Enphase IQ Battery Overview: Much less Energy Than Opponents, however a Stronger Mannequin Is Right here

A photo voltaic panel by itself will not enable you when the ability goes out. To guard your property from outages, you may want a dwelling battery backup. As a result of each dwelling’s power wants are a bit totally different, batteries are a posh buy. Enphase provides an honest start line. 

Enphase is without doubt one of the most recognizable names within the photo voltaic battery and inverter world, providing three totally different battery fashions which are every embedded with their famed microinverters. These batteries — the IQ Battery 3 and IQ Battery 10 fashions — are smaller and fewer highly effective than choices from different producers. Enphase lately launched a smaller, rather more highly effective battery referred to as the IQ Battery 5P. This new battery rivals the ability output of bigger batteries at half the capability measurement, which is spectacular for a small battery. 

“The IQ Battery 5P is an extremely highly effective battery for the scale,” Ashley Martin-Golis, Enphase’s director of product advertising and marketing, instructed CNET. “And what that enables folks to do is be capable to begin up nearly any power-hungry equipment of their dwelling with one or two batteries. You possibly can have a comparatively small battery set up however nonetheless be capable to begin up your HVAC or your pool pump.”

Enphase’s batteries are designed to be put in in bundles, making a modular storage system the place capability and energy output stack with every battery put in. This modular design of smaller batteries makes it simpler for owners to get the capability measurement that is “good” for his or her dwelling. Simply take into account that you may’t set up the brand new IQ Battery 5P with Enphase’s different batteries. 

Photo voltaic batteries are a part of a posh dwelling power system that relies upon loads in your particular person dwelling, wants and photo voltaic panels. This makes it tough to do hands-on testing. This assessment relies on specs and data offered by Enphase on-line and an interview with Martin-Golis to get probably the most correct and up-to-date data. 

This is what it is best to learn about Enphase batteries. 

What do I get with an Enphase IQ battery?

Enphase provides three totally different batteries: the IQ Battery 3/3T, the IQ Battery 10/10T and its latest battery, the IQ Battery 5P. The IQ Battery 3/3T and IQ Battery 10/10T fashions are pretty normal for his or her respective sizes however undergo from lower-than-average energy output rankings. The IQ Battery 5P is Enphase’s latest era of battery expertise, providing spectacular energy output rankings at a a lot smaller capability measurement. Be aware that the Enphase “IQ Battery 3T” and “IQ Battery 10T” have the very same specs because the IQ Battery 3 and IQ Battery 10. The “T” battery fashions are made thinner. This is a fast breakdown of Enphase’s battery specs.

Enphase IQ battery specs

	Enphase IQ Battery 3/3T	Enphase IQ Battery 10/10T	Enphase IQ Battery 5P
Usable capability	3.36 kWh	10.08 kWh	4.96 kWh
Spherical-trip effectivity	89%	89%	90%
Depth of discharge	98%	98%	98%
Peak energy output (on-grid)	1.92 kW	5.7 kW	7.68 kW
Steady energy output (on-grid)	1.28 kW	3.84 kW	3.84 kW
Battery kind	Lithium iron phosphate	Lithium iron phosphate	Lithium iron phosphate
AC- or DC-coupled?	AC	AC	AC
Value	$2,000 – $4,000	$8,000 – $10,000	N/A

System Parts

Enphase batteries operate as an all-in-one AC-coupled system and are primarily identified for his or her embedded microinverters. A number of different parts are wanted to make this battery system work. This is a fast take a look at the system parts you may anticipate to have put in with an Enphase battery:

• Embedded microinverters
• IQ system controller
• IQ combiner 

Each Enphase battery measurement comes with a sure variety of embedded microinverters, which assist your battery output energy.  Each system may even embrace an IQ system controller, which connects the battery to the grid and capabilities as a centralized place for wiring. With the discharge of its new battery (IQ Battery 5P), Enphase additionally launched an up to date model of the IQ system controller, referred to as IQ system controller 3. It is available in two differing kinds, one kind means that you can improve your capability enlargement and the opposite kind means that you can improve your capability enlargement and add a generator. 

If in case you have photo voltaic panels, your battery system will embrace an IQ combiner part. The IQ combiner measures your power manufacturing and consumption and gives an extra place to centralize some wiring. You’ll view your manufacturing and consumption information by means of the Enphase app. Extra particulars about Enphase’s system design and parts might be discovered on its web site.   

Capability and modularity

Every of Enphase’s three battery choices provides a unique storage capability. Right here is the usable capability of every Enphase battery:

• IQ Battery 3/3T: 3.36 kWh
• IQ Battery 5P: 4.96 kWh
• IQ Battery 10/10T: 10.08 kWh

Whereas these batteries are a bit on the smaller aspect, you can set up a number of Enphase batteries to stack further capability. You possibly can even combine and match the IQ Battery 3/3T and IQ Battery 10/10T fashions. You will not be capable to combine and match newer era battery tech (IQ Battery 5P) with older era battery tech (IQ Battery 3/3T and IQ Battery 10/10T fashions). It is also vital to notice that each one Enphase batteries are appropriate with and with out photo voltaic, that means you may nonetheless set up Enphase batteries as a house backup with out photo voltaic panels.

Efficiency and effectivity 

When it comes to energy output, an Enphase battery by itself is fairly weak, aside from the IQ 5P battery. This battery shares the identical steady energy output as the opposite batteries in Enphases’s lineup (3.84 kW) however provides a formidable peak energy output score for its measurement (7.68 kW). To place this into perspective, the IQ 5P’s peak energy output is on par with a Tesla Powerwall’s peak output (7 kW), which is a a lot bigger 13.5 kWh battery. 

