Yeah but you need to get a string inverter to use the EG4 Wallmount as it is just a battery and does not have a built in or internal inverter like the 5 Joe put on his list.
@@SolarSurge The EG4 18KPV is fully permittable everywhere and allowed for interconnection. 1 battery can output 200 amps. Its comparable to a Solark at half the cost. It has far passed a DIY brand. 15 year warrantys. Do some homework on it.
Eg4 wall mount battery, 14.3 k for only $3300. Battery has a heater, fire arrester, and digital display. Paired with an 18kpv hybrid inverter. Fully permittable and code compliant and can be ac or dc coupled or both at the same time.
I tried to purchase 4 Tesla Powerwall batteries, and Tesla referred me to a local installer. Tesla advertised a cost of $5,000 for the installation, but the local installer quoted me $30,000 for the one-day installation plus the cost for the batteries, $56,000 total.
Hi Solar Surge. Thank you for taking the time to release this. Informative although I personally do not care for "best" video content as it can be subjective and opinionated. I do not mean that disrespectful just hard to quantify in the 14 minutes allocated. Which is the reason for my reply. The pacing seemed off to me. The beginning seemed to have more time allocated to each battery compared to the end. It seemed rushed towards the end like you wanted to wrap it up. I also don't think you touched upon expandability or if that was a factor - I would have thought that to be important. Lastly while I am not a daily content consumer on social media the one thing I am personally looking to be educated on is how I can expand my current solar system. Options like how we can expand, or change panels, add storage, factor in electric car or two if guests visit, and what can be done by home owner (me) and contract out. I agree with you that the Solar market is a lot like the early computer days with no standards. Solar needs standards for communication and inter connectivity. I'd love to buy a tesla power wall and add some additional panels to my current system but so many options without clear processes makes it not user friendly. Anyway keep up the good work.
FYI, the PointGuard Home ESS system provides you with a huge degree of flexibility. You can easily add PointGuard batteries to an existing PV system and even expand your PV by DC coupling it to PointGuard. So, yes, our solution is able to accommodate both AC coupled and DC coupled solar arrays in the same system. Additionally, you can start small and add PointGuard battery packs at any point down the road. Since each battery pack is DC optimized, each pack will always perform at its maximum, even if you add a few years later. This makes this system future proof to grow your system if your electrical profile changes, i.e. if you replace your gas furnace with a heat pump or if you add EVs...
I have 33KW of the older Enphase batteries. It has been solid as a rock. I wanted to add batteries to my other 200 AMP panel. Enphase told me that the old batteries and the new batteries can not be installed in the same house. Something about the signals crossing. I'm going with Franklin because of that.
Enphase does not play well with other equipment, they are extremely proprietary and want to make you use only their micro inverters on their batteries, solar panels, etc.
In my opinion, Enphase and Solar Edge shouldn't have made the list. Their anemic continuous power output is my reason. EG4, Homegrid, and Fortress Power (Avalon) are worth at least an honorable mention. Every system on this list should be able to scale to whole home backup. In addition, cost should be a consideration, all other things being close in the evaluation.
The continuous power from two or more Enphase 5P batteries is anything but anemic, and you need two or more to be have comparable storage capacity. The nice thing is you can buy two or three of them for what one of the competitors' bigger batteries cost, meaning you can right-size a system. Need 10 kWh? You can have it. Need 15? 20? 25? You can have exactly the size and/or power output you need. The biggest downside is the space they take up.
I agree 100% with your SolarEdge comment, and maybe partially with Enphahse. We have installed many brands and can talk with experience that goes back to the first Sonnen and LG Chem days, yet the ones you list are all on our Do-not-Offer list. Enphase can easily back up a whole home, is easier to scale, has main panel upgrade avoidance, and is one of the more advanced battery systems we have installed. I also prefer the new Point Guard due to their expandability and clean install design, then Tesla, and the Savant (which started out as PomCube). All these platforms are all-in-one except Enphase, which is their only design flaw, aesthetically. The downside to Tesla is that you need a gateway or meter collar adapter for it to even work, Enphase requires the controller for back-up, while Savant has a built-in transfer switch and 20kW hours in one clean cabinet. The three you referenced are all just versions of battery banks with a copy of the SolArk inverter, and the install looks like there was no design consideration, in my opinion. The inverters are not that efficient, either. We were impressed with them initially, but after installing, we lost all interest in their designs.
