Device charging company Anker is moving into Tesla’s territory with the launch of the Solix line of home energy products, including a modular Powerwall-like battery storage system, the company announced at an event in New York City. It also introduced a smaller battery aimed at folks living in condos and apartments that can be used with its existing balcony-mounted solar panels.
The modular battery system, set to arrive globally in 2024, will be scalable from 5kWh of power (enough to run an average-sized house for a few hours) up to 180kWh, which could feasibly power a house for nearly a week. It’s designed to deliver backup power to both existing and new solar installation, and Anker promises it will “provide high levels of safety and durability, seamlessly transfer to off-grid power and be compatible with home energy equipment such as heat pumps, oil- and gas-powered generators.” It will also work with a “forthcoming EV charging solution,” the company wrote.
The system will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and operate at temperatures ranging from -20C to 55C (-4F to 131F). It’s controlled by Anker’s power management system and available with an app. Anker has yet to provide the all-important pricing, but said more information will be available “later this year.”Â
By comparison, Tesla’s Powerwall 2 units have nearly triple the power (13.5kWh each), cost $11,500 each installed and can be scaled up to 135kWh. Standalone Powerwall installations qualify for a 30 percent residential federal investment tax credit, along with any state incentives.
Anker
Along with the modular battery, Anker unveiled the Solarbank E1600 battery pack as part of an energy storage system for apartments and condos. Set to be sold in Europe, it follows the company’s recently launched Solix RS40 balcony solar panel system, and is compatible with “99 percent of the balcony PV products on the market,” the company said.
It’s modular, available in sizes from 1.6kWh to 3.2kWh (enough for a few hours of power), and works with most micro-inverters including the ones bundled with the RS40 solar panels. Once plugged it into a standard home power socket, it’ll absorb any excess energy from the solar panels and feed it back to the home if the grid goes down. Anker promises a “five minute DIY installation,” and said it can support 6,000 charging cycles or double the industry average. It can also be controlled via an app.
The new storage products join Anker’s existing lineup of batteries (now branded Solix as well), like the 767 PowerHouse 2.05kWh designed for campers and outdoor use, and charged with an optional 200W solar panel. Anker now joins companies like Ecoflow (with its modular 3.6kWh-25kWh Delta Pro battery) and others in the burgeoning home energy storage market.Â
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