Due to growing electricity bills and the prevalence of power grid breakdowns, more people are considering solar power generating and battery storage devices like the Generac PWRcell.
It is a leader, alongside its closest competitor, Tesla Powerwall, regarding home solar energy collection, storage, and distribution.
Knowing the Generac power cell costs will help you better decide what to buy, Generac power cell vs its competitor – Tesla Powerwall.
What Is The Generac PWRcell?
The Generac PWRcell is a residential battery storage and management system. It can catch, store, and transport clean energy across households and charge electric vehicles (EVs) when paired with solar panels.
But you can also use it as a power backup system without solar panels during an electricity outage.
A Generac PWRcell system contains:
- A load management unit (PWRmanager).
- One whole home electrical distribution controller (PWRcell ATS).
- A power cell inverter.
- Battery cabinets.
- Batteries.
Install the solar panels individually. PV Link/Optimizers are a must to connect Generac PWRcell to solar panels.
On top of that, PWRgenerator is a propane- or gas-fueled backup generator that could top off energy stored when other supplies are insufficient.
Generac Power Cell Cost
The price of a 9 kilowatt-hour (kWh) system is around $18,000.
The Generac PWRcell’s pricing is also affected by how many panels are available and whether you have solar panels. For instance, installing 22 solar panels will cost around $29,000. The total price of installing solar panels and a Generac PWRcell system is roughly $47,000.
Adding more batteries raises the price by about $2,000 per one. Also, you’ll need to buy another cabinet for every six batteries you add. Each cabinet now costs between $3,300 and $3,500.
The minimum number of batteries fitting in a cabinet is three. Thus, the lowest cost for batteries in a cabinet would be around $6,000, with a maximum cost of $12,000 for a bank of six battery modules.
The price will vary depending on the dealer you buy from. Whether you buy from a Generac dealer or a solar installer, who may tack on a markup to the price, affects how much you’ll pay.
How Does The PWRcell Solar Home Battery Work?
Once the utility reduces net metering, institutes mandatory charges, or implements time-of-use rates, the PWRcell works wonders with the solar panel section.
This lets you maintain a steady power supply day and night as long as you store enough power from your solar panels on sunny days.
The PWRcell, like other home battery solutions, is sized for daily home usage and connects directly to a solar panel system. Instead of transmitting excess energy to the grid, you can store it in the PWRcell battery system. As such, you can conveniently use your battery’s stored energy on rainy days.
Key Things To Know About The Generac PWRcell
Basic Functionality
Chemistry
The PWRcell is a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) battery, making it a lithium-ion battery module. NMC batteries are noted for their average power rating and relatively high energy density.
Monitoring
Their management technology is entirely built-in into the PWRcell single inverter, but Generac also provides PWRview for high-end monitoring abilities.
Thanks to them, Generac’s PWRcell batteries and components can smartly regulate electrical loads in the living space and extract electricity from this battery if required.
Performance Metrics
You can assess the solar battery performance via its roundtrip efficiency and discharge depth.
Depth of discharge (DoD) is a battery’s energy discharged as a proportion of its capacity compared to its overall energy.
Multiple manufacturers recommend a maximum DoD level for optimal battery performance, as each charge, discharge, and recharge cycle mitigates the battery’s lifespan. As such, high-discharge batteries are often more qualified. Generac PWRcell’s DoD is about 84%.
Roundtrip efficiency calculates battery charging and discharging electrical losses. The higher efficiency proportion makes it more efficient for the battery to convert incoming electricity into stored and usable energy.
For every 10 kWh of electricity you put into Generac PWRcell DC-coupled batteries, you’ll get 9.65 kWh of output.
Battery Size
The Generac PWRcell M3, M4, M5, and M6 have varying numbers of backup battery modules.
Usable storage capacity and power are vital when comparing the PWRcell to other home storage options.
Power is the greatest amount that can be output at once, and usable capacity is the maximum amount stored in a full-charge battery. The PWRcell M6 is the largest product in the range, with 18 kWh of usable capacity and 9 kW off-grid power.
Meanwhile, the off-grid power is 4.5, 6, and 7.5 kW for the M3, M4, and M5 versions, respectively.
What Are the PWRcell’s Main Components?
PWRcell Battery Cabinet
PWRcell’s primary lithium-ion battery modules are in the battery cabinet. Based on backup power needs, its enclosure fits any size configuration.
Also, the PWRcell system lets you add battery modules to an existing battery cabinet with a backup from 9 kWh to 18 kWh. This is one of the most awesome capacities among commercial and residential batteries.
Generac PWRcell Inverter
Your solar array and PWRcell inverter work together. Inverters connect the battery storage with the solar system, transforming solar energy into electricity and diverting it from there.
User-selectable modes allow the inverter to manage power. Your home’s energy needs will determine the modes: self-supply, backup power, time-of-use, export-limiting, and zero-import.
PWRcell inverters’ capability lets you monitor, forecast, and adjust your home’s power requirements using the PWRview web portal and smartphone app.
Smart Management Modules
Generac’s Smart Management Modules (SMM) halt PWRcell from overload. The power system can safely control up to eight residential circuits when combined with the PWRcell’s ATS. This also makes the PWRcell so good at wisely regulating energy during outages.
Convenient Generac’s PWRview App
The PWRview app lets you manage household energy to a tee. It helps assess your energy consumption, estimate expenditures, and offer tips on managing stored energy and lowering your bills.
Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS)
Manually switching your home’s energy supply to a backup source, whether from a generator or battery, can be tricky and risky. Thus, generators must be set up to deliver energy to individual circuits, such as ventilation, heating, and air conditioners.
The PWRcell relies heavily on ATS to facilitate a seamless transition from the electric grid to the whole-house backup system. Afterward, it can regulate the solar system’s energy usage, dispatching the power to household devices and systems.
Generac PWRcell Pros and Cons
Pros
- Modular
Generac PWRcell may scale the whole system up or down as needed by adding or removing batteries.
- Islanding
Using Generac PWRcell, you can disconnect your home’s system from the electrical grid and live on a “private island”. During islanding, no energy is consumed from the grid, and no power is produced to be sent back into the grid system.
- Outdoor-rated
This Generac PWRcell is an excellent option for a garage, mechanical area, or outside installation, thanks to its particular functions and design.
- More effective than Tesla Powerwall
Generac PWRcell directs solar energy into batteries without converting it (which Tesla Powerwall does), making it 7% to 10% more efficient than Tesla Powerwall.
Cons
- No cross-brand matching
The Generac PWRcell is sold only as an integrated system, with no option to purchase individual parts from other brands.
Still, solar panels are the only exception. Because of its ability to be AC-coupled, the Generac PWRcell works with many solar panel manufacturers.
- More pricey than Tesla Powerwall
One Generac PWRcell system’s cost is equivalent to that of two or three Tesla Powerwalls.
- Not match Tesla EVs
A Tesla Powerwall is the optimal charging solution for Tesla cars, not Generac Powercell.
During a power outage, the Powerwall and Tesla are built to coordinate with one another and control the electricity’s flow. Still, Generac PWRcell fits other EV brands but for Tesla.
Is A Generac PWRcell Or Generac Generator Worth It?
It’s up to your home’s demand and the electrical system’s structure.
The Generac PWRcell is long-lasting. A typical solar panel-equipped Generac PWRcell system saves a 3,000-square-foot building in a sunny region approximately $66,000 in electric bills of homeowners money across 25 years.
This power control system becomes effective using solar panels. If you’re only seeking power backup for the infrequent power outage, a Generac PWRcell may not be worth the money. Instead, a whole-house generator powered by propane or natural gas is more appropriate.
A (gas/propane) Generac 22/19.5 kWh full-house generator, whose average cost is only $6,200, produces more powerful energy than the Generac PWRcell. Also, a mobile gasoline-powered generator is around half the price of a full-house one.
Still, noise levels in the 67 to 74 dB range, equivalent to traffic noise, make whole-house and mobile generators unsuitable for usage in populated regions. Meanwhile, the Generac PWRcell is entirely silent and has no emissions.
Can The Generac PWRcell Help You Go Off-Grid?
Yes. The PWRcell’s battery cabinet is also weatherproof and suitable for off-grid projects.
During outages, you can recharge the PWRcell for off-grid backup power. At that time, its automatic load management lets you choose which parts at home get backup power.
However, before going off-grid, verify with your local government. Some regions and states forbid disconnecting from public power.
Where To Buy The Generac PWRcell
You can get a Generac PWRcell battery pack from the firm’s website and purchase one from any solar or energy storage installation company registered Generac/Pika.
Generac home battery systems and authorized EnergySage providers are the most reliable and go-to sites for such details. Join the EnergySage Marketplace online and specify your product choices that meet your demand.
Improper installation of a solar-plus-storage system can lead to costly repairs and power failure. Thus, it’s better to call a skilled electrician with experience installing such vital systems.
Generac Pwrcell Warranty Periods
There’s a 10-year guarantee on the PWRcell’s components.
Generac also includes a “throughput warranty” for the various PWRcell variants. This warranty is an alternative method of determining when a battery’s guarantee period has ended based on the stored energy amount.
Generac’s battery technology is similar to that of other large and small rechargeable batteries: the battery loses some of its ability to store a charge over time after multiple charging and discharge times.
For example, it’s normal to see a phone’s battery that will gradually drain its capacity to store energy when it is repeatedly charged and discharged.
FAQs
How Long Will A Generac PWRcell Last?
The PWRcell battery life is around 10 years.
Can A Generac PWRcell Be A Source Of Home Backup Energy?
Yes. The PWRcell can be a backup power supply for your home in case of a blackout. Generac power systems have spent decades providing backup power, and the PWRcell continues the excellence regarding the areas using solar energy.
Where Can A PWRcell Be Installed?
Generac PWRcell, like the Tesla Powerwall, is ready to go wherever it is placed, whether indoors or outdoors.
Can You Power An Electric Vehicle With A PWRcell?
No.
The most significant PWRcell type has a battery capacity of only 18 kWh, far less than the batteries found in most extended-range electric vehicles. That means a Generac PWRcell is unlikely to be able to recharge your automobile fully.
Key Takeaways
Generac has led the backup power generation industry for homes, businesses, and factories. It’s an industry leader in generators powered by gasoline, diesel, or other natural fuel and has had a product line built primarily for home backup power.
Now, you have grasped the Generac power cell price before considering installing a system. Overall, it’s not a significant figure! It’s worth investing in for your convenience, way more valuable than its competitors.
Also, share this good read with any homemakers using (or about to use) a Generac Power cell system.
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