Your Position: Home - Energy - How much does a battery pack for a house cost?
Written by
Kristen Cramer
April 5, 2023
Fact-checked by
Tom Grupa
A solar battery costs $8,000 to $16,000 installed on average before tax credits. Solar battery prices are $6,000 to $13,000+ for the unit alone, depending on the capacity, type, and brand. A home solar battery storage system connects to solar panels to store energy and provide backup power in an outage.
Solar battery total installed cost by home size (before tax credit) - ChartSolar battery cost Home size (SF) System size Average cost installed (before tax credit) Average cost installed (after tax credit)* < 1,000 SF 5 kWh $5,300 – $13,000 $3,700 – $9,100 1,000 – 1,500 SF 10 kWh $9,000 – $20,000 $6,300 – $14,000 1,500 – 2,000 SF 15 kWh $10,000 – $23,000 $7,000 – $16,100 > 2,000 SF 20 kWh $13,500 – $26,000 $9,500 – $18,200*Based on a 30% federal tax credit if installed by December 31, 2032.
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Solar battery prices are $6,000 to $13,000 on average or $600 to $1,000 per kWh for the unit alone, depending on the capacity, type, and brand. Batteries with more than 25 kWh capacity for whole-house backup can exceed $25,000, not including installation.
Solar battery prices System size / capacity Unit price (battery only) 3 kWh – 4 kWh $3,000 – $5,000 5 kWh – 7 kWh $3,300 – $10,000 8 kWh – 11 kWh $7,000 – $17,000 12 kWh – 17 kWh $8,000 – $20,000 18 kWh – 25 kWh $11,500 – $23,000 > 25 kWh $17,500 – $40,000+The following factors impact the cost of a solar battery:
Energy capacity (kWh) – Energy capacity is the amount of power the battery can store and is the biggest factor in the battery's price. Larger capacity batteries cost more but can power more appliances or provide backup power for a longer period of time.
Power output – The power output indicates how much power (kW) the battery can deliver all at once. The higher the power output, the more devices and appliances it can power at the same time.
Peak power is the amount of energy the battery can provide for a short time to handle the initial surge required by most large appliances.
Continuous power is the amount of energy the battery can steadily supply.
Round-trip efficiency – Round-trip efficiency is the percentage of energy stored in the battery that may be retrieved later. The higher the battery's round-trip efficiency, the less energy is lost in the storage and transfer process.
Depth of Discharge (DoD) – The Depth of Discharge is the maximum percentage of the battery that can be discharged relative to its total capacity before recharging is recommended. Look for a battery with a maximum DoD of 90% or more.
Battery chemistry – The two most commonly used battery types for residential use are lithium iron phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt, both based on lithium-ion chemistry. Lead-acid batteries are a cheaper but less efficient alternative.
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) – LFP batteries have a longer lifespan, are safer and more efficient, and use less-toxic materials than NMC batteries, making them easier to recycle. However, they have a higher upfront cost.
Nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) – NMC batteries have a lower upfront cost, can better withstand colder temperatures, and have a high energy density—the ability to store a large amount of energy while taking up less space. However, they have a shorter lifespan and aren't as safe as LFP batteries.
Lead-acid – Lead-acid batteries have been on the market the longest and are cheaper than LFP or NMC batteries but are less efficient, have a lower capacity and short lifespan, and require more frequent maintenance.
AC vs. DC batteries:
Alternating current (AC) batteries cost more but can be used with any solar panel system, are easier to install when retrofitting an existing solar panel system, and can be charged from solar panels or the grid. However, AC systems are less efficient.
Direct current (DC) batteries cost less and are more efficient but are more complicated to install, increasing installation costs.
*Not including installation.
Look for these key details when evaluating a solar battery warranty:
End-of-warranty capacity – Manufacturer warranties often guarantee the battery will retain 60% to 70% of its original capacity at the end of the warranty period.
Guaranteed cycle life – Some manufacturers guarantee the battery's performance for a maximum number of usage cycles. One cycle occurs when the battery is discharged fully to its stated Depth of Discharge.
A Tesla Powerwall costs $11,500 installed for the first unit and $7,000 for each additional unit installed at the same time. The Powerwall works with most solar panel or solar roof systems. Most homes need 2 or more Powerwalls to supply whole-house backup power for one day.
