Tesla Powerwall Gets New Competition in Anker SOLIX Home Energy Storage Battery
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Home solar power systems are super useful in reducing consumers’ energy costs and carbon footprints. But solar power becomes much more practical and impactful with the addition of home energy storage (i.e., really big batteries). With the addition of big batteries, a solar power system can allow homeowners to completely shift their electricity usage to off-peak hours, thereby further lowering costs and reducing strain on the electricity grid. Solar systems with batteries also allow owners to maintain power in the case of grid outage or power blackout.
The Tesla Powerwall may be the best known home energy solution, but it will soon be getting some serious competition from another well-known battery brand: Anker. Anker is best known for its mobile battery packs, chargers, and cables. Yesterday at the company’s RE[CHARGE] event in New York City, Anker announced that it will be super-sizing its battery solutions with the creation of a new line of SOLIX Home Energy Solutions. Appropriately enough, the announcement was made just a few blocks from the former home and workshop of electricity pioneer Nikola Tesla.
Anker announced that the SOLIX All-in-One Energy Storage Solution will be a modular battery pack scalable from 5 kWh to 180 kWh, more than enough power for even the largest home. As a point of reference, each Tesla Powerwall 2 currently offers 13.5 kWh of electricity storage and Powerwalls can also be stacked up to 10 at a time for a maximum energy storage of 135 kWh.
Anker says the All-in-One battery is designed to provide high levels of safety and durability, seamlessly transfer from grid-connected to off-grid power when needed, and be compatible with virtually all home energy equipment, such as solar panels, heat pumps, and even fossil fuel-powered generators. It will use an LFP formulation for long life and can withstand temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to 55 degrees Celsius. The battery will support WiFi, ethernet, Bluetooth, and cellular connections. Owners can monitor energy usage, battery capacity, and more in a connected mobile app. Anker will announce additional details, including pricing, later this year. Anker expects to roll the product out globally in 2024.
This isn’t Anker’s first home energy solution in the SOLIX line. The company unveiled its “SOLIX Balcony Solution” in February (currently priced at €1099 in Europe). Anker calls this a “Plug-and-Power Solar System.” With this system, even condo and apartment dwellers can reap the cost savings and benefits of a solar power system. The system, which is comprised of high-efficiency solar panels and an inverter, can be mounted on or hung below a balcony or roof. It is designed for simple installation and can be plugged into any mains outlet in order to reduce electricity usage and even feed electricity back to the grid. Subsidies of up to €500 (in Germany) cut this cost nearly in half.
Also announced at the RECHARGE event was a smaller scale version of the home energy storage battery. The Anker Solix Solarbank E1600 will be offered first in the European market and will be “compatible with 99% of the balcony PV products on the market.” It features a capacity of 1.6 kWh, is IP65 water and dust resistant for enhanced durability, and offers a “simple 5-minute DIY installation.” Like its big brother, the E1600 features an LFP battery formulation capable of supporting 6,000 charging cycles for extended operational life. It will be controllable through Anker’s mobile app. Details on this storage solution (including pricing) will be available later this year.
Related reading: Home Energy Storage is Getting a Flow Battery Makeover
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