Joe: before this Top 5 video, I watched your interview at ESS about the GENERAC PWRcell 2 which just posted yesterday. How would that rank in your top 5?
EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra? Modular. Expandable. Battery, solar, grid and standby generator tie-in (with Smart Home Panel 2 or manual transfer switch). No net metering but rumors are that it's coming. What's not to like?
The Savant was the first fully integrated hybrid battery/pv inverter combination, and it has a built-in 100A transfer switch. Tesla still requires the gateway or meter adapter just to turn on, as does Franklin.
Personally, I don't want to be part of a manufacturers "platform". Solar Edge has had several recalls on their batteries and they use a NCM chemistry. At this point, I wouldn't buy a battery that didn't have a LiFePO4 chemistry. Longer life, and no fire risks. How about the Simpliphi Ampliphi battery which has inverter communication capabilities and is LiFePO4 chemistry?
Good video. Why not give the EG4 indoor and outdoor walkmount batteries and their inverters a little love? 14.3KWH at around $3300.00 per and the the company has been around for a while.
@SolarSurge Wondering about where you see Panasonic's EverVolt second gen product in the ecosystem (you covered the 1st gen on June 5, 2021). It seems to hit all the checkboxes you are looking at with Rec Alpha OEM'd panels (with a parts and labor warranty), manufacturing the battery cells for themselves and Tesla, modular install, generator connection, DC-coupled or AC-coupled... Are they not cost-competitive, or as friendly to installers?
I already have 8Kw of Maxeon solar panels using Enphase MicroInverters and no batteries yet since they are so expensive. Since I'm already 240VAC out from the solar panels, I can't use DC to DC and have to be AC coupled, so what is a reasonably priced battery system for that? Been looking at the Anker SOLIX. I am able to DIY no problem.
Can't really say until they are in service for more than one year. Savant has a few years under their belt, is way easier to install, and costs similar to EG4. You should check them out. They are about $10k for the 20kWH with a 12.5kW inverter, have a built-in transfer switch, and are very clean install. We installed the EG4 and it took three of us about a day to install. We installed the Savant and it took two guys about 2.5 hours to install and commision.
I have 31 panels with enphase microinverters. I really want a battery backup system but eating the cost hurts. I wish the BASE company here in Texas worked with the local Coop groups Im stuck in currently.
Little of this is helpful to me without information regarding price and comparative shoot out (all the battery performance indices compared against each other).
These 5 that Joe listed have their own included inverter and battery transfer control, the EG-4 WallMount some on here mention you have to buy or use a large string inverter so its totally different than the 5 that Joe talks about here. While the EG-4 Wallmount battery is cheap you also have to buy a string inverter (if you don't already have one) that adds about $2,000 to $4,000 more to the total cost.
@@SomeGuy. Yes but a 6,000watt string inverter is only going to be enough for a (critical loads panel) or a very small home, its not going to work to power a medium to large home and HVAC and washer dryer, etc.. The 5 battery systems that Joe has on his list have 7500watt or higher inverters built in that could power an entire home if its not a large house. Need a 10k to 12k string inverter to power a medium to large house so more $$$.
The prices of these batteries far exceeds the cost of a single, hybrid inverter that does a lot of other things as well. Also, they are less efficient when they are AC coupled.
Franklin is probably our least favorite battery. They are labor intensive installation on par with the junk also known as EG4, HomeGrid, and Avalon/Fortress. Enphase, Point Guard, and then Tesla, in that order
Anker Solix X1 is absolutely missing from this list. But most of these solar channels are biased towards the widely available and "dealer-only" options that require financing, because money 💰
@@SolarSurge So if Tesla made the list at 2 and they are similar then X1 should have made the list then. You dont have any good reviews with detail of the Anker.
@@SithLordAdgyes, I got quoted $24.6k and $29k for two Tesla PW3 and $31.5k for two PW3 and adding an additional 3kw solar to my existing solar. Although I must say, I kind of like the look and the modularity of the Solix X1 over the PW3.
