[RE-wrenches] Comparing storage options: Tesla, sonnen, LG Chem, Pika

[Marco Mangelsdorf]

A useful, quick comparison of the currently available major players in residential energy storage for grid-tie.


Tesla Powerwall


tesla powerwall battery

Capacity: 13.5 kilowatt-hours <https://news.energysage.com/what-is-a-kilowatt-hour-the-difference-between-kwh-and-kw/>  usable; whole house back-up capable with 200A utility service or less 
Warranty: 10 years, 70% capacity

The Tesla Powerwall is an energy storage industry leader for a few reasons. First and foremost, the Powerwall is the battery that brought energy storage into the mainstream for many homeowners. Tesla, already well known for its innovative electric cars, announced the first-generation Powerwall in 2015, and overhauled the “Powerwall 2.0” in 2016. The Powerwall is a lithium ion battery with a similar chemistry to the batteries used in Tesla vehicles. It is designed for integration with a solar panel system, but can also be used solely for home backup power.

The second-generation Tesla Powerwall also offers one of the best ratios of cost to capacity of any product available in the United States. One Powerwall can store 13.5 kWh – enough to power essential appliances for a full 24 hours – and comes with an integrated inverter. The battery cells within the Powerwall are manufactured by Panasonic within the Gigafactory in Nevada. 

The Powerwall comes with a 10-year warranty that assumes your battery is used for daily charging and draining. As part of their warranty, Tesla offers a minimum guaranteed capacity. They ensure that the Powerwall will sustain at least 70 percent of its capacity over the course of its warranty period.


 sonnen eco (now wholly owned by Royal Dutch Shell)


cid:image003.png at 01D4CD10.013F3F40

Capacity: starts at 4 kWhs; not whole house back-up capable
Warranty: 10 years, 70% capacity

The sonnen eco is a 4 kWh+ home battery manufactured by sonnenBatterie, an energy storage company based in Germany. The eco has been available in the U.S. since 2017 through the company’s installer network.

The eco is a lithium ferrous phosphate battery that is designed for integration with a solar panel system. It also comes with an integrated inverter. One of the main ways that sonnen distinguishes the eco from other solar batteries on the market is through its self-learning software, which can help homes with solar panel systems connected to the grid increase their solar self-consumption and manage time-of-use electricity rates.

Like Tesla, sonnen also offers a minimum guaranteed capacity. They ensure that the eco will maintain at least 70 percent of its storage capacity for its first 10 years.

 


LG Chem RESU10H


cid:image007.png at 01D4CD10.013F3F40

Capacity: 8.8 kWh usable; not whole back-up capable
Warranty: 10 years, 60% capacity

Another major player in the worldwide energy storage market is leading electronics manufacturer LG, based in South Korea. Their RESU battery is one of the more popular options for solar-plus-storage systems in Australia and Europe.

The RESU is a lithium ion battery.  The only battery option currently sold in the U.S. is RESU10H, which has a usable capacity of 8.8 kWh. It comes with a 10-year warranty that offers a minimum guaranteed capacity of 60 percent. 


Pika Energy Harbor Smart Battery


cid:image009.png at 01D4CD10.013F3F40

Capacity: 8.6, 11.4, 14.3, 17.1 kWh usable; whole house back-up capable up to 200A using a Generac automatic transfer switch
Warranty: 10 years

The Harbor Smart Battery comes from Pika Energy, an inverter manufacturer that has recently entered the energy storage space. Unlike some other home batteries, the Harbor Smart Battery is specifically intended to be installed alongside a solar panel system and can be used for both on-site consumption of stored solar energy and grid services like demand response.

The Harbor Smart Battery uses a Panasonic-manufactured lithium ion battery cells and comes paired with a Pika Energy Island inverter, which can be used for both on-grid and off-grid home energy storage.  The Harbor is backed by a 10 year Panasonic warranty.

 

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