The Top 10 Best Solar Battery Brands According to Australian Reviewers

Pros

✅ Sensibly priced
✅ Modular, expandable
✅ Single- and three-phase models available
✅ Blackout protection
✅ Grid connect or off-grid
✅ Well supported
✅ Very detailed monitoring

Cons

❌ Issues reported relating to overheated terminals, melted plugs and burnt out wiring on some improperly installed single-phase inverter models.
❌ Is not open about problems and responds negatively to criticism
❌ Installation may be a bit fiddly in terms of fixings

Pros

✅ Well supported by onshore technical staff
✅ Great value
✅ High voltage units mean the battery doesn’t have to be right by the inverter, which helps with meeting Australia’s strict battery location requirements.
✅ Great connectivity between compatible inverters to build bigger systems
✅ The new UI on the app looks better
✅ Great deal of detail available on the app for electrical nerds & problem diagnosis
✅ Easily stackable batteries in robust alloy housings to incrementally increase storage to a whopping 102 kWh

Cons

❌ Occasionally tech support is snowed under and/or diverts to an answering machine in Japanese

Pros

✅ The low price point.
✅ A nice looking battery. Everything is behind a unified façade which comes away easily to make for neat installation and easier servicing.
✅ The cover arrangement lets you remove a whole brick from the wall and so feasibly run cables in a wall cavity.
✅ Models available for DC coupled solar, with blackout protection and “black start” if you run the battery flat overnight.
✅ Popularity means they’re likely supported by (Virtual Power Plants) VPPs or power-sharing software.

Cons

❌ Warranty support is proven and acknowledged to be embarrassingly lacklustre.
❌ Some AlphaESS models have dismal surge capacity during a blackout.
❌ Some models don’t offer blackout protection.
❌ “Some models” means there’s a lot of different options to be confused with.
❌ Technical support is poor in our experience.
❌ Proper monitoring requires two consumption meters in many cases.
❌ Review ratings are in the low four-stars (but trending better).
❌ At the bottom end of the market in terms of price, they are more likely to be sold by shonks who don’t offer decent after-sales support. Choose your installer wisely!

Pros

✅ Tesla’s Powerwall 2 has a good track record
✅ High continuous power output of 10kW (5kW in WA)
✅ Up to 20kW of solar panel capacity
✅ Dry contact available for basic energy management like hot water
✅ Flood resistant
✅ Relatively compact
✅ Excellent monitoring app with notification for dynamic export limits
✅ “Opticaster” software available for energy management
✅ Good customer service

Cons

❌ Tesla makes quality batteries but they’re not low cost
❌ It can be noisy
❌ 5kW charging may curb the ability to use time-limited tariffs
❌ 5kW rated units do not have 10kW backup capacity
❌ Elon Musk

Pros

✅ C5-M corrosion class rating suitable for coastal locations.
✅ Lithium-iron phosphate cells.
✅ Six different modes.
✅ Backup power in a blackout.

Cons

❌ A newish product – needs more time in Australian conditions.
❌ Only the hybrid X1 can charge off solar panels in a blackout.

Pros

✅ Very reliable, low degradation.
✅ Good support.
✅ The best app in its class.
✅ Great for retrofits.
✅ If a property has single-phase power it can charge from solar in a blackout.
✅ Backup Gateway offers extra space, which may save you an expensive switchboard upgrade.
✅ If combined with a Tesla car, it offers ‘Charge From Solar’ via any brand of EV Charger
✅ Reassuringly expensive.

Cons

❌ Reassuringly expensive.
❌ Cannot support a 3-phase load.
❌ Sometimes limits potential solar installation as some DNSPs don’t differentiate between solar inverters and battery inverters. The grid connection capacity is then used up by the battery.
❌ No black start capability, that is, requires intervention if the battery goes flat and the mains supply isn’t available.
❌ No support for off-grid applications.
❌ Tesla now charges for API access to the battery to third parties.
❌ Tesla now charges for API access to the battery to third parties.
❌ Generally unavailable and no longer receives the federal battery rebate.
❌ Elon Musk

Pros

✅ Modular
✅ Comparatively cheap

Cons

❌ Must use Solax hybrid inverters

Pros

✅ Excellent quality as used by Fronius
✅ Compatible with many brands of inverters
✅ Range of options in high and low voltage
✅ High power
✅ Scaleable storage which can be increased incrementally
✅ Genuinely stackable with automatic plug and play connections
✅ Supportive company that has recently made announcements well in advance of discontinuing 10 year old models

Cons

❌ 50°C Operating temperature limit is not as high as some batteries

Pros

✅ Billion-dollar company.

Cons

❌ Still awaiting more installer/customer feedback.

Pros

✅ One of the cheaper home battery brands based on cost per warranted kWh
✅ Automatic reboot after under-voltage cutout
✅ Backup capabilities (for Lynx, a compatible GoodWe hybrid inverter is required)

Cons

❌ Lynx Series only compatible with certain GoodWe inverters