I'm looking to add a battery backup to my Enphase microinverter solar system with a combiner 5 box. My solar installers quoted me around $20K for a single 10KWh battery, which feels excessive considering that was almost the total cost of the solar setup itself. I initially considered the ECO-WORTHY system I found on Amazon, but it seems the inverter may only take DC power from the solar panels. That option would be about $4,000 for a 20KWh system.
Then I came across the Sungold Power hybrid inverter, which costs around $7,250 for the same capacity, but I'm uncertain if it even has auto failover capabilities. There's also the Growatt hybrid inverter available that I could couple with the ECO-WORTHY batteries. I want something that allows charging the batteries from the solar array during a power outage and properly disconnects from the grid when needed. Am I headed in the right direction here, or should I consider the Enphase solutions despite the high costs? What do you all recommend?
3 Answers
To answer your question about Enphase's anti-islanding, yeah, their microinverters do shut off if the grid loses power. They need a grid connection to sync up, so without it, they just turn off. If you're hoping to add battery backup, check if you have spare breaker spaces on your gateway. Taking the Enphase online course could help you learn to do the installation yourself, and you might just need an electrician for the final wiring.
I've been looking into similar setups, and I’ve heard good things about adding a grid boss and a flex boss along with any battery you prefer. One thing to keep in mind is that you'll need to isolate yourself from the grid if there's an outage, which Enphase can help with, but it might tie you down to their battery options. I got quoted about $15K for a small battery expansion, which was just too steep for me, especially with 1:1 net metering in my area—so the math isn't really in favor of adding batteries yet.
You might be getting a bit confused about what's compatible with your Enphase setup. The Tesla Powerwall is a great unit, but yeah, it comes at a high price. However, there are other options that accept AC input from microinverters. Don't let misinformation steer you away from finding a good alternative solution. Just make sure to do thorough research on what's available as there are more affordable choices out there!