Tesla has changed the way for energy storage systems for some time now. Back in 2015, they introduced the Powerwall. It converts solar energy and stores that energy in lithium batteries. These can be used as a backup power source for when there’s a power outage.
But that’s in the past. In 2023, there are different companies offering the same services. If you want to get one for yourself, you should know about these companies.
Here, we compare the different companies and take a look at their feature. Most important of all, we consider the value for money that you can get from these. Without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
Taking a Look at the Tesla Powerwall
Before we start talking about the other Tesla Powerwall alternative, why don’t we take a look at the product itself. That way we can make a fair comparison between the different Tesla Powerwall alternative options.
The Tesla Powerwall is essentially an AC battery. There are two main components in the device. The way its set up it converts the solar energy using an AC inverter and stores it in the lithium ion battery pack.
These battery packs are similar to the lithium ion battery packs that you can find at Thinpack. The benefit of the Tesla Powerwall is that you can deliver the stored energy and use it in your house. You can also deliver the power back to the electrical grid as well.
The Powerwall is perfect for off-the-grid homes. You can become completely energy sufficient with one of this device. It’s also reliable and offers a high degree of control on how you want to use the power.
The battery has a warranty of 10 years with unlimited cycles. So, when you get one, you more or less get one for life.
The Best Tesla Powerwall Alternative Devices
As we mentioned, there are a number of companies with their own powerwall devices. For the sake of this guide, we went ahead and made a list of the best 7 options available right now on the market.
1. Panasonic EVERVOLT 2.0
Ask anyone and they will tell you that Panasonic is one of the largest electronic brands. They’ve been in the business for a long time.
The EVERVOLT 2.0 is from their flagship power storage solutions. It’s better than the Tesla Powerwall in many aspects. One of which is being a real plug and play system which doesn’t need additional equipment.
Another feature better than the Powerwall, is the larger capacity of the device. And it doesn’t end there. If you want to add an extra lithium battery, you can go up to 52.2kWh with the EVERVOLT 2.0.
It’s also easier on your electricity bill. It’s much more efficient which makes it the perfect Tesla Powerwall alternative.
2. LG RESU
The LG RESU is a battery storage device that comes with its own solar energy inverter. It’s easy to install with your solar panels. It’s a wonderful Tesla Powerwall alternative.
LG uses their proprietary SolarEdge inverter. It has a capacity of 6kWh. Hooking it up to your solar panels is easy and takes no time at all.
One of the downsides of the device is that it costs more than the Powerwall. But that’s only if you’re considering the upfront costs. If we take into account LCOS, it’s significantly lower.
That’s why it’s a good Tesla Powerwall alternative in the long run.
3. Sonnen EcoLinx 12
If you’re looking for a power storage solution that’s smart, you don’t need to look anywhere else. The Sonnen EcoLinx is smart storage solution that makes it a great contender as a Tesla Powerwall alternative.
How is it smart? The device comes with a weather forecasting feature. Depending on the state of the sky, it’s able to optimize the energy storage in the device.
It comes out the factory with a 15 year warranty. This goes up to 15,000 cycles on the battery. Compared to the Powerwall’s unlimited cycle warranty, it’s a bummer.
But like the LG RESU, the LCOS is one of the lowest on the list. If you decide to invest in this device, you’ll get it back in the long run.
4. Thinpack Powerwall TKP-V2
This is a much cheaper alternative to the Tesla Powerwall. You can get it in 3 versions 6kWh, 9kWh, and 13kWh. The cycle time is around 2 hours.
Better than that, you can get several optional attachments that come with the thing. You can get an LCD/Dash Board, heating functions, and even WIFI.
This might be the most perfect energy storage system for your needs. You can customize it however you like. The additional attachments will make the experience feel perfectly tailored to your every need.
5. Electriq PowerPod 2-15
For those of you that care about quality just as much as we do at Thinpack Power, you’ll love the Electriq PowerPod.
It’s a 15kWh power storage solution that’s made with the highest quality of materials. The company is not that old. But their commitment to creating quality electric storage solutions is a good fit as a Tesla Powerwall alternative.
The plug-and-play solution connects directly to your solar panels. There’s also a separate solar charger that makes it much more efficient.
And the icing on the cake is that it costs much less than the Powerwall. Even the LCOS is low enough to compete with other alternatives on the market
6. Fortress eVault Max
The Fortress eVault Max is built like a tank when it comes to energy storage systems. One of the best features of this company is creating products with greater storage capacity and a longer life duration.
For the eVault Max, there are multiple applications that you can use the product for. These include but are not limited to off-grid power supply, power backup, peak charge reduction, and power on demand.
The inverter that comes with the Fortress eVault Max is much better than the Powerwalls. It sits at 12kWh compared to the Powerwall’s 5kWh.
And like many of the products on our list, the LCOS is less which is always better when you’re thinking about future costs. It’s also the most round trip efficient with an efficiency rating of 98%!
7. Generac PWRcell
Generac is a company that’s not known to be in the solar energy storage business. But the recent addition of the PWRcell has the company competing against Tesla.
With a much larger capacity at 14.4kWh, it’s not only a bigger capacity, the efficiency is much higher as well.
It also comes with the option of being upgradable. You can add a maximum of 6 battery modules and take the capacity all the way to 18 kWh.
Factors to Consider for a Tesla Powerwall Alternative
By now, you’ve had enough time to go through our list of the alternative power storage systems. But how do you choose which one you want to get? That’s where the buying factors for getting one of these systems comes in.
Here are the factors that you need to be concerned about when you’re getting one of these products.
Capacity
The capacity is the first thing that you need to be looking at. The bigger the capacity, the more power it’s going to hold. The Powerwall is rated at 13.5 kWh.
If you want to get a Tesla Powerwall alternative, ideally it should have a larger capacity.
Round Trip Efficiency
The round trip efficiency is tied in to how much you have to pay for your power bills. The higher the efficiency, the less you have to pay.
When searching for alternatives try to go for as much efficiency as you can.
Continuous Power Rating
The cont. power rating is the power output that you can expect from one of these devices. There are different ratings depending on whether your off grid or grid-tied.
If you can get more than 5 kWh for your cont. power rating, then it will be a wonderful Tesla Powerwall alternative.
Warranty
Storage devices can come with their own share of problems. Instead of having to deal with the problems yourself, you want to claim the warranty that comes with the product.
While different companies offer different warranty periods and other requirements, a 10-year warranty period is a good place to start with. If you get more, that’s a bonus.
Overall Cost
The cost of the device is the most important factor to consider. There are two things that will come in to play here. For some devices, the upfront cost is going to be higher. And in some cases, the LCOS will balance out the high up front cost.
If you want our recommendation, look for a device that offers a fine balance between these two things. That way you can get the most value out of your money.
Wrapping Up
In order to become self-sufficient when it comes to energy, you can’t do better than energy storage solutions.
While Tesla does offer a comparatively balanced product, it’s nice to see there are alternatives to it if anyone wants to grab one of those. These offer customizability and higher storage capacity.
If you want to get your hands on one of these, be sure to check the products out online. And for any help with lithium batteries or power packs, check out Thinpack.