. These are the batteries you’ll find in TV remotes, flashlights, and old cars.
Lead acid batteries might get the job done, but not for long. Typically, lead acid batteries are only rated for a few hundred cycles, as opposed to new battery technology — like lithium iron phosphate (LFP/LiFePO4) — which can last for thousands of cycles without losing efficiency.
Lithium ion and LFP batteries have drastically reduced in price in recent years as the technology has become standard for solar generators, electric vehicles (EVs), and whole-home battery backup.
For example, the latest generation of lithium iron phosphate batteries in EcoFlow’s EcoFlow RIVER 2 Series and EcoFlow DELTA Pro portable power stations can last 6500 cycles — over a decade of average use.
Over the long term, you’ll save money by investing in modern battery technology like LFP.
Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries are also a better choice than lead acid, but they pale in comparison to LFP.
Lead acid battery systems require constant maintenance, such as adding distilled water every 2 to 4 weeks. Also, lead acid batteries should never be discharged below 50% capacity as it will lead to permanent damage. They must be stored in well-ventilated areas and may not function in extreme cold or heat.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries do not require regular maintenance, can be deeply discharged without harm, and operate in a much wider temperature range.
Many cheap or low-quality battery backup systems will not include an extended warranty. This usually indicates that the manufacturer doesn’t stand behind their products.
Reputable companies will offer extended warranties for their products.
For instance, EcoFlow provides five-year warranties to their portable power stations, including the Delta PRO models in their Whole Home Backup Power Solution.
Whole home battery backup systems are an excellent way to prevent your family from being affected by power outages. With a big enough battery bank, you can even keep larger appliances running, such as refrigerators, heating and cooling systems, and more.
The Whole Home Backup Power Solution is a great way to get started on making your house more energy-resilient. The system is expandable, so you can always add more battery and output capacity down the line.
Best of all, solar panels are easily integrated into the system to generate clean, renewable power indefinitely.
The company is the world’s best House Storage Battery Manufacturer supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.