Enphase launches new residential battery
The IQ Battery 5P works in conjunction with the Enphase Energy System and can be configured for self-consumption, savings, or full backup functionality.

May 26, 2023
By ANNE FISCHER

The IQ Battery 5P storage system Source: Enphase

US-based Enphase Energy has launched what it says is its most powerful home battery to date in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The IQ Battery 5P can deliver 3.84 kW continuous power and 7.68 kW peak power for 3 seconds, the company reports. The battery uses a modular design, which starts at 5 kWh of capacity and can be configured up to 80 kWh. The third generation of Enphase Energy System components includes the IQ Battery 5P, IQSystem Controller 3/3G, and IQ Combiner 5/5C. The Enphase Energy System with the IQ Battery 5P can be configured for self-consumption, savings, or full backup functionality.

The IQ Battery 5P can also be used in a grid-tied configuration without backup capabilities, which means it comes without the IQ System Controller. This is a less expensive configuration, and an IQ System Controller can be added at later time to provide backup functionality.

Enphase reports that using the Storm Guard feature of the Enphase app, homeowners can stay prepared for outages by monitoring the National Weather Service for approaching storms. If bad weather is detected, the batteries will fully charge automatically.

IQ batteries feature lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry, which provides a long lifecycle and safer operation with thermal stability. Enphase reports that because the battery operates with low-voltage DC power, installing the battery is safe, as installers are not exposed to high-voltage current. Enphase reports that its batteries are NEMA 3R rated, which is a designation by the National Electrical Manufacturers’ Association that indicates that the battery enclosure is safe for indoor and outdoor use and is protected from adverse weather conditions. The batteries meet UL 9540A performance criteria, a test for thermal runaway fire propagation protection in residential indoor wall-mounted systems.

The IQ Battery 5P comes with a 15-year limited warranty.

In Q1 2023, Enphase battery sales were down 23% over the previous quarter, as installers focused on rolling out new solar systems. Enphase CEO, Badri Kothandaraman, said he expects this trend to continue in the next quarter. “After that, we see NEM 3.0 as a net positive for California and expect strong demand to resume for solar plus storage.”

NEM 3.0 went into effect on April 15, 2023, after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the new net metering scheme which will slash payments for excess solar production sent to the grid by 75%. For customers in California, the Enphase system is optimized to support California’s new NEM 3.0 rules by enabling self-consumption and exporting energy at the appropriate times to create maximum value.

California installers can also use Enphase’s Solargraf platform to design and generate system proposals that optimize for NEM 3.0.

“California continues to be one of our top markets and the new IQ Battery 5P will enable our customers to maximize the value of their home solar systems with the new net metering rules,” said Bryson Solomon, chief executive officer of Infinity Energy, a Rocklin, Calif.-based installer of residential and commercial solar and storage.

The IQ Battery 5P can be ordered now, with shipments expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023.