The IQ Battery 3/3T and IQ Battery 10/10T fashions each have weaker energy outputs when put next with different batteries of comparable measurement. Energy output does improve with further battery installations. The extra batteries you put in, the extra energy you may stack. If in case you have a bigger dwelling or a house that has quite a lot of giant home equipment, you may doubtless want a number of Enphase batteries. 

So far as effectivity goes, Enphase batteries are about common in comparison with the batteries we have evaluated. The IQ Battery 3/3T and IQ Battery 10/10T fashions each have a round-trip effectivity of 89%, with the IQ 5P having a barely increased round-trip effectivity of 90%. Because of this solely 10% to 11% of your electrical energy is wasted on its method into battery storage. The typical round-trip effectivity for photo voltaic batteries is about 90%.

Guarantee

The warranties on Enphase batteries are fairly normal for batteries. It is price calling out the brand new IQ 5P’s 15-year guarantee. Most batteries include a 10-year guarantee, so we’ll give the IQ 5P bonus factors for having longer protection. It has a decrease end-of-warranty capability assure. This is a fast breakdown of the guarantee particulars for every Enphase battery.  

Enphase IQ battery guarantee particulars

	Enphase IQ Battery 3/3T	Enphase IQ Battery 10/10T	Enphase IQ Battery 5P
Years coated	10	10	15
Cycles coated	4,000	4,000	6,000
Finish-of-warranty capability assure	70%	70%	60%
Guarantee Extension out there	Sure, as much as 15 years	Sure, as much as 15 years	No

Years coated: A particular period of time (years) that your battery is roofed below guarantee. After the required variety of years go, your guarantee expires.

Cycles coated: A particular variety of full cycles your battery can carry out below guarantee. In case your battery surpasses the required cycle depend, your guarantee expires. A “cycle” is the method of totally discharging (draining) and recharging your battery. In some battery warranties, your guarantee expires when you hit your specified cycle depend, irrespective of what number of years you’ve left on the guarantee. All the time be certain that to verify the positive print for cycle and throughput clauses. 

Finish-of-warranty capability assure: That is the producer’s assure that your battery will retain a sure proportion of its authentic most capability by the point your guarantee interval ends. 

Buyer assist

Buyer assist with Enphase appears to be hit and miss, however principally miss. The corporate’s Higher Enterprise Bureau web page is flooded with damaging evaluations, with many complaints centered round failing or defective microinverters and unhealthy customer support experiences. Reviewers on Trustpilot and Yelp share comparable experiences relating to failing microinverters and battery programs, together with frustrations surrounding Enphase’s lack of communication when issues come up.   

Enphase Enlighten app

Putting in an Enphase battery additionally provides you entry to the Enphase Enlighten app. Most batteries include a regular app for monitoring power consumption, manufacturing (when you’ve got photo voltaic panels) and predicting upcoming power payments. Enphase isn’t any totally different. There are no stand-out options, nevertheless it does every little thing you’d anticipate it to do, and that is completely positive. The app is extremely rated, and any complaints it does have have a tendency to focus on its reporting timeframe. 

How a lot does an Enphase IQ battery value?

The Enphase IQ Battery 3/3T is about $2,000 to $4,000 earlier than set up and the IQ Battery 10/10T is about $8,000 to $10,000 earlier than set up. For the reason that IQ Battery 5P hasn’t been in the marketplace for very lengthy, dependable pricing data is unavailable. As a rule of thumb relating to battery pricing, you may sometimes anticipate to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 per kWh of storage, however there are exceptions. Different elements affecting battery pricing are location, the installer and what number of photo voltaic panels you’ve.

For probably the most correct pricing, converse with an Enphase-certified installer in your space. We additionally suggest purchasing round for a number of quotes from nationwide and native installers to see who’s prepared to provide the finest value.  

Is an Enphase IQ battery my most suitable option?

As with most batteries, it actually is determined by what your power targets are and the scale of your property. Enphase’s battery measurement choices are on the smaller aspect. These batteries have a a lot weaker energy output than competing batteries of comparable measurement, with the one exception being Enphase’s latest battery, IQ Battery 5P. This new battery boasts a a lot increased peak energy output score and matches the continual energy output of Enphase’s largest battery: the IQ Battery 10/10T. Nonetheless, the IQ Battery 5P continues to be a small battery (5 kWh). It is also price noting that Enphase’s batteries are typically cheaper than different batteries. 

There are tons of batteries out there in the marketplace, that means your property has multiple battery choice. Most installers carry a number of manufacturers of batteries, so we suggest exploring a number of battery choices from installers in your space earlier than making your choice.

Learn extra: Need one thing smaller than a whole-home photo voltaic system? See our picks for the most effective transportable photo voltaic panels and photo voltaic turbines.

How we evaluated the most effective photo voltaic batteries 

Each battery is totally different and isn’t going to be the correct match for each dwelling. With out an on-site inspection, it is tough to find out which photo voltaic battery is the “finest” battery. Because of the complexity of photo voltaic panel programs, we’re unable to do any form of hands-on testing of any of the photo voltaic batteries we assessment. There are goal methods to judge and examine these batteries. This is how we consider photo voltaic batteries.

First, we created classes to judge the battery’s effectivity, efficiency, capability and worth. We additionally gave every class its personal weight. Every class’s weight displays the significance we felt was related to the typical shopper. Listed below are the classes and their weights:

• Battery modularity (stackability) – 20%
• Guarantee – 20%
• Spherical-trip effectivity – 15%
• Depth of discharge – 10%
• Energy output – 10%
• Value – 10%
• Buyer evaluations – 10%
• Battery capability – 5%

We checked out greater than 15 of the most typical batteries in the marketplace and picked up the information for every class to check the numbers. Every battery was given a tier-style score (from 1 to five) for every class to see which metrics of every battery had been above common (amongst these on our listing), common or under common. 

Regularly requested questions