I'm in the process of adding batteries to an existing Solar system. Franklin is about 30% more expensive installed than Telsa PW3 for comparable systems. Not sure if that's on Franklin or the Installer, but the gap was shocking. They certainly aren't a "Better" or "More Reliable" brand than Tesla. Tough to not just DIY it and bring an Electrician in for interconnection. The Installer markups are astronomical at the moment.
You have more equipment to install making the installation way more complicated with the Franklin. It will always cost more and should not have been #1 for that alone in my opinion
So bottom line you are a shill for Franklin. Because your explanation for them being number 1 make no sense. Currently the APower only outputs 5kw continuous. TPW3 outputs 11.5kw and your Video is titled 2024. The APower 2 won't be available until 2025 and you still have to have at least 3 pieces of equipment attached to the house to use the Franklin unlike the Tesla PW3. Meaning harder and more costly to install and more time consuming .😒 How can it be number one. And I'm not a tesla Fanboy. I actually have a Franklin
I am PVdesigner and providing designs in 70$ for USA based Solar companies, let me know if needed any designs or report from Helio , Aurora and opensolar
i designed our system with 60 Kilowatt Hours of LiFePO4 batteries, 15 kilowatts of ground mounted Bi-Facial Solar panels, a 12 kilowatt EMP hardened LuxPower inverter/charger, and 100% off-grid. we have 6 days of autonomy, all for less than $25K. Diesel generator backup, should it be needed. No power bill is nice.
EG4-WallMount Indoor Battery | 48V 280Ah | 14.3kWh | Indoor | Heated UL1973, UL9540A | 10-Year Warranty $3,299.00
Yeah but you need to get a string inverter to use the EG4 Wallmount as it is just a battery and does not have a built in or internal inverter like the 5 Joe put on his list.
@@Bowhunters6go8xz6xexactly it is much simpler and more efficient. A/C coupled batteries are less efficient than D/C coupled batteries.
@@Bowhunters6go8xz6x it pairs with the EG4 18K PV Hybrid Inverter. RUns the whole system with 200 amps of Grid bypass and 100 amps of generator input
The video was about BEST solar batteries, not CHEAPEST. EG4 is part of the conversation but a DIY only product in my opinion.
@@SolarSurge The EG4 18KPV is fully permittable everywhere and allowed for interconnection. 1 battery can output 200 amps. Its comparable to a Solark at half the cost. It has far passed a DIY brand. 15 year warrantys. Do some homework on it.
Eg4 wall mount battery, 14.3 k for only $3300. Battery has a heater, fire arrester, and digital display. Paired with an 18kpv hybrid inverter. Fully permittable and code compliant and can be ac or dc coupled or both at the same time.
I tried to purchase 4 Tesla Powerwall batteries, and Tesla referred me to a local installer. Tesla advertised a cost of $5,000 for the installation, but the local installer quoted me $30,000 for the one-day installation plus the cost for the batteries, $56,000 total.
Going with Pointguard. Hoping its as reliable long-term.
How much storage?
I have a Sigenstor from Sigenergy. This is the same manufacturer.
Hi Solar Surge. Thank you for taking the time to release this. Informative although I personally do not care for "best" video content as it can be subjective and opinionated. I do not mean that disrespectful just hard to quantify in the 14 minutes allocated. Which is the reason for my reply. The pacing seemed off to me. The beginning seemed to have more time allocated to each battery compared to the end. It seemed rushed towards the end like you wanted to wrap it up. I also don't think you touched upon expandability or if that was a factor - I would have thought that to be important.
Lastly while I am not a daily content consumer on social media the one thing I am personally looking to be educated on is how I can expand my current solar system. Options like how we can expand, or change panels, add storage, factor in electric car or two if guests visit, and what can be done by home owner (me) and contract out. I agree with you that the Solar market is a lot like the early computer days with no standards. Solar needs standards for communication and inter connectivity. I'd love to buy a tesla power wall and add some additional panels to my current system but so many options without clear processes makes it not user friendly. Anyway keep up the good work.
