Top 5 Batteries for Home (And One You Might Not Expect)

Corrections:
07:37 It's NMC, not LFP
07:46 It should be 9.0 kVA peak (10s) max output and AC coupled only

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[UndecidedMF]

Corrections: 07:37 It's NMC, not LFP, 07:46 It should be 9.0 kVA peak (10s) max output

[dougle]

No indication on a DIY solution. 14.5kwh of LFP prismatic Grade A cells comes in at about £2k, pair these with a decent BMS £120, and a Victron Energy MPII 5kw Inverter/charger and you're at about £4, 500 plus installation, but as it's DIY we'll assume self install, resulting in a £321 per kwh system. Easy to add additional batteries and more inverters that sync for higher output peak power. Those that can, really should consider DIY as it's by far cheaper for the same facility. Equally, no one should fit NMC based home battery systems in their homes, outside and as far away as practical would be my advise given their huge risk of thermal runaway (Fire). Even without solar this system enables load shifting where time of use import tariffs are available.

[Tomzuki.]

Paying over $1000/kWh is certainly the reason most people decide to not go for battery storage. There are some very tempting options for those interested in a more DIY installation, with 48V LFP server rack batteries costing around $300/kWh

[Zoyx]

I went with EcoFlow. I purchased two Delta Pros. Then I purchased 2 extra batteries to pair up with the Delta Pros. So a total of 14400 Whr. I had an electrician come in and install a transfer switch so I can plug these into my house. All of this together came to around $13k US. So we are getting close to $900 per KWhr.

[cordless]

Signature Solar was the most cost effective for me plus their amazing customer support. $13, 187.94 or ~$430/kwh for a system with 30.72kwh of battery, 13kw continuous inverter output, 10 year warranty. I DIY installed but if you include $4k for install you're still at $560/kwh.

[jasonbroom]

Something I don't think you mentioned is how ridiculously easy it is to DIY a solution, these days. With PnP inverters and server-rack batteries, going off-grid or grid-tied with DIY battery options is easier than most folks might believe. You can also save quite a bit of money in the process, plus you wind up with a much better understanding of what you have, what to expect from it, and what to do if there are ever any issues. Commercial product offerings are nice n' all, but there is stil are many DIY options in this space that are worth considering.

[gavjlewis]

I think 48v server rack batteries are worth mentioning too. I have just added a second to my system (US5000). I will save a little each month and add another unit as I can afford. They are much cheaper to buy and no cost to add to my system.

[randomjasmicisrandom]

I recently had a small solar PV system installed (7 panels) that included a small 2.4 kWh battery. (UK based, pylontech battery connected to a Solis inverter.) It is the battery that makes all the difference, and I already know I could have got three batteries the same size and still filled them up on a good day. The plan is to get another battery added next year along with 3 more panels pointed towards the evening sun. I now know a lot more about how and when my house is using energy via the app that came with the inverter, so I know that right now my house is still running on sun generated energy from earlier today. Be warned though, watching the system run everything is addictive!

[perryhunter]

i am preparing to build 18 small homes next to each other. they will be ICF homes (different types for each home) all with ICF roofs. I am looking at doing different storage for each home so I can test side by side in real time for each system. It will be interesting to see how they all perform next to each other and if the entire subdivision can be linked together for a complete off grid community.

[madcow]

I have a Tesla powerwall and solar panels. My next step is to install an off-grid system in my garage for car charging. This means my house panels will put that much more into the grid, and it doubles as a backup for a backup. By being off-grid I also don't have to deal with some permits (others I still need) or the maximum panel limit in Colorado (was 120% of my usage, recently changed to 200%).

[texastaterbug]

The vehicle to home options sound really good after watching this breakdown. Particularly the trucks with 100+ KWH batteries and 9+ KW continuous output. You get a truck that also serves as a battery backup for the price of the battery.

[natecaplin]

It’s important for anyone considering these batteries in combination with their PV solar installation a few things:

1. Their utility provider’s rate program for power sold back to them. For those lucky enough to have “net metering” where their utility gives you one free KWH for every KWH sold back, the need for batteries is much less.

2. Typically PV sales and install companies charge a lot LESS for the batteries upfront with the system than after the fact. For example, I paid $8, 000 per extra Tesla PowerWall battery. But it would be $12K+ to add later.

3. Tax incentives. The federal tax credit which is 30% of the cost of the installed system (including batteries) is HUGE, but only applies to the initial install system, not batteries added later.

[IronmanV]

I'm liking the Franklin setup for expandability, but am waiting to see how quickly sodium ion battery production ramps up. Im taking CATL, and others projections with a grain of salt for now.

The one that really has me charged up is Forever Energy's home flow battery.

[JohnDoe-xrdz]

We are pretty happy with Enphase for the following features: A) in consumption mode the house is drawing first from the solar panels, second from the battery, third from the grid, which minimizes purchased power; B) Enphase mother ship monitors the storm forecasts and switches the battery to backup mode, where power comes primarily from solar panels and secondarily from the grid; C) the Enphase app is instructive of home power draw, helping us choose how many devices we use simultaneously. I have been on this system for three years, paid a lot more than the quote in the video, but have no regrets. LFP seems to be great for getting the maximum cycles of lifetime battery usage which is quite opposite what I want from my EV (fast charging and high output).

[Paul-cjwb]

Matt, with your apparently more advanced tech knowledge, did you ever look at something like the EG4 Server Rack Battery Kit with a total of 30.72kWh for $8, 994.00? That's roughly $344 per KWhr.
It includes a pre-assembled enclosed rack with wheels, so negates the need for any wall installations costs. They are LFP, which have a much longer cycle life than NMC. You can get them from Signature Solar with a full warranty. And will work with micro inverters such as Enphase, which are better than a single or double inverters. Or with any other inverter of your choice.

You can also configure it with a smaller battery system if that's what you prefer. They go for $1, 500 for 5.1kw modules. So a 15.3kw system would go for $4, 500.

[troyclayton]

My friends down the street, with their solar panels and generator, decided to use their EV as their home battery. It's a 75 kWh battery they can drive down the road and charge for free at the right place.
edit: Our neighborhood has spent almost 2 weeks without power in the last 6 months here in Maine.

[AlecMuller]

We have SimpliPhi batteries at roughly $800/kW and rated for 10, 000 cycles, and friends have EG4 batteries that are about half that price and rated for 7, 000 cycles. It's definitely worth looking at the lifecycle cost per kW-HOUR, not just kW, especially if you're considering them for anything other than off-grid or power outages.

[Jessyco]

I greatly appreciate the information you present in every one of your videos;. Your video format, information, is so easy to consume it makes considering and learning about these technologies a joy. Thank you so much for the fantastic work you do.

[christopherlenahan]

With most people north of the 40th parallel needing heat in a large portion of the year, and I being in Canada. I think that sand batteries are a great method of preserving energy with minimal efficiency losses.
I live in a low sun/wind BC coastal area, I plan to use my available solar/wind as an independent thermal generation system. As heating at night and all fall/winter/spring are a far greater cost then my appliances. Using sand allows me to have a nearly limitless capacity in that I am designing the battery to handle 400C and can always add more sand. Using electricity to heat the sand and electronically controlled passive thermal circulation of a heat transfer oil to a radiator will allow much higher sand temperatures.

[Lasjah]

I would love to know if Ambri is ever going to make a home version of their liquid metal batteries. They seem incredibly stable and the possible lifespan could be decades.