Tesla Powerwall installationA Generac PWRcell costs $12,000 to $20,000 installed on average, depending on the system size. The PWRcell—pronounced "power cell"—can be configured for 9, 12, 15, or 18 kWh per battery cabinet. Two cabinets can connect to a single inverter for up to 36 kWh total backup power.
Whole-house solar battery backup costs $20,000 to $32,000 installed, not including solar panels. The average home uses 28 to 30 kWh per day, requiring batteries with at least that total capacity or more to power the entire home for one day.
Without a solar battery, grid-tied solar panel systems cannot power a house during an outage because by law they must turn off when the grid goes down. This safety measure protects utility workers from electrocution by blocking your system from sending power into the grid while workers are repairing the lines.
A Generac PWRcell battery in a home garage.The cost to install solar panels and a battery is $16,200 to $37,700 after the 30% federal tax credit. Solar battery installation is cheapest and easiest when installing the battery at the same time as a solar panel or solar roof system to minimize labor and permitting costs.
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Solar panels cost $10,600 to $26,500 installed on average after the tax credit.
A solar roof costs $29,400 to $56,000 installed after the tax credit. Most solar roof installations include one battery.
A Tesla solar roof costs $42,000 to $105,000 installed after the tax credit and includes one or more Tesla Powerwalls, depending on the system size.
*Before subtracting 30% tax credit.
Other factors also affect the installation cost:
Number of batteries – Upfront costs are cheaper when powering only essential appliances with a single battery during a short-term outage. Whole-house or all-day backup typically requires two or more batteries, increasing costs.
Compatibility – Before purchasing a solar battery, confirm it is compatible with your solar panel system. Many batteries require an inverter for compatibility.
Labor type – Many solar battery manufacturers do not offer installation services directly and instead partner with local solar installers or require homeowners to hire a separate installer.
Inverter – Some batteries come with a built-in inverter, while others require a separate inverter. Installing an external inverter increases labor and equipment costs.
Most inverters have a maximum power output rating, which limits the amount of power the home can draw from the battery at any given time. When installing multiple batteries to power more appliances and devices, confirm the inverter can handle the combined output of all the batteries.
Labor to install a solar battery costs $2,000 to $3,000 on average. Labor costs are lowest when installing a battery at the same time as a solar panel system. Retrofitting an existing system to add a new battery can increase labor costs by 30% to 50%.
Solar battery installation may require additional electrical work:
Electricians cost $50 to $130 per hour.
Running new electrical wiring costs $7 to $10 per linear foot.
Replacing an electrical panel costs $1,300 to $4,000, depending on the amps. Installing a sub-panel costs $500 to $1,000.
A critical load panel costs $1,000 to $2,000 when installed with a solar battery. Most solar batteries do not have enough power to back up a whole home but instead power only essential circuits. A backup load panel ensures critical lights and appliances stay powered during an outage.
Solar batteries are eligible for the 30% Residential Clean Energy Credit until 2032. This federal tax credit—formerly known as the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)—decreases to 26% for installations in 2033 and 22% in 2034.
Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency® to find additional rebates and local tax credits available in your state.
Purchased or loan-financed systems qualify for the federal tax credit but leased systems do not.
Solar battery storage systems are expensive but may be worth it for homeowners living in areas that experience frequent power outages or where net metering isn't offered. Solar batteries are also ideal if you are seeking a fully off-grid system.
For homeowners eligible for net metering, the benefits of a solar battery typically don't outweigh the high cost. Net metering allows you to sell surplus energy from your solar panels back to the grid for a credit toward your electrical bill instead of storing the excess energy in a battery.
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The cheapest solar battery is a flooded lead-acid battery. However, lead-acid batteries have a short lifespan of only 3 to 5 years, require regular maintenance and winterizing, and are more suited to hands-on homeowners building their own fully off-grid systems.
Solar batteries are expensive due to the rising material costs for lithium and cobalt. Other components— including an inverter, monitor, and cooling system—add to the cost. Most manufacturers also provide software to monitor the battery's usage and status, increasing development costs.
