Best Solar Battery Backup Systems for Homes in 2025: Choose the Right One for You

With a built-in hybrid solar inverter, the Powerwall 3 is the first Tesla battery to connect directly to the DC output of solar panels. The newest Powerwall comes with the same 13.5 kWh of storage capacity but ups the ante with DC expansion packs that can quadruple the energy storage. 

On the power output side, Tesla upgraded the Powerwall 3 to 11.5 kW of continuous output, with enough surge power to start large air conditioners. And installers love to work with the Powerwall, citing it as the easiest home battery to install in response to our annual Solar Industry Survey. Finally, the pricing of the Powerwall is among the best on the market. 

So, with all this functionality, storage capacity, and industry love at such a great price, the Powerwall 3 deserves the #1 spot in our rankings, but there is just one problem: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is incredibly unpopular with many homeowners, and because of that, they might not consider the Powerwall at all. 

If you’re among that group, read all about our top Tesla Powerwall Alternatives. Or check out our full review of the Tesla Powerwall battery if you’re still on team Tesla.

The IQ 5P is Enphase's latest battery, offering twice the power output of the company’s previous generation of batteries in a small, modular form factor. Each IQ 5P you add to an Enphase Energy System provides additional energy capacity and power output, making it incredibly versatile.

The IQ 5P can be used with other Enphase components for either home backup power or solar self-consumption without backup, and can be expanded up to eight units in a single system, with 40 kWh of storage and 28.3 kW of power output. 

The huge customizability of this system should place the Enphase products near the top of anyone’s shortlist. Read our expert review of the Enphase IQ battery system to learn more.

The EverVolt home battery combines modularity, DC solar input, smart circuit control, and generator backup in a very compelling package, and it’s all backed by a tremendous 12-year warranty from one of the most-trusted brands in the world. 

While its power output is limited to 7.6 kW under a single inverter, we think the EverVolt home battery is a clear winner.

Read more in our expert review of the Panasonic Evervolt Home Battery.

The Canadian Solar EP Cube is perhaps the best value in home backup batteries. Its ultra-low cost doesn’t sacrifice its tremendous functionality, with up to 19.9 kWh of expandable storage capacity, 7.6 kW of max continuous power output, and a smart gateway with 200-amp passthrough that can connect between utility wires and your home’s main service panel. 

In addition, the EP Cube is made by one of the world’s most successful solar panel manufacturers (which earned #1 on our list of the best solar panels for homes). We are also happy to note that the Canadian Solar EP Cube is now eligible for several Virtual Power Plant programs, such as ConnectedSolutions. 

Read our full review of the Canadian Solar EP Cube.

The first thing you’ll notice about the SOLIX X1 is its looks. Anker’s slim, tall, dark grey battery modules and sleek backlit LED display are certainly eye-catching. However, the SOLIX X1 has some pretty rugged features underneath its beautiful exterior. 

The system has active temperature control for its battery modules, allowing them to charge and discharge between -4° and 133° F. In addition, the system design allows for new battery modules to be added years after the original installation, balancing their voltage to allow them to work seamlessly in the system.

Unfortunately, the SOLIX X1 is AC-coupled only, making it best for people who already have a solar system, or who want a backup battery without solar. Anker has developed a new way to handle this, though, and has introduced its own line of microinverters designed to work with the system.

Ultimately, the SOLIX X1’s functionality, aggressive pricing, and good looks are enough to recommend it highly. You can read more in our full review of the Anker SOLIX X1.

PointGuard Home is essentially a re-badged version of the parent company’s Sigenstor battery, and it offers some incredible functionality, with a great modular design that can incorporate energy storage, a solar inverter, bi-directional EV charging, and some smart circuit control. 

Like the Anker SOLIX X1, the PointGuard has a unique design that allows new battery modules to be added alongside older ones as your energy storage needs change over time. That all adds up to a good battery. 

FranklinWH’s aPower 2 battery is a powerhouse, outputting up to 10 kW continuous per 15 kWh battery cabinet (meaning power output is doubled for each battery you add). The aPower 2 is installed alongside Franklin’s aGate smart switch, which enables some circuit-level control, generator integration, and "black start" capability, which means it can power your home completely off-grid as long as there is solar or generator input. 

