Battery Types & Characteristics
This table contains a summary of the salient points of each battery to enable you to better select the one that is best for your home or business.
- If you are after the best value, full-function battery with off-grid mode capabilities, then the most popular battery is the Fox ESS 10.36kWh battery & associated 5kW Fox ESS H1 Hybrid inverter.
- If you are after the most future-proof advanced system, then you shouldn’t look past Sigenergy, with bi-directional charging capabilities, DC EV charger module available & superior safety features.
- If you want sleek, mature & high power output, then the Tesla Powerwall 3 is the industry brand leader. However, Sigenergy is also an all-in-one sleek package quickly closing the reputation gap.
| Battery Model | Capacity kWh (& Power Output kW) | Inverter Pairing | Back-up Power | Key Features |
| Fox ESS EP11 10 year warranty, 10k cycles | 10.36kWh (5kW output). Expandable to 20.72 / 31.08kWh | Fox ESS Hybrid H1 Inverter | * Emergency Back-Up * Off-Grid Recharging from solar * UPS | Modular design, scalable up to 31.08 kWh, high efficiency, compact, budget friendly. |
| Fox ESS EP5 10 year warranty, 10k cycles | 5.18kWh (3kW output) Expandable to 10.36 / 15.54kWh | Fox ESS Hybrid H1 Inverter | * Emergency Back-Up * Off-Grid Recharging from solar * UPS | Affordable, compact, ideal for smaller homes, pairs with hybrid inverter for efficiency, compact storage. |
| Tesla Powerwall 2 10 years warranty, 70% capacity retention | 13.5kWh (7kW output) Expandable to 27 / 40.5kWh | AC-coupled to existing solar inverters | * Emergency Back-Up * Off-Grid Recharging from solar available via the Tesla Gateway | Seamless integration with existing solar, user-friendly app, reliable backup power, single phase homes. |
| Tesla Powerwall 3 10 year warranty, 70% capacity retention | 13.5kWh (11.5kW output) Expandable to 27 / 40.5kWh | Built-in hybrid solar & battery inverter, variable up to 11kW | * Emergency Back-Up * Off-Grid Recharging from solar | High power output, 6 MPPTs for up to 20 kW solar, 97.5% efficiency, scalable to 54 kWh, good for high demand homes |
| Sigenergy SigenStor 10 year warranty, 70% capacity retention | 8kWh (5-25kW output) Expandable to 16 / 24 / 30 / 36 / 42 / 48kWh | Sigenergy Integrated Hybrid Inverter | * Emergency Back-Up * Off-Grid Recharging from solar * UPS | Modular, AI-based EMS, optional 25 kW EV charger, 3-phase support, bi-directional charging (V2X) |
| Sungrow SBR 10 year warranty, 60% capacity retention | 9.6kWh min (5-15kW output) Expandable to 12.8 / 16 / 19.2kWh | Sungrow Hybrid Inverter | * Emergency Back-Up * Off-Grid Recharging from solar | Modular, stackable, reliable, cost-competitive, supports 3-phase backup |
UPS = Uninterruptable power supply
V2X = Vehicle to Load, Home & Grid, closely related to Bi-Directional Charging.
Bi-Directional Charging: technology that allows some electric vehicles to become home batteries on wheels when the EV is plugged into the home. This is a very advanced feature, and Australia has only just passed legislation to allow it, but there are very few EV’s that have the functionality that can facilitate it at this point in time.
kW vs kWh: kWh (kilowatt-hour) measures the energy storage capacity of a battery, indicating how much energy it can hold (e.g., 13.5 kWh can power a 1 kW device for 13.5 hours). kW (kilowatt) measures power output, showing the rate at which energy is delivered (e.g., 7 kW can support high-demand appliances instantly).