Battery · Updated 2026-04-25
Tesla Powerwall vs FranklinWH vs Enphase IQ Battery — which fits a Long Island home?
Tesla Powerwall 3 wins on $/kWh and integrated solar inverter; Enphase IQ Battery 5P pairs best with existing Enphase microinverter systems; FranklinWH aPower is the high-capacity AC-coupled choice when retrofitting any inverter brand.
All three are AHJ- and PSEG-LI-approved for residential storage in Suffolk County. Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh / 11.5 kW) ships with a built-in PV inverter, simplifying new installs. Enphase IQ Battery 5P (5 kWh / 3.84 kW) modularly stacks. FranklinWH aPower 2 (15 kWh / 10 kW) is AC-coupled, brand-agnostic, and retrofits cleanly onto any existing solar.
Common follow-up questions
What does AC-coupled vs DC-coupled actually mean for me?
DC-coupled (Powerwall 3) shares one inverter with the solar array — slightly more efficient and cheaper at install on new systems. AC-coupled (Enphase IQ Battery, FranklinWH) installs in parallel with whatever inverter you already have — the right choice for retrofitting an existing array, including older SolarEdge or SMA systems.
Whole-home backup or essential loads only?
Whole-home backup requires both enough kW (continuous power) to start your air conditioner / heat pump and enough kWh (energy) to ride through outages. A single Powerwall 3 (11.5 kW continuous) backs up most Long Island homes including a 3-ton heat pump. Enphase systems typically require 2–3 IQ Battery 5P units in parallel for whole-home; otherwise an essential-loads sub-panel is used.
How do warranties compare?
Tesla Powerwall 3: 10 years / 70% capacity retention. Enphase IQ Battery 5P: 15 years / 60% capacity retention. FranklinWH aPower 2: 12 years / 70% capacity retention. All three are unlimited cycles within the warranty period and require commissioning by the manufacturer's certified installer for the warranty to attach.
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Need help with this on Long Island?
NovaLee Solutions is a licensed roofing, solar, and electrical contractor serving Suffolk County and all of Long Island. Our crew is GAF-certified, Tesla-Powerwall-certified, and Suffolk County master-electrician licensed.