FYI, the PointGuard Home ESS system provides you with a huge degree of flexibility. You can easily add PointGuard batteries to an existing PV system and even expand your PV by DC coupling it to PointGuard. So, yes, our solution is able to accommodate both AC coupled and DC coupled solar arrays in the same system. Additionally, you can start small and add PointGuard battery packs at any point down the road. Since each battery pack is DC optimized, each pack will always perform at its maximum, even if you add a few years later. This makes this system future proof to grow your system if your electrical profile changes, i.e. if you replace your gas furnace with a heat pump or if you add EVs...
I have 33KW of the older Enphase batteries. It has been solid as a rock.
I wanted to add batteries to my other 200 AMP panel.
Enphase told me that the old batteries and the new batteries can not be installed in the same house. Something about the signals crossing.
I'm going with Franklin because of that.
Enphase does not play well with other equipment, they are extremely proprietary and want to make you use only their micro inverters on their batteries, solar panels, etc.
In my opinion, Enphase and Solar Edge shouldn't have made the list. Their anemic continuous power output is my reason. EG4, Homegrid, and Fortress Power (Avalon) are worth at least an honorable mention. Every system on this list should be able to scale to whole home backup. In addition, cost should be a consideration, all other things being close in the evaluation.
The continuous power from two or more Enphase 5P batteries is anything but anemic, and you need two or more to be have comparable storage capacity. The nice thing is you can buy two or three of them for what one of the competitors' bigger batteries cost, meaning you can right-size a system. Need 10 kWh? You can have it. Need 15? 20? 25? You can have exactly the size and/or power output you need. The biggest downside is the space they take up.
I agree 100% with your SolarEdge comment, and maybe partially with Enphahse. We have installed many brands and can talk with experience that goes back to the first Sonnen and LG Chem days, yet the ones you list are all on our Do-not-Offer list. Enphase can easily back up a whole home, is easier to scale, has main panel upgrade avoidance, and is one of the more advanced battery systems we have installed. I also prefer the new Point Guard due to their expandability and clean install design, then Tesla, and the Savant (which started out as PomCube). All these platforms are all-in-one except Enphase, which is their only design flaw, aesthetically. The downside to Tesla is that you need a gateway or meter collar adapter for it to even work, Enphase requires the controller for back-up, while Savant has a built-in transfer switch and 20kW hours in one clean cabinet. The three you referenced are all just versions of battery banks with a copy of the SolArk inverter, and the install looks like there was no design consideration, in my opinion. The inverters are not that efficient, either. We were impressed with them initially, but after installing, we lost all interest in their designs.
Thank you Joe Ordia, I learned lot from all your very informative 104 Battery videos.
Joe: before this Top 5 video, I watched your interview at ESS about the GENERAC PWRcell 2 which just posted yesterday. How would that rank in your top 5?
EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra? Modular. Expandable. Battery, solar, grid and standby generator tie-in (with Smart Home Panel 2 or manual transfer switch). No net metering but rumors are that it's coming. What's not to like?
Hi, Can you do a review on the EG4 line of inverters and batteries?
Ok will do. Lots of the viewers are asking me to cover EG4.
We just installed 10 in the last month, very easy to install and works good.
The Savant was the first fully integrated hybrid battery/pv inverter combination, and it has a built-in 100A transfer switch. Tesla still requires the gateway or meter adapter just to turn on, as does Franklin.
Great summary, Joe! I agree with you completely. Keep up the great work, my friend.
Hi
Byd vs pylontech battery which one is best??
EP Cube should be on this list. Great value.
PointGuard is similar to EP Cube in terms of design but PointGuard blows them away on capacity.
@@SolarSurge Thanks for sharing. How do they compare in terms of value on $/kWh?
@@nonexistent5030 If you do the full stack 37.6kWh, PointGuard offers the best value.
Personally, I don't want to be part of a manufacturers "platform". Solar Edge has had several recalls on their batteries and they use a NCM chemistry. At this point, I wouldn't buy a battery that didn't have a LiFePO4 chemistry. Longer life, and no fire risks. How about the Simpliphi Ampliphi battery which has inverter communication capabilities and is LiFePO4 chemistry?
