iStore solar batteries reviews

The Australian iStore company has been selling energy efficient heat pump hot water systems for 10 years or more.  In 2023 they also began supplying solar inverters and home batteries.  Some features of the iStore home battery are:

• It has 5 kilowatt-hour (kHh) battery modules and can provide from 5-30kWh of storage.
• Power output is 2.5 kilowatts (kW) for 1 battery module or 5kW for 2 or more modules.
• Warranty is 10 years or until a module discharges 16,450kWh.
• Compatible with iStore and Huawei hybrid inverters.
• Also compatible with Huawei’s Luna2000 modular battery.

The iStore battery is very similar to he Huawei Luna2000 battery that’s no longer sold in Australia.  It is almost identical in characteristics and appearance.  If you want to check out its details, you can read about the Luna200 battery here.

Modular:  The iStore battery has a control unit that sits on top of 1 to 3 battery modules.  Each module has 5kWh of usable storage when new.  This means one stack can have from 5 to 15kWh of storage.  If you want more storage, you can have 2 stacks next to each other for up to 30kWh.  Because it’s modular it’s easy to add extra capacity later.  Despite this, it’s best to choose a size that suits your needs from the start as this will save on additional installation costs.

Power:  One battery module can provide 2.5kW of continuous power while two or more can provide 5kW.

Compatible inverters:  The battery requires a compatible hybrid inverter.  This can be an iStore inverter or one of several Huawei SUN2000 hybrid inverters.  You can read about Huawei inverters here.  You can also can read a statement from iStore on how their inverters are compatible with their batteries here.  

If you want a solar panel capacity larger than what is practical to connect to an iStore hybrid inverter, you can install a second, separate, solar system.  This won’t require a compatible inverter but will provide extra solar energy and will help to fully charge the battery during the day.

Backup Power:  To have backup power when the grid goes down requires the purchase and installation of a separate backup box.  As of May 29th 2024, the iStore site says this device will be “arriving soon”.  Hopefully, it will have a longer warranty than the 2 years the Huwei backup box had.

Warranty:  The warranty is for 10 years or until a battery module discharges 14,450kWh of stored energy.  The warranty covers each module separately so, unlike many other modular battery systems, you can easily add an additional module without potentially creating warranty issues.  

If a daily average of 4kWh or less is discharged from the battery module its warranty will last for the full 10 years.  But if the daily average discharge is 5kWh - the battery’s capacity when new - then the warranty will only last 7.9 years.  While it's in place, the warranty promises a module will retain a minimum of 60% of original capacity, which is 3kWh.

The control unit that sits on top has a 10 year warranty that isn’t affected by how much the battery modules discharge.

The warranty requires the battery system to be connected to the internet.

Huawei Battery Compatible:  If you have a Huawei Luna2000 battery and want to add a battery module, iStore battery modules are fully compatible.  

Price:  As of March 2024, you can expect an iStore battery to cost around the following:

• 5kWh $5,800
• 10kWh $10,100
• 15kWh $$14,500

Installation will add a considerable amount to this, as will backup capability.  A compatible inverter will also be around $2,000.  

You can check out latest prices and compare its features to other batteries on the market using our Battery Comparison Table.

Australian Company:  The iStore company is Australian owned and based in Australia.  But note that - like the large majority of inverters and batteries - theirs are made in China.

Reviews:  If you’ve bought an iStore battery and would like to leave a review, you can do so below.  The information wil help out people considering getting one and will be appreciated.