When it comes to backup power, Generac is one of the largest and most well-known American brands. Today it offers solar inverters, gas and fuel generators and the most modern lithium-ion batteries. A Generac solar battery can be a huge help during power outages and greatly compliment a solar system. Let’s look close at the company and the product that it offers in our small review.
Generac inverters
The American company Generac is famous for its backup generators for home use. However, today it also offers solar inverters and some of them even have built-in batteries which store all the solar power that you make during the day. Let’s look at the profile of the brand and the product that it offers in our small review.
About Generac company
General Holdings Inc. is an American company that provides backup power generation products for residential, commercial and industrial projects. It has been on the market for more than half a century and has built a solid reputation in this time. Here is some data about the company:
- Founded in 1959 by Robert Kern;
- Headquarters in Waukesha, Wisconsin;
- Over 6,500 employees;
- Over $2 billion in revenue.
Today Generac is one the largest manufacturers of home backup generators in America. All of its production facilities are located in Wisconsin. It offers generators for all kinds of applications, manual and fully automatic transfer switches and accessories for backup power applications up to 2 MW.
A while back Generac added solar inverters with integrated batteries to the product list. They show great levels of efficiency (97%-98%) and reliability, coming with a 10 year product warranty. Integrated energy storage in hybrid inverters from Generac keeps your house powered even during power outages. Uninterrupted power is especially important when you can’t risk losing power supply even for a few minutes. Generac inverters are easy to install, can be programmed to your preference and managed remotely.
Generac solar batteries for sale
Generac PWRcell Battery Enclosure APKE00007
Specifications
- Condition — New
- Manufacturer — Generac Power Systems
- Model — APKE00007
- Operating Temperatures — 41—113°F
- Use — Grid-Tie, Off-grid
- Connector type — MC4 or MC4 comparable
- Battery Charging Voltage — 46.8
- Rated Efficiencies — 96.5%
- Dimensions LxWxH — 22 x 10 x 69 in
- Weight — 280 lbs
- Warranty — 10 years
- Delivery time — 5-7 business days
Generac PWRcell 3.0kW Lithium-Ion Battery Module G0080040
Specifications
- Condition — New
- Manufacturer — Generac Power Systems
- Model — 8004
- Operating Temperatures — 41—104°F
- Use — Grid-Tie, Off-grid
- Connector Type — MC4 or MC4 comparable
- Type — Li-Ion battery
- Battery Charging Voltage — 46.8
- Dimensions LxWxH — 17.3 x 17.7 x 3.3 in
- Weight — 55 lbs
- Warranty — 10 years
- Delivery time — 5-7 business days
Generac PWRcell Battery Enclosure APKE00028
Specifications
- Condition — New
- Manufacturer — Generac Power Systems
- Model — APKE00028
- Operating Temperatures — 41—104°F
- Use — Grid-Tie, Off-grid
- Connector type — MC4 or MC4 comparable
- Battery Charging Voltage — 46.8
- Rated Efficiencies — 96.5%
- Dimensions LxWxH — 22 x 10 x 68 in
- Weight — 280 lbs
- Warranty — 10 years
- Delivery time — 5-7 business days
Generac PWRcell 100A Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) CXSC100A3
Specifications
- Condition — New
- Manufacturer — Generac Power Systems
- Model — CXSC100A3
- Operating Temperatures — 41—104°F
- Use — Grid-Tie, Off-grid
- Connector type — MC4 or MC4 comparable
- Battery Charging Voltage — 120/240
- Dimensions LxWxH — 20 x 14.6 x 7.09 in
- Weight — 22.5 lbs
- Delivery time — 5-7 business days
Generac PWRcell 100A Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) CXSW100A3
Specifications
- Condition — New
- Manufacturer — Generac Power Systems
- Model — CXSC100A3
- Operating Temperatures — 41—104°F
- Use — Grid-Tie, Off-grid
- Connector type — MC4 or MC4 comparable
- Battery Charging Voltage — 120/240
- Dimensions LxWxH — 20 x 14.6 x 7.09 in
- Weight — 22.5 lbs
- Delivery time — 5-7 business days
Quality And Performance
Generac solar batteries show great efficiency and are less fragile than old lead-acid batteries. The efficiency rate of Li-ion batteries varies around 96-98%. Besides, they are less vulnerable to things like overcharge, deep discharge, changes in the temperature than older types of batteries. However, charge controller is still recommended: it’s not that expensive and prolongs the lifetime of a battery significantly.
Warranty and service
Generac batteries come with 10 years of warranty support. Batteries are fragile by nature and their lifetime highly depends on the maintenance. Therefore it’s nice to have a warranty for such an extended period of time. Generac is one of the largest American suppliers of backup generators and its specialists are qualified to provide you with quality customer service wherever you are.
The installation and wiring of the battery is easy, but we recommend adding a charge controller if a battery is a part of your solar system. The regulator will show the charge of your storage and its current condition.
What to look for when choosing a Generac battery
When it comes to choosing a Generac battery, the most important question is capacity. You need to understand the purpose of a battery to size it right. It can serve as a source of energy in off-grid solar systems for the night time — in this case there is no need for a big battery. Or it can be a backup for your home in case of power outages. Depending on the frequency of blackouts in your area and their duration, you may want your battery to be large enough to power your entire home for 1-2 days.
FAQ
Q.: Does every inverter support batteries?
A.: No, most grid-tie inverters can’t be connected to the batteries. You need an off-grid or a hybrid inverter to be able to add the battery. Some hybrid inverters come with built-in energy storage.
Q.: What are the advantages of lithium-ion batteries?
A.: Li-Ion batteries are less vulnerable to deep discharge and overcharge plus they are more efficient. They also withstand changes in the temperature better and last longer overall. However, the price for them is higher as well.
Q.: What kind of maintenance solar batteries require?
A.: Battery needs to be used — there is no point in storing it for later. Try to keep it charged. Check the connections often and try to keep it out of sunlight and heat.