Anker’s new Solix home solar battery system is a modular version of Tesla’s Powerwall

Anker is typically known for making smartphone power adapters and USB cables for home and on-the-go, but now the company is trying something new. It was unveiled at the company’s Recharge event in New York City on Tuesday A new “Solix” line Products that are focused on keeping your home powered even when the grid goes down. It’s also adding a battery for use with its DIY balcony-mounted solar panel solution to give apartment dwellers and renters a little stored-energy freedom.

Highlights of Anker’s announcement include a Tesla Powerwall-like home solar power storage system that can power everything in your home. Anker’s solution is designed to be modular: It can be produced with as little as 5kWh of power, about the size of a hybrid car battery, or as much as 180kWh, which is about the size of Rivian’s R1T Max Pack battery. is about.

Tesla’s latest Powerwall 2, in comparison, is fixed at 13.5kWh, but can be expanded with up to 10 units side by side. It also has a variable cost which is Somewhere around $11,500 per unit Established. And if you want Tesla’s Powerwall, you now have to order it with solar panels.

In the meantime, Anker hasn’t disclosed pricing for its Solix batteries, but plans to make the system compatible with existing solar panels or new Anker-provided ones. It uses LFP batteries that are stacked vertically in modules, with the brain sitting on top where it controls the flow of electricity. And it’s all connected to a smart phone app. Anker won’t be shipping the battery system this year, with plans to launch it globally in 2024.

In Germany, Anker is selling solar panels designed to work on balconies, and now it’s got a new “SolarBank” battery pack that can work with it across Europe—like a mini Powerwall. So now European apartment and condo dwellers can get involved in home energy storage by sacrificing walk-out space that was totally worth the extra monthly rent or mortgage. The SolarBank is also expandable from 1.6kWh to 3.2kWh, and works with most existing micro-inverters, including the one bundled with Anker’s two-panel plug-and-play Solix balcony solution. Plug Anker’s inverter directly into any standard home power socket to return energy to your appliances and divert any excess to the battery.

Anker is also slapping the Solix brand name on current products like its $2,000 F2000. rollaway suitcase Portable Power Station (also known as 767 Powerhouse). There’s a 2048Wh battery that can be doubled with an additional expansion battery, and charged with an optional 200W solar panel generator accessory.

If you’re interested in home battery solutions from Anker, you can start a conversation with the company’s consultants today through its website, Home energy storage is a very young but growing market, and companies like EcoFlow and now Anker are making it even more accessible.