Over 12,500 homes have been commissioned with Enphase energy storage systems worldwide, and nearly 40% of these homes have non-Enphase solar systems, reflecting the power of the AC coupled architecture. The Enphase system is fully integrated and includes a battery cell pack, battery management system, charge controller, inverter, and control software.
The Enphase Energy Storage System provides a modular and scalable approach to storing solar energy for night-time or future use, giving homeowners greater energy independence. These systems are safety tested and certified by TÜV Rheinland, and their AC coupled architecture ensures that no high-voltage DC is exposed to installers or homeowners. Further, Enphase storage systems use Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry which provides a high current rating, long cycle life, excellent thermal stability, and enhanced safety and tolerance.
Enphase's first product for residential energy storage, the 1.2 kWh AC Battery, was introduced in late 2016. The modular nature of the product enables installers to right-size each installation to match homeowners' unique energy needs and gives them the flexibility to add batteries in the future. Homeowners can use the Enphase AC Battery to maximize the value of their solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and take advantage of the built-in self-consumption and time-of-use tariff management capabilities. The flexible nature of the AC architecture and software platform makes Enphase AC Batteries adaptable to regulation and tariff changes which have yet to be implemented by utilities.
“We embraced the Enphase AC Battery because it is AC coupled, allowing seamless integration with the microinverters that have no high-voltage DC connections,” said Julian Haddock, technical director of Eco Partners UK. “Since the system is modular, it is fast and simple to add more of the same batteries, and our customers appreciate the system's consumption and usage data, along with its monitoring capabilities.”
“We have sold Enphase microinverters since 2014 and AC Batteries since their introduction in 2016,” said Lindsay Parker, owner of GoSolar Newcastle in Australia. “The AC Batteries are safe, easy and quick to install. Our customers love the current batteries because they can enjoy the benefits of storage even at a small system size and they can add batteries over time, at their own pace.”
Enphase's upcoming product for residential energy storage, the Encharge AC Battery, will be available in capacities of 3.3 kWh, 10.0 kWh and 13.2 kWh. Enphase aims to introduce this product in 2019, beginning in North America. Encharge is designed to be an integral part of the eighth-generation Enphase Home Energy Solution with IQ, powered by the grid-agnostic, “always on” Ensemble technology. Encharge will retain key Enphase features, like ease-of-installation, safety, modularity, and scalability, and Enphase expects to add backup, an outdoor rating, and faster charging and discharging.
“Solar installation contractors around the world are leveraging the AC Battery product to build truly innovative solar + storage systems,” said Badri Kothandaraman, president and CEO of Enphase. “I am impressed with how customers have embraced the scalable nature of the AC Battery product. I am excited to see what our customers and installation partners do with the many new choices for energy storage that our next-generation Encharge storage products will deliver.”
