For over six years, Tesla Powerwall has been the undisputed leader in home battery storage.  But now, there’s a new contender on the block that promises to give Powerwall a run for its money.

That contender is the SolarEdge Home Battery.  Launched in Australia in March 2022, it’s made by a high-tech Israeli solar company with a pedigree stretching back to 2006.

We’ll start by saying that both batteries are excellent.

Both provide excellent power performance, back-up during grid outages, and high safety standards.

Tesla Powerwall is more expensive, but there again, it is a bigger battery.

However, there are some major differences between the two batteries.  And it’s these differences which will determine which battery is best suited to your home.

The differences boil down to:

• Whether you’ve already got solar panels installed
• Where you live and your network distributor’s rules for the size solar system you can install
• Whether you intend to fully electrify your home and your car(s)

In this article we will explain the main differences and benefits between Tesla Powerwall and SolarEdge to give you a good understanding of which battery might be best for you.

Because battery storage is such an important investment for any home, we recommend getting in touch with us as early as possible to ensure you get the best advice to base your decision on.

On this blog:

• How to decide whether Powerwall or SolarEdge Home Battery is best for your home.
• Feature-by-feature comparison: Powerwall vs SolarEdge Home Battery
• The verdict

How to determine whether Telsa Powerwall or SolarEdge Home Battery is best for your home 

There are three key questions we ask people when advising whether Powerwall or SolarEdge is a suitable battery for their home.

1. Have you already got solar panels?

OK, this can be a deal-breaker for many people.  If you’ve already got a good-size solar panel system that’s working just fine, you’ll probably want to get a Powerwall.

That’s because the Powerwall works with just about any existing solar panel system.

And SolarEdge doesn’t.  SolarEdge Home Battery only works with SolarEdge inverters.

At this point, you may decide that Powerwall is best for you.  But keep reading, because SolarEdge has some extra-special battery features that could change your mind.

2. What are the size limits for solar systems set by your local network distributor?

A network distributor is the company that owns and manages the electricity poles and wires in your area. They are also the company that says whether you are allowed to install solar panels and a battery on your home – and the maximum size allowed.

Some network distributors count the capacity of the battery inverter towards the total inverter capacity.  That means if you want to install Powerwall – which has its own battery inverter – it will count towards the total allowed inverter capacity.

This could tip you over the total inverter size limit allowed for your property.

The result?

That’s where the SolarEdge Home Battery wins out.

Because the SolarEdge Home Battery doesn’t have a built-in battery inverter, you neatly sidestep most network distributor sizing restrictions.

How so?

It’s because the SolarEdge Home Battery works with a hybrid inverter which does the job of both a solar inverter and a battery inverter.  It’s an efficient battery solution (delivering more power) – and the big advantage is you’re less likely to get an arbitrary size limit slapped on your proposed solar system.

But before you decide SolarEdge is the battery for you, ask us what network size limits apply to your property.  We’ll check with your distributor. That way you’ll know whether network limits are critical to your choice of battery.

3.      Do you already have a SolarEdge installed in your home but without the battery? You may qualify for the TradeUp program

If you have an existing SolarEdge system, and you wish to take thenext tep in your journey towards energy independence with SolarEdge Home Battery with Backup, you may be entitled to a free upgrade to the latest Generation Home Hub inverter for FREE!

4.    Do you need the scope to ‘go bigger’ with your solar?

If you’ve been watching the news, you can’t have missed the headlines about the energy crisis gripping the Australian east coast. Energy minister Chris Bowen has warned that the country is facing “a perfect storm” of limited gas supply and electricity price hikes.  The Australian National Electricity Market has been suspended – the first time in the nation’s history.

The upshot for households and businesses?

Most experts reckon we should be bracing ourselves for big electricity and gas price increases over the next few years.

The best way to protect yourself from soaring power prices is to get a big enough solar power system to provide most of your household energy needs.

But which battery is going to provide you with more power?

The answer is SolarEdge Home Battery.

That’s because with the SolarEdge Home Battery, you can install up to 300% more solar panels on your home than the capacity of the inverter. For example, if you get a 10kW SolarEdge inverter and a SolarEdge Home Battery, you can install up to 20kW of solar panels.

That’s a lot of solar power; enough to enable most households to switch off the gas and make the move to a fully electric home powered by solar.  And power an electric vehicle (or two).

With Powerwall, you don’t get any additional panel capacity over the normal 133% that’s allowed as standard with any solar panel system.

It’s also worth mentioning is that SolarEdge is that it is panel agnostic, meaning you can install any size or brand of solar panel down the track.  For example, you could start with 10kW of solar panels.  Then, as you make the transition to running your home entirely on electricity, you can add more solar panels later.  Whether they are 390 watt or 450 watt, it won’t matter.

Feature-by-feature comparison: Powerwall vs SolarEdge Home Battery

For those who like the technical nitty-gritty, here’s a comparison pros and cons of the key features of Tesla Powerwall and the SolarEdge Home Battery.

The verdict

When it comes to future-proofing your home, our vote goes to SolarEdge. SolarEdge Home Battery proformance offers outstanding levels of expandability for anyone who wants to make the transition to an all-electric home, powered with their own solar – 24/7.

The main drawback with a SolarEdge Home Battery is that it requires a SolarEdge inverter. But if you’re looking to purchase a solar panel system at the same time as battery storage, that’s not an issue.

However, if you’ve already invested in a good-size solar panel system – 6kW or more – Powerwall could be a better choice.  With Powerwall, you’re buying a well-proven battery that’s tried and tested. The Powerwall monitoring app is best-in-class (although SolarEdge have a fine one too).

Ask anyone who has a Powerwall what they think of it and almost universally they’ll give it a big thumbs up.

So – there’s no definitive verdict. Both Tesla Powerwall and SolarEdge are terrific batteries. It all depends on the requirements of your home.

Get the experts on your case

If you’d like expert advice on the best battery for your home, get in touch.  We supply and install all leading battery brands including Tesla Powerwall and SolarEdge.  And because we operate Australia-wide, we know the rules and regulations for each network distributor in in the country.

Don’t leave anything to chance.  Talk to our battery specialists today.