The number of solar batteries you need depends on the household size, energy consumption, climate, and whether you want backup power for short-term outages or total grid independence. The average home needs 2 or more 10 kWh batteries to supply whole-house backup power for one day.
Homeowners seeking an off-grid solar-powered system need a total battery storage capacity of 25 to 30 kWh to handle essential loads and power appliances like an electric range, washer/dryer, water heater, and central A/C.
Solar batteries last 3 to 15 years, depending on the type. Lead-acid batteries have the shortest lifespan at 3 to 5 years, while lithium-ion solar batteries last 10 to 15 years. Most manufacturer warranties guaranty the battery will retain 60% to 70% of its original capacity at 10 years.
A 13 kWh solar battery can power a house for 4 to 12 hours, depending on the number of lights and appliances running. An average family of four will require a minimum of 25 kWh to power LED lights, major appliances, and air conditioning or a heat pump for one day.
Before hiring a solar installer near you, be sure to:
Get at least three in-person estimates to compare.
Look for contractors who are members of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) or certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
Browse their reviews on HomeGuide and Google.
Choose a company that is licensed, insured, bonded, and has been in business 5+ years.
Discuss your electricity usage and power requirements with the installer to ensure your system is sized correctly.
Get a detailed estimate, contract, and warranty in writing before the work begins.
Never pay in full before the project starts. Follow a payment plan instead.
How long have you been in business?
What solar certifications do you have?
How many solar batteries have you installed in the past year?
Do you have any references I can contact?
How many solar batteries do I need to power my home, and what size should I get?
Can I use my solar battery to go off-grid?
How long will it take the battery to charge?
Where do you recommend mounting the battery in my home?
Do I need a backup load panel, inverter, or other equipment?
Does the estimate include all required electrical work?
What other costs should I expect?
How long will the installation take?
Will the installation require a permit, and if so, will you obtain it?
Will you assist me in claiming any rebates and incentives?
What does the warranty include?
Who should I contact for troubleshooting or repairs?
Do you offer financing?
Whole home battery backup systems are making their way into homes and replacing the noisy, pollutant-emitting fossil fuel generators that used to be standard.
Battery backup systems allow homeowners to weather even extended power outages and blackouts. With the right equipment, a whole home backup power solution can power an average household for at least a day and up to a week. If your battery backup system allows solar charging, you can add solar panels to generate clean, renewable electricity indefinitely.
Whole home battery backup systems typically cost between $3000 and $15,000 before installation. The prices vary widely depending on power output and storage capacity, home size, average electricity usage, and other factors.
Many factors come into play when pricing out a whole-house backup system. These include:
Battery storage capacity is a significant factor in the cost of a whole-house backup system. Larger systems can store more electricity and provide backup power for longer, but they also cost more. Battery cost is often the largest share of the total system cost. Increasing the battery size or adding additional storage will almost always increase the overall cost of the system.
However, the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity storage decreases as the battery size increases. It may be more cost-effective to install a more extensive system to increase the backup time and reduce the need for supplemental backup power sources, such as a traditional fossil fuel generator.
Determining the optimal battery size for your home backup needs is based on additional factors like:
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average household uses 886 kWh of electricity per month (or about 30 kWh per day). To maintain this level of electricity consumption, you’d need a backup battery system size of 30 kWh just to run your house as normal for one day during a blackout.
However, you can take steps during a blackout to reduce energy usage, decreasing the battery storage capacity you need to install and maintain. To minimize your electricity usage, keep these tips in mind:
Batteries store power as DC electricity. You’ll need an inverter or an all-in-one battery backup solution like EcoFlow’s portable power stations to convert the energy stored in your battery into AC (household) electricity.
Battery storage capacity and power output capacity are not the same things. Storage capacity is the maximum amount of energy that your battery can hold at any given time. Storage capacity is typically measured in watt-hours (Wh) or kilowatt hours (kWh).
Power output capacity is the maximum amount of electricity your battery backup system can output at once. Power output capacity determines what kind of appliances you can run based on their electricity demands — usually measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).
You can determine which appliances your battery backup system can run simultaneously by adding up the running wattage of each device you want to operate. One crucial thing to keep in mind is that many large appliances require more wattage to start up than they do to operate. This is called starting watts or surge power.