Good video. Why not give the EG4 indoor and outdoor walkmount batteries and their inverters a little love? 14.3KWH at around $3300.00 per and the the company has been around for a while.
I would consider EG4 a DIY brand. Haven’t met and professional installers who offer EG4 with a warranty.
Joe is right EG4 is DIY only and you need to buy or use a string inverter.
@@SolarSurgethe company I work for does.
@@SolarSurge Right here. I do. Best inverters and batteries on the market. ive done them all
@@Lowcostenergy87 offer this in Michigan? I need an installer.
@SolarSurge Wondering about where you see Panasonic's EverVolt second gen product in the ecosystem (you covered the 1st gen on June 5, 2021). It seems to hit all the checkboxes you are looking at with Rec Alpha OEM'd panels (with a parts and labor warranty), manufacturing the battery cells for themselves and Tesla, modular install, generator connection, DC-coupled or AC-coupled... Are they not cost-competitive, or as friendly to installers?
I already have 8Kw of Maxeon solar panels using Enphase MicroInverters and no batteries yet since they are so expensive. Since I'm already 240VAC out from the solar panels, I can't use DC to DC and have to be AC coupled, so what is a reasonably priced battery system for that? Been looking at the Anker SOLIX. I am able to DIY no problem.
For that setup, I would recommend FranklinWH, Tesla Powerwall 2, or Anker. Anker is probably the most friendly for a DIY install.
@@SolarSurge Thanks!
I thought Tesla will not allow for existing inversion, unlike Franklin, Anker, and similar. @@SolarSurge
EG4 48 Volt Batteries beat all these. Ive installed Franklin, Tesla, And enphase and EG4 is more powerfull and better cost by far.
I'm curious. What is the longest in-service lifetime you've had for the EG4 inverters/batteries you've installed?
Can't really say until they are in service for more than one year. Savant has a few years under their belt, is way easier to install, and costs similar to EG4. You should check them out. They are about $10k for the 20kWH with a 12.5kW inverter, have a built-in transfer switch, and are very clean install. We installed the EG4 and it took three of us about a day to install. We installed the Savant and it took two guys about 2.5 hours to install and commision.
I have 31 panels with enphase microinverters. I really want a battery backup system but eating the cost hurts. I wish the BASE company here in Texas worked with the local Coop groups Im stuck in currently.
Little of this is helpful to me without information regarding price and comparative shoot out (all the battery performance indices compared against each other).
He does that too just not in this vidieo
@@ryanedwards7741 I would very much like to hear that... Thank you!
These 5 that Joe listed have their own included inverter and battery transfer control, the EG-4 WallMount some on here mention you have to buy or use a large string inverter so its totally different than the 5 that Joe talks about here. While the EG-4 Wallmount battery is cheap you also have to buy a string inverter (if you don't already have one) that adds about $2,000 to $4,000 more to the total cost.
6,000 watt EG4 inverters are $1400.
@@SomeGuy. Yes but a 6,000watt string inverter is only going to be enough for a (critical loads panel) or a very small home, its not going to work to power a medium to large home and HVAC and washer dryer, etc.. The 5 battery systems that Joe has on his list have 7500watt or higher inverters built in that could power an entire home if its not a large house. Need a 10k to 12k string inverter to power a medium to large house so more $$$.
@@Bowhunters6go8xz6x The EG4 14.3 battery with the 18KPV Inverter runs 200 amps and is cheaper than a powerwall combined.
The prices of these batteries far exceeds the cost of a single, hybrid inverter that does a lot of other things as well. Also, they are less efficient when they are AC coupled.
EG4- wallmount looks pretty good. Cheaper too.
That does not have a built in inverter like the 5 Joe has on his list.
@@Bowhunters6go8xz6x The solar edge does not have an inverter built into it you have to get a hub
Use it with the eg4 18K or 12K hybrid inverters
@@Lowcostenergy87 Yep, there you go and like I said in other posts ($ more money) but a 12k or 18k inverter will power a medium to large home.
@@Lowcostenergy87 True that!