In addition, the aPower 2 comes with a newly extended 15-year warranty that allows a huge amount of energy throughput (charge and discharge cycles) over its term. The three things holding FranklinWH back from complete market domination (and the top of our rankings) are its somewhat high price, lack of true modularity, and the fact that the company’s financials are private.

Read our full review of the FranklinWH battery to learn more.

Like the energy storage systems from Panasonic and Canadian Solar, the Q.HOME CORE is a modular, stackable battery system with a built-in solar inverter capable of 7.6 kW of continuous power output and a total capacity of up to 18 kWh in one stack. Unfortunately, the going price for the Qcells battery seems to be about the same as FranklinWH—a bit higher than the market—but the Qcells battery doesn’t have the WOW factor of the aPower’s output and functionality. 

One great benefit of choosing the Qcells battery is the extended ecosystem. Combine the Q.HOME CORE with Qcells panels, and you can even get a discount on financing from the company’s EnFin lending arm. If your installer recommends the Qcells battery, you can be sure you’re getting a good product from a popular brand with a good 12-year warranty. 

Read our full Qcells Q.HOME CORE battery review.

Generac’s PWRcell 2 is a very capable AC-coupled battery, meaning it can be installed alongside existing solar panels or even by itself without solar. Its capacity can be expanded from 9 kWh in a single battery cabinet up to 36 kWh across two cabinets, with a separate inverter for bringing power from the batteries to your home.

Generac’s new Smart Disconnect Switch is installed as part of the system, adding AC solar input and generator input, as well as the ability to set up partial or whole-home backup. The PWRcell system also integrates with Ecobee smart thermostats to allow anyone in the home to see and control the functions of the battery. 

Based on the whole Generac home backup power ecosystem, functionality, and Generac’s reputation for good customer service, we recommend the PWRcell 2. Read more about it in our complete Generac PWRcell review.

BYD is known for its super high-quality batteries used worldwide in EVs and energy storage applications. What we like most about the Battery Box HVL is its elegant simplicity and expandability. 

The Battery Box HVL system is made up of 4 kWh modular blocks that can be stacked up from the floor in configurations of between three and eight modules, allowing you to customize the amount of energy storage to your needs and even expand it later if your needs change. 

Being a Chinese company that manufactures its own battery cells, BYD products are very low cost compared to the competition. That makes them a hit as far as we’re concerned. 

Check out our full review of the BYD Battery Box to learn more.

The price of a solar battery installation is one of the most important things to consider when getting a battery. On average, home energy storage systems can cost between $12,000 and $20,000, but they may be even more expensive depending on the design, features, and battery you choose. 

There are battery incentives and rebates available, including the 30% federal tax credit. You can also finance battery installations with personal or solar-specific loans, and some utility and solar companies even offer battery lease programs.

The storage capacity of a battery describes how much energy it can store, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The capacity gives you an idea of how long a battery can run your appliances. 

For example, a 10 kWh battery can hold more energy than a 5 kWh battery, so it can run appliances for longer. The 10 kWh battery could run a refrigerator for 20 hours, while the 5 kWh battery could only run it for 10 hours!

The right battery capacity for you depends on your energy usage and what you’re trying to power with your battery. The more appliances you want to run, the more storage capacity you’ll need.

Most homeowners will be fine with between 10 and 18 kWh of storage capacity, but a solar installer can accurately estimate your storage needs.

Power output measures how much power a battery can provide at any given time, measured in watts or kilowatts. How much power a battery can release gives you an idea of what appliances you can run, and how many you can run at once. 

Each battery has continuous and peak power output ratings. 

• Peak power output is important because some appliances need a short burst of power to start running, like air conditioners or sump pumps. 

• Continuous output is how much the battery can release for more than a few seconds. 

A professional system designer will help you choose a battery option that matches your appliances' requirements.

Depth of discharge (DoD) describes how much of the energy a battery holds can actually be used without damaging the battery’s health. 

For example, a battery with 10 kWh of total capacity that only allows 80% depth of discharge really only has 8 kWh of stored energy that a home can use.

