Generally, home batteries can charge from the grid – but not always. Discover those that will, those that won’t and batteries we’re not sure about.
Purchasing a home battery that can charge from the grid is a good idea for a number of reasons. Among them:
- If you’re on a Time-of-Use (ToU) electricity plan, you can top up your battery with cheap off-peak electricity for use during the peak period when it’s much more expensive.
- If you want to participate in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program, this functionality may be required.
While most home batteries can charge from the grid, exceptions may occur when they are installed with certain hybrid inverters with limited functionality or when a system with a built- in inverter is aimed at the US market where charging a battery from the grid was potentially not permitted in some locations.
Evaluating Solar Batteries For Grid-Charging Capabilities
I’ve described most of the batteries on SolarQuotes’ home battery comparison table below in one of the following ways:
- YES = The battery can charge from the grid in its most commonly used configuration. These batteries will either have their own built in inverter or their officially compatible inverters allow it.
- YES HYBRID = The battery can charge from the grid when paired with a suitable compatible hybrid inverter. Because it’s possible some compatible inverters may not allow charging from the grid, it’s important to check if this feature is available.
- YES, PROBABLY = The battery can probably charge from the grid, but the information I’ve found isn’t definitive.
- NO/UNKNOWN = The manufacturer provides no evidence in manuals or elsewhere that the battery can charge from the grid and there is no evidence for it from any other sources I’ve found. If the battery is sold in the United States, then it may not be able to charge from the grid because the rules on it were apparently unclear in some regions.
- NO = The manufacturer has stated the batteries either can’t charge from the grid or can only do so at low power to avoid a low charge state.
Where possible, I’ve provided links to supporting evidence.
The batteries are not listed in alphabetical order but in the order they appear on our battery comparison table. So, if you want to follow along on that to get details of the different batteries, feel free.
Tesla Powerwall 3
YES. Tesla provides the same information for time-based control and forecasting for the Powerwall 3 as for the Powerwall 2.
Tesla Powerwall 2
YES. Has time-based control and forecasting that enables it to charge from the grid when prices are low.
BYD Battery Box Premium HVM & HVS
YES HYBRID. Here’s a video of how to set the time dependent battery control that will allow a battery to charge from the grid on the Fronius GEN24 Plus, which is a hybrid inverter often used with BYD batteries.
Energizer Homepower
YES. However, going by their website, the Energizer Homepower is being replaced with the Energizer Powercase all-in-one system, as well as Energistack modular batteries that require a hybrid inverter. This Energizer Solar FAQ page gives information on how the Energizer Solar App or web portal can be used to set an Energizer Homepower or Powercase to charge from the grid.
Enphase IQ Battery 5P
YES. Page 12 of the IQ Battery 5P Owner’s Guide states, “Charge battery from the grid is an additional feature that you can enable to charge your battery from the grid when the energy prices are low.”
Eveready Energy Vault 5.1
NO/UNKNOWN. No indication of being able to charge from the grid is given in its manual or in other information I’ve been able to find online.
GenZ 48V 3kWh
YES HYBRID. Compatible with a variety of hybrid inverters including Selectronic, which is able to charge batteries from the grid.
Goodwe Lynx Home F G2 Series
YES HYBRID. It can charge from the grid when using mode 4, which is described on page 1 of its user manual. Also, it can be installed with a Goodwe EH series hybrid inverter and on page 9 of the inverter user manual it states it can be set to Economic mode, which allows the battery to charge from the grid.
Growatt Ark 10.2L-A1
YES HYBRID. Section 7.3.6 on page 43 of the Growatt MIN 5000TL-XH inverter installation and operation manual states it can allow a battery to charge from the grid.
iStore Smart Battery
YES. The extremely similar Huawei Luna2000 battery could be set to charge from the grid and it’s also possible with the iStore battery. Page 43 of the iStore Smart Battery user manual describes how the Time-of-Use mode allows it to charge from the grid.
Jinko SunTank
YES. The Jinko Solar JKS-3~6HLVS-ABI series hybrid inverter is compatible with the Jinko Sun Tank and on page 2 of its user manual states, “JKS-3~6HLVS-ABI Series is used to store energy generated by the photovoltaic cell panels or energy from grid if it is allowed in the battery…” Then on page 40 it describes the Battery First mode that enables it to charge from the grid.
LG Chem RESU
YES HYBRID. Provided a compatible hybrid inverter is used that allows it, the LG Chem RESU can be charged from the grid. For example, if a Goodwe BP series hybrid inverter is used, its GoSolar app can set it to charge from the grid, as stated on page 1 of the introduction in its user manual.
LG Chem RESU Prime
YES HYBRID. This is LG Chem’s latest home battery and if the Sunny Boy Storage is used along with the Sunny Home Manager 2.0, then using Time Period Control can allow it to charge from the grid.
PowerPlus Energy LiFe Premium Series
YES HYBRID. These batteries can charge from the grid when paired with a suitable compatible hybrid inverter. For example, if used with a Selectronic SP Pro the batteries will charge from the grid when used with the “Charging On” setting, as described on page 57 of the Selectronic SP Link Instruction Manual.
Pylontech Force L2
YES. This Pylontech brochure states their batteries, including the L2 series, can participate in VPPs. This indicates an ability to charge from the grid, but no details are given in their operation manuals. Pylontech also has a Force H3 battery. The boasts they make about its “dynamic control” only make sense if it can charge from the grid, but I can’t find a definite statement from Pylontech on whether it can or not.
Pylontech US2000B and US3000
YES HYBRID. Provided they are paired with a suitable compatible hybrid inverter, Pylontech 48V batteries can charge from the grid.
