The best solar battery is a sustainable energy storage, able to revolutionise the way we harness and utilise solar power.
As Cape Town’s best solar company, we understand the need to have a premium battery backup solution for your home. A distributor of Hubble AM-2 and AM-4 inverter batteries, we guarantee that your power system is always available during load shedding.
Understanding the difference between solar battery components will help you make an informed decision about your backup power system.
InPower specialists have broken down the most popular inverter battery brands and their components.
All InPower prices include full installation costs with compliance certificates.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE BEST SOLAR BATTERY
When making an informed decision about purchasing the best solar battery for you, it is important to consider the specific energy needs and usage patterns of your home, ensuring the solar battery aligns seamlessly with your daily requirements.
We took a look at important components of an inverter battery such as charge time, cycle number, battery longevity, warranty terms, price. We delve into the compatibility of popular solar battery backup brands such as Hubble, Giter and Pylontech.
HUBBLE – THE BEST SOLAR BATTERY IN SOUTH AFRICA
Our preferred inverter battery brand is Hubble. A leading Lithium-ion battery manufacturer in South Africa, Hubble Lithium supplies lithium batteries for the solar, renewable and backup power industries. Their components make their batteries a premium choice.
InPower installs and maintains the AM-2 5.5KWh 48V Lithium pack and the AM-4 25.5V Lithium battery, compatible for the 24V inverter market.
Both the AM-2 and the AM-4 has low self discharge, is compatible with most inverters and chargers, and has a high cycle and service life.
InPower’s 5kW PREMIUM home battery backup
GITER’S BEST SOLAR BATTERY
Giter batteries are low cost and manufactured in China. They are compatible with small inverters that have a low run time. Giter’s medium battery has a charge/discharge power of 2500 W and is compatible with 48V Kodak and Sunsynk inverters, the lithium-ion battery is also parallelable up to 6 batteries for a total of 30.24kWh
PYLONTECH’S BEST SOLAR BATTERY
A dedicated BESS (battery energy storage system) manufacturer, Pylontech consolidates expertise in electrochemistry power electronics and system integration. The 4.8kWh lithium-ion battery has a parallel capability of up to 16 units and a usable capacity of 4560Wh. A unique feature of Pylontech is its self designed Battery Management System (BMS) that protects the cell from abnormal temperature, current and voltage.
HUAWEI SOLAR BATTERY
Huawei solar batteries have a high energy density and a prolonged lifespan. Designed to seamlessly integrate with Huawei inverters, they are low-cost, have a five-year warranty and maximise energy utilisation.
The solar battery is engineered for versatility and caters to diverse energy storage requirements.
Although a well-rounded solar battery, the downside of the Huawei solar battery is that it is not interchangeable with other brands.
FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY
ComponentHubble AM2
(5.5kWh)Hubble AM-4
(2.75kWh)Giter
(5.04kWh)Pylontech
(4.8kWh)Run time5 hours2 hours5 hours5 hoursCharge time1 – 2.5 hours2.5 hours2-3 hours2-3 hoursCycle number@ 1C: ± 6000 cycles @ 50% DOD@ 1C: Above 6000 cycles @50% DOD± 4500 cycles @ 95% DoD± 4500 cycles @ 95% DoDLife span ±15 Years±15 Years±10 years± 10 yearsWarranty10 years15 years5 years5 yearsCompatibility with inverterYESYESYESYES
Battle of the Batteries: Lithium-ion vs Lead Acid
BEST INVERTER IN SOUTH AFRICA
In a solar energy system, an inverter plays a crucial role. Ensuring the efficient utilisation of solar-generated energy, the inverter acts as the bridge between solar panels and electrical appliances. The inverter and solar battery work as a seamless unit. The solar battery is a storage reservoir for excess energy produced by the solar panels during peak sunlight hours and instead of letting this surplus energy go unused, the inverter works in tandem with the solar battery to manage the flow of electricity.
CHOOSING THE BEST BATTERY BACKUP INVERTER
There are two main types of inverters:
Sine wave – generally more expensive, they provide a stable power output that is best suited to sensitive appliances. Sine wave inverters also produce a cleaner power supply.
Modified sine wave – more affordable, but they have a distorted output supply.
Most inverters are equipped with additional features, such as a controller, and LCD display. These features make managing your power consumption easier. Depending on the type of solar battery backup system installed, you can add string inverter optimisers. Also known as a solar optimiser, the device is designed to enhance the performance of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. String inverter systems connect a group of solar panels to a single inverter, which aggregates the power output, where electricity is converted from DC to AC electricity. We advise adding a solar optimiser to your home battery backup system if your roof is partially shaded or not oriented to catch sunlight at its best.
DEYE INVERTER
A Chinese distributor of complete photovoltaic power system solutions, Deye offers grid-connection and stand-alone grid as well as hybrid inverter systems, for small homes.
SUNSYNK INVERTER
An internationally recognised inverter and battery storage brand, SunSynk provides off-grid and on-grid solutions. Their inverter battery components in the 5kW Sunsynk inverter with 5.5kWh AM-2 lithium-ion battery is ideal for larger homes. A ‘silent’ inverter, the SunSynck inverter is equipped with an easy-to-use interface with the addition of remote management, enabling you to track the performance of your inverter from your phone.
