Whole Home Battery Systems

A home battery is a different purchase from a camping power station. It sits in the house, feeds your real circuits and has to carry the loads you care about through an outage. This page helps you size one by watt hours and inverter output, then decide whether a battery or a standby generator suits your home.

Single-unit solar power stations

The EP500Pro is a self-contained box: 3,000W of output and 5,120Wh of storage in one unit. It is the simplest way into home backup. You get a modest amount of energy and no stack of modules to plan around. It suits a small household that wants the fridge, lights, router and a CPAP running through a short outage. The older EP500 offers 2,000W with the same 5,120Wh, so check whether your biggest load fits under that lower ceiling.

AC500 with B300S battery

The AC500 is an inverter and controller, and the B300S is the battery that goes with it. They are sold as a Home Battery Backup pair. You can start small and see how the system fits your panel. The larger AC500 bundle with four B300K batteries adds storage without changing the inverter. This is a sensible route if your loads are moderate but your outages run long.

AC300 with B300 expansion batteries

The AC300 is a modular inverter base, and B300 batteries snap on to it. The bundles run from one battery up to four, so you can match storage to your night-time needs. Some come with a Home integration Kit (120V), which is the part to look at if you want it wired to the house rather than plugged in. Others add PV350 or 200W solar panels, or a trolley. Those suit people who want to move the system around or charge it from the sun.

EP800 and EP900 split-phase systems

These are the permanent, whole-home class. An EP800 or EP900 inverter pairs with B500 batteries, and the bundle names show how many. Some EP900 versions include a sub panel. These suit homeowners who want to back up a larger share of the house and have an electrician involved. The cost is higher, so size the battery count from your real nightly use, not from a hopeful guess.

Larger and multi-inverter setups

Two EP800 or two EP900 inverters with eight B500 batteries are for big homes or long outages. The EnergyPro line is the other route: an EnergyPro 13K with four EnergyPack 500 units, or five EnergyPro 6K units with an AT1. These are for people planning a full, installed system, not a weekend fix.

How to choose

• List what you must run, with each device's watts. The total sets the inverter size you need.
• Multiply those watts by the hours you need them. That gives watt hours, and the battery must cover it.
• Note your biggest single load and check it against the inverter's output rating.
• Decide if you want it plugged in or wired in. Wired systems need a Home integration Kit or sub panel, and a qualified electrician.
• Pick a system you can expand. AC300, AC500 and the EP series all accept more batteries.
• Think about solar. Some bundles include panels, and others leave that to you.
• Bundles ship in separate packages, so read the retailer's buying tips.

Questions people ask

Can a battery replace a standby generator?

It can for many homes. A battery is silent and needs no fuel, but its runtime is capped by the watt hours you buy. A generator suits very long outages or heavy loads, as long as you have fuel.

How many batteries do I need?

Work from your overnight watt hours. Add up your key loads, multiply by the hours, then pick enough battery modules to cover that with some spare.

Do I need an electrician?

For anything wired to your panel, yes. Follow the manual and local rules. Plug-in units are simpler but cover fewer circuits.

Can I add solar later?

Several systems here are sold with solar panels, which tells you they take solar input. Check the input rating of your chosen model before you buy panels.