Ideally, you should look for a battery with a 100% depth of discharge to get the most out of the battery. But anything above 90% shouldn’t be a deal breaker. 

If you can’t find the depth of discharge listed, you can compare the battery’s maximum capacity (the total amount of energy a battery stores) and the usable capacity (the amount of stored energy you can use) to get an idea of the DoD. 

Many manufacturers have started listing the usable capacity as the nameplate capacity, meaning you can discharge 100% of the listed capacity. But there is still some capacity reserved to protect the battery’s health. 

Battery chemistry is very important in home solar batteries today. Today, most home energy storage systems use lithium-iron phosphate batteries. You may also see this written as LFP. LFP batteries are safer and longer lasting than other battery types.

A few home batteries today still use nickel-manganese cobalt (NMC). Sometimes referred to as just lithium-ion batteries, NMC modules are becoming less popular because they contain toxic cobalt and are at a higher risk of catching fire if they’re mishandled. 

However, they have a higher energy density, meaning NMC battery banks can store more power in a smaller space.

Lead-acid batteries can also be used as backup storage but aren’t as common because they require regular maintenance and have short lifespans. You’ll mostly see lead-acid batteries paired with off-grid solar systems.

AC- or DC-coupling describes how a battery is connected to your solar panels. All batteries store DC power, but how that happens depends on how the system is designed. 

DC-coupled batteries are connected directly to DC solar output and must be installed alongside a hybrid solar inverter to power home appliances, making DC-coupled batteries best for new solar installations. Some DC-coupled batteries include the LG Chem RESU Prime and the Generac PWRcell. 

AC-coupled batteries have their own battery inverter that can turn solar power that has already been converted to AC power back into DC power that can be stored. This makes AC-coupled batteries easy to set up with existing solar installations. AC-coupled batteries include the Tesla Powerwall 2 and the Enphase IQ 5P.

Some brands offer both AC- and DC-coupled versions of their batteries, allowing for greater design flexibility. The Panasonic EverVolt and the Qcells Q.HOME CORE have both coupling options.

Mounting configuration and IP rating affect how and where a battery is installed. Be aware of whether a battery is wall-mounted or stackable from the ground up, and know if it must be installed indoors or comes with an outdoor-rated cabinet with an ingress protection (IP) rating.

You can also look for a NEMA 3R rating, indicating a battery enclosure is resistant to water, rain, inc formation, sleet, and snow. The Tesla Powerwall and Enphase IQ 5P are NEMA 3R rated.

A NEMA 4X-rated enclosure is even more durable, protecting against corrosion, windblown rain and dust, and hose-directed water. The EP Cube and Qcells Q.HOME CORE are NEMA 4X rated.

The warranty is important to understand when investing in battery storage. Most battery warranties have three parts: a coverage term in years, cycle and throughput limits, and a capacity retention guarantee. 

• Term: The coverage term of a battery warranty is usually listed in years. Almost all solar batteries are covered for ten years. Some battery manufacturers are starting to offer 12 and even 15-year terms. But, if you reach the cycle or throughput limit of the battery before the coverage term, the warranty expires even if there is still time remaining on your warranty. 

• Cycles or throughput: Home storage batteries lose their ability to hold a charge as they are used. So, the more you charge and discharge, or cycle, your battery, the quicker it ages. To account for this, most battery manufacturers include a cycle or throughput measurement in the warranty. Our top battery brands tend to have 6,000-cycle limits. If you reach your cycle or throughput limit before the term is up, the warranty expires. 

• Capacity retention: Energy storage warranties typically include a capacity retention guarantee that guarantees that the battery’s capacity won’t fall below a certain level as you use it. Most batteries have a 70% capacity retention guarantee, but some offer 80%. A capacity retention guarantee below 70% is a red flag for us unless the term length is longer (over ten years).

A typical battery warranty will look something like this: 70% capacity guaranteed after the first of 10 years or 6,000 cycles.

Note: A warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. That’s why our ranking methodology has a strong preference for companies with a history of financial success that can prove they have the staying power to serve their customers and industry partners for decades to come.