Enphase Energy solar batteries reviews

Enphase is probably best known for its microinverters - it's the world leader in this regard - but it also manufactures solar batteries.

Enphase was founded in California in 2006 and produced its first microinverter system in 2008. The company has had its ups and downs, but since late 2017 Enphase hasn't really looked back. As at late February 2020, it had a market capitalisation of  USD $6.39 billion. 

Enphase AC Battery

Enphase's first contribution to the home energy storage arena was the Enphase AC Battery, which has been around since 2016 - quite a long time when it comes to next generation storage systems. Australia was the first market where the AC Battery was available.

It's an AC coupled all-in-one modular system using lithium iron phosphate chemistry cells from A123 Systems. It isn't off-grid capable and as far as home energy storage goes, the AC Battery is tiny both in terms of size, power and capacity - it has a usable capacity of just 1.2kWh and a power output of only 260W. However, as a modular system, extra units can be installed to beef up capacity and power. 

The AC Battery has warranty of 10 years or 7,300 fully discharged cycles, whichever comes first. The capacity retention warranty is based on time in service or throughput and average battery internal temperature.

Pricing compares well against systems such as Powerwall when using multiple modules, but there are cheaper systems available if you're looking for a significant amount of storage capacity. You can see how the Enphase AC battery stacks up against other home solar energy storage solutions on price and features using our solar battery comparison table.

Enphase Encharge

Also on the horizon for Australia is the Enphase Encharge 10 system, a new all-in-one AC-coupled storage system comprised of three base Encharge 3 storage units (3.36kWh each) with a total usable energy capacity of 10.08kWh. It features twelve embedded grid-forming microinverters with 3.84kW power rating, enabling backup and off-grid operation. Like the AC Battery, Encharge 3 will have a 10-year warranty. Unlike the AC Battery, Encharge will be able to be installed outdoors.

We won't be the first cab off the rank for the Encharge system - it's expected be available in Australia after release in the USA.

If you're an Australian owner of an Enphase battery system, we'd love to hear your views on how it's going - submit your rating and review.