Franklin is probably our least favorite battery. They are labor intensive installation on par with the junk also known as EG4, HomeGrid, and Avalon/Fortress. Enphase, Point Guard, and then Tesla, in that order
I don’t see the new Franklin. I just bought three but the old version :(
The new FranklinHW aPower 2 is being unveiled today. We are out in Anaheim at RE+ to cover the event,.
What if I have a existing solar system on my house can I add a Tesla power wall 3
Absolutely. The PW3 can be installed as a retrofit.
Joe isn't Franklin one of your channel sponsors?
Franklin has sponsored videos in the past but not this one.
Sure thought so as well, as Franklin belongs in the EG4, HomeGrid, and Fortress/Avalon category of ugly multiple-cabinet, multi-brand installs.
So what happened to the Anker Solix X1. i was doing research and it looks better than half of the batteries up there.
We covered the Anker product earlier this year. You can see that video here: th-cam.com/video/VDE2VrsVy14/w-d-xo.html
@@SolarSurge I saw this twice and you only have this review. It is not really comparing it to other units. Have you done any install with it?
Anker Solix X1 is absolutely missing from this list. But most of these solar channels are biased towards the widely available and "dealer-only" options that require financing, because money 💰
But to be clear, Anker is also only available through an authorized installer
What about the Anker SOLIX X1? I am highly considering it over the Tesla PW3
They are similar but Powerwall beats in terms of power output at 11.5kW. Anker is AC-coupled so there will be more conversion losses.
@@SolarSurge So if Tesla made the list at 2 and they are similar then X1 should have made the list then. You dont have any good reviews with detail of the Anker.
I got quoted $35k for Solix X1 12kw/30kwh (2 power modules and 6 battery modules) in SoCA. I am going to pass on the Anker.
@@BMWguy206 why? 35 is to high for you?
@@SithLordAdgyes, I got quoted $24.6k and $29k for two Tesla PW3 and $31.5k for two PW3 and adding an additional 3kw solar to my existing solar. Although I must say, I kind of like the look and the modularity of the Solix X1 over the PW3.
Anker Solix X1?
What about HomeGrid Stakd ???
Homegrid is an interesting product and works well paired with a good inverter like Sol-Ark 15k.
Still don't see the reason why franklin is no 1..
I'm in the process of adding batteries to an existing Solar system. Franklin is about 30% more expensive installed than Telsa PW3 for comparable systems. Not sure if that's on Franklin or the Installer, but the gap was shocking. They certainly aren't a "Better" or "More Reliable" brand than Tesla. Tough to not just DIY it and bring an Electrician in for interconnection. The Installer markups are astronomical at the moment.
You have more equipment to install making the installation way more complicated with the Franklin. It will always cost more and should not have been #1 for that alone in my opinion
Franklin is paying you(sponsoring your channel), right? -__-
I appreciate your content, but come on!
QCells mentioned but QHome not? Come on man.....
The Q home is great if you want all the power in your house to fail... terrible luck with that thing
So bottom line you are a shill for Franklin. Because your explanation for them being number 1 make no sense. Currently the APower only outputs 5kw continuous. TPW3 outputs 11.5kw and your Video is titled 2024. The APower 2 won't be available until 2025 and you still have to have at least 3 pieces of equipment attached to the house to use the Franklin unlike the Tesla PW3. Meaning harder and more costly to install and more time consuming .😒 How can it be number one. And I'm not a tesla Fanboy. I actually have a Franklin
You just haven't done your homework
I am PVdesigner and providing designs in 70$ for USA based Solar companies, let me know if needed any designs or report from Helio , Aurora and opensolar
i designed our system with 60 Kilowatt Hours of LiFePO4 batteries, 15 kilowatts of ground mounted Bi-Facial Solar panels, a 12 kilowatt EMP hardened LuxPower inverter/charger, and 100% off-grid. we have 6 days of autonomy, all for less than $25K. Diesel generator backup, should it be needed. No power bill is nice.
Got my buy 2 get one free franklins in yesterday. So far so good we will see.
Is that promotion going on now @ Franklins?
@@Klaw388 Its a 1 time deal for certified installers. It has deadlines and rules. Still going on though