Here’s how to determine your power output needs step by step.
Volts (V) x Amps (A) = Watts (W)
Depending on what kind of home battery backup system you buy, installation costs can add up quickly. Standalone portable power stations are plug-and-play. You’ll only have to pay minor installation costs if you want to integrate your whole house backup battery solution with your existing home wiring.
An electrician will need to connect the system to your home circuit board using a transfer switch or a solution like EcoFlow’s EcoFlow Smart Home Panel.
Keeping your whole home battery backup system topped up with power is easy when the grid is up and running. You can keep the system or portable power station fully charged with electricity from the grid to ensure your batteries are full when the lights go out.
But recharging from the grid isn’t an option during an extended outage. For added energy security, it’s best to opt for a solution with multiple charging options — including solar.
For example, by adding four rigid or portable 400W solar panels to EcoFlow’s EcoFlow DELTA Pro portable power station, you can generate up to 1600W of electricity simultaneously and fully recharge the battery in 2.8 to 5.6 hours (depending on environmental factors).
Another option with the EcoFlow DELTA Pro is adding a Smart Generator Dual Fuel. The Smart Generator operates on clean-burning, easy-to-store propane (or gasoline) to provide a last line of defense if your battery storage runs out.
You could also opt for EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra. Starting with a 6kWh capacity, this powerful portable power station can reach a whopping 90kWh capacity, making it easy for it to grow with you if needed. You can add up to 42 400W Rigid Solar Panels to achieve 16.8kW of solar charging potential!
There are various whole-house battery backup systems on the market to choose from. You can build one from scratch step-by-step. Or you can customize a setup that meets your family’s needs by selecting products from EcoFlow’s Smart Home Ecosystem.
When determining the best option, remember it’s about much more than just price.
Other significant factors to consider are the backup battery system’s expected lifespan, recharge time, ongoing maintenance requirements, battery chemistry and efficiency, and warranty.
You may be tempted to choose the cheapest available whole house battery backup system, but what if you have to replace it in just a year or two?
A battery’s estimated lifespan is usually measured by cycle life. Each time you discharge and recharge the battery is called a cycle.
The number of cycles the battery will last without diminishing in efficiency is largely determined by its chemistry.
The cheapest backup battery chemistry option is lead acid. The basic technology behind lead acid batteries is over 150 years old. These are the batteries you’ll find in TV remotes, flashlights, and old cars.
Lead acid batteries might get the job done, but not for long. Typically, lead acid batteries are only rated for a few hundred cycles, as opposed to new battery technology — like lithium iron phosphate (LFP/LiFePO4) — which can last for thousands of cycles without losing efficiency.
Lithium ion and LFP batteries have drastically reduced in price in recent years as the technology has become standard for solar generators, electric vehicles (EVs), and whole-home battery backup.
For example, the latest generation of lithium iron phosphate batteries in EcoFlow’s EcoFlow RIVER 2 Series and EcoFlow DELTA Pro portable power stations can last 6500 cycles — over a decade of average use.
Over the long term, you’ll save money by investing in modern battery technology like LFP.
Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries are also a better choice than lead acid, but they pale in comparison to LFP.
Lead acid battery systems require constant maintenance, such as adding distilled water every 2 to 4 weeks. Also, lead acid batteries should never be discharged below 50% capacity as it will lead to permanent damage. They must be stored in well-ventilated areas and may not function in extreme cold or heat.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries do not require regular maintenance, can be deeply discharged without harm, and operate in a much wider temperature range.
Many cheap or low-quality battery backup systems will not include an extended warranty. This usually indicates that the manufacturer doesn’t stand behind their products.
Reputable companies will offer extended warranties for their products.
For instance, EcoFlow provides five-year warranties to their portable power stations, including the Delta PRO models in their Whole Home Backup Power Solution.
Whole home battery backup systems are an excellent way to prevent your family from being affected by power outages. With a big enough battery bank, you can even keep larger appliances running, such as refrigerators, heating and cooling systems, and more.
The Whole Home Backup Power Solution is a great way to get started on making your house more energy-resilient. The system is expandable, so you can always add more battery and output capacity down the line.
Best of all, solar panels are easily integrated into the system to generate clean, renewable power indefinitely.
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