So what can we expect? Knowing Enphase, something sleek, safe and smart.
Sleek
You can always rely on Enphase to produce a sleek looking product. Their IQ microinverters are a clear testament to that (and so are their sales reps!) they have not disappointed with their new battery design either.
Enphase IQ batteries come in 2 sizes; the 5 which has 4.96kWh power capacity storage and the 10 which has 10.08kWh capacity storage.
The beauty of this system’s design, apart from the tall dark and handsome…aah I mean the brushed silver exterior with bright splashes of orange, is that you can start with just a small battery if that’s all you need (or can afford) then easily add to it as your lifestyle (and bank balance) grows. This clever ‘stackable’ system makes word leading technology attainable for everyone.
Safe
Enphase is renowned for their superior technology and absolute dedication to safety.
The IQ batteries are an all-in-one AC coupled storage system that only uses low voltage DC making them one of the safest batteries in todays market.
But Enphase being Enphase is always looking to exceed expectations in the way of safety, so they have chosen to use a lithium-ion composition in the manufacture of their batteries.
If you’ve done your research, you’ll know that most good battery manufactures have done the same, so what’s the big deal?
Chemistry is the big deal.
By using Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry instead of more commonly used Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) Enphase have done what they do best, taken safety to the next level. The chemistry in LFPs allow the battery to stay cooler which eliminates the risk of thermal runaway fires. And, if that’s not cool enough, Enphase IQ’s cells have what’s referred to as passive cooling, which means this elegant, yet very powerful piece of energy storage equipment does not need to rely on moving parts such as fans to keep it running at a safe temperature. Safe temperatures stop things from blowing up yeah…just saying.
Smart
Of course no battery system is complete without it’s very own ‘in house’ meteorologist. Enphase have developed Storm Guard which is a feature that tracks the weather to prioritise power backup if it detects an approaching storm.
A brand new feature Enphase have added to their IQ Battery is the IQ Load Controller.
From the Enphase keyboard to you:
IQ Load Controller – “Turn power-hungry appliances on and off automatically or manually from the Enphase app to conserve your battery life when running on backup power.”
Now I’m a bit of a control freak so this is a winner for me! In just a few taps you can choose where your backup power gets distributed in your home. Personally, I would have directed all power to the hot tub, but that’s just me.
Performance, Endurance and Depth…well that’s sounds impressive.
Just because it looks good doesn’t mean it’s going to perform well, so let’s get naked with Enphase and see what’s underneath.
Performance- The Enphase IQ8- Bat Microinverter
Each battery is fitted with a number of bi-directional IQ8 microinverters. These little contraptions have the ability to convert energy from DC to AC then back to DC. Why? Because then can!
No seriously why??
Enphase’s unique microinverters are small but super powerful. They convert DC power which is the power that your battery starts with, (but you can’t use in your home) and converts it to AC power, (which you can use in your home) then converts any excess back to DC power to store in your battery or sell (I use that word loosely) back to the grid. Sweet.
Endurance – The Enphase IQ Battery comes with a 10 yr or 4,000 cycle warranty and guarantees that each battery will maintain atleast 70% of it’s capacity to hold charge during that time. Sweeter.
Depth of discharge or DoD– We all know the more you charge, discharge (or use) then re-charge any battery, overtime will decrease its life – take the humble iPhone as an example. DoD is measured in percentages. Batteries that have a higher DoD are considered a higher quality product. The Enphase IQ batteries have a DoD of 100%. Sweetest.
So now we wait…..It’s no secret I have a brand crush on Enphase so I’ll be waiting not so patiently!
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