SolaX Triple Power
YES HYBRID. The SolaX Triple Power is compatible with the SolaX X1-AC and X3-AC series of hybrid inverters. On page 43 of the X1-AC user manual a “Forced Time Use” mode is described that will charge batteries from the grid. Also, here’s a video of a German man who says the SolaX X3 hybrid inverter has a manual mode that can be used to set it to charge from the grid.
Sungrow SBR HV
YES HYBRID. Starting on page 84 of the Sungrow SH series hybrid inverter user manual, it describes how “Battery Forced Charge Time” can be used to charge the battery from the grid. The Sungrow SH series of hybrid inverter user manual describes the same, starting on page 102.
Zenaji Aeon
YES HYBRID. Zenaji say their batteries are compatible with a range of hybrid inverters and these include models such as the Sungrow SH, which can charge batteries from the grid.
SolarEdge Energy Bank
YES. SolarEdge address this in question 5 under the heading “General” on their FAQ.
Delta BX
YES. The Delta BX Residential AC Storage System operation and installation manual describes on page 43 a “Charge First Mode” that enables the battery to charge from the grid.
Sonnenbatterie Evo & Sonnenbatterie Eco
YES. Sonnen batteries could be charged from the grid when part of their Virtual Power Plant (VPP), which no longer appears to be available. In their FAQ on this, they say they can store energy from the grid as required.
AlphaESS SMILE5
YES. The AlphaESS user manual says it has a Grid Charge mode and on page 18 says, “Grid Charge interface displays today’s or total electricity quantity battery charging from the grid.” Additionally, Amber Electric says AlphaESS systems with a serial number that begins with “AL” (but not “ALP”) can be used with their Smartshift technology that can charge and discharge batteries as required.
Eguana Evolve
NO. At 46 minutes and 15 seconds into this Eguana Evolve Home Battery System Technical Webinar video the Eguana representative says that while it will perform a low power charge from the grid to recover from a low charge situation if solar energy isn’t available for an extended time, the battery cannot otherwise charge from the grid. Its controller does not allow it because it’s not permitted in some locations.
Fimer React
NO/UNKNOWN. No mention of charging from the grid is made in the product manual of the Fimer React 2 home battery, and on page 105 of the Fimer DM series hybrid inverter product manual only modes of functioning that do not involve charging the battery from the grid are listed.
Redearth Sunrise
YES. Redearth batteries are capable of charging from the grid. If you are willing to pay $5 a month you can join their “Private Power Plant” and buy and sell electricity from the grid at wholesale prices.
Sofar PowerAll
YES. Starting on page 75 of the Sofar Powerall User Manual it describes its “time-of-use mode” that allows it to charge from the grid.
Soltaro AIO2
YES. Soltaro batteries can be charged from the grid and the company provides some information on this page.
SunPower Reserve
NO. The operating modes described at 2 minutes and 10 seconds into this video on the SunPower One app do not cover charging from the grid. It appears it cannot do this because it was potentially illegal in California and some other locations.
Varta Pulse 6
YES. The Varta Pulse neo 6 datasheet states it can grid charge. This Varta page also says Varta home batteries can charge from the grid, but note the page is dated 2019.
Bluetti EP760 9.9
YES. On page 68 of the Bluetti 760 Hybrid Inverter User Manual V2.0, it describes how to activate a “Charge From Grid” mode.
LAVO Storage S2
YES, PROBABLY. The LAVO Storage S2 datasheet says it has load shifting modes. But apart from that, LAVO gives no other specific information. Despite this lack of information, it appears likely to be able to grid charge. It would be odd for an Australian assembled system not to have this feature, as charging a battery from the grid is permitted here.
And there you have it. To find out further details and estimated pricing on all the above home batteries, along with everything you need to know about residential energy storage, check out our solar battery comparison page.
About Ronald Brakels
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If home batteries and V2G meet expectations of being a major supplier in the network then I assume time based tariffs will not be accurate enough to manage power balance and to take advantage of arbitrage. These battery systems will have to come with energy management systems that can track wholesale prices or some similar measure of the true state of the grid. These systems also have to manage the loads in the home that should be scheduled according the changes in tariff. VPPs can’t do this. I don’t want a VPP deciding when to run my pool pump or heat my water etc. So which companies are working on such management systems?
It would be logical to use the batteries on wheels (ie EVs) to connect to the grid too. They’re a huge resource. If more frequent charge/discharge causes battery deterioration, surely that can be factored into warranties, price etc. Unfortunately the powers that be (governments, auto makers, utilities) don’t see this as a priority because (as we are told) climate change is not a thing.
Great to see Bluetti make the list.
I bought my Bluetti before the EP760 was available. Their AC300 and AC500 inverters can be set up to charge from the grid via a wall socket to match TOU profiles or state of charge of the connected battery/s. No option for exports with these though.
How about the Sigenegy product which as I understand it can grid charge and is rated highly in overseas comparisons. Also has capacity for V2G if/when the standards can be agreed.
I think that what would have made the article better, would have been to include which inverters work with the above DC coupling batteries, as hybrid inverters are not necessarily limited to the batteries by the inverter manufacturer, and, thence, to have linked to videos (or other information) that explicitly tell how to set up the facilities like Time Of Use charging.
For example, I have a BYD HVM BESS connected to a Goodwe EH5000 inverter, and I had been relying on Goodwe Australia to set up the timed charging of the BESS, each period of winter months, but, when they failed to do that upon request, this year, after researching, I found (and could not find anywhere else at the time) the video on youtube, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYA65_xrpC4&ab_channel=LightforceSolar .
A similar video, relating to the Sungrow inverters, is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN-bl6RGXOo&ab_channel=LightforceSolar .