Redback Hybrid vs Tesla Powerwall Review | Features, compatibility and suitability.
Find out which of Redback Hybrid or Tesla Powerwall is right for your home. We take an in-depth review of their features and how suitable they are for your home.
Find out which of Redback Hybrid or Tesla Powerwall is right for your home. We take an in-depth review of their features and how suitable they are for your home.
Since the advent of solar power, residential power storage technology has changed a lot. Today, you do not have to rely on clunky and huge solar batteries. You can fulfill the energy requirements with the latest battery ensembles & power packs.
This article compares two amazing choices available for residential solar storage. The first is Redback Single Phase Hybrid brought to you by Redback Technologies. The second contender in this race is the Tesla Powerwall by Tesla Energy.
So, let us compare these two and get to know which one is a better choice for you.
Redback Technologies manufactures & distributes solar storage devices with smart tech. The company is in Brisbane & distributes its supplies throughout New Zealand and Australia.
The company has years of experience in things such as:
Redback aims to enable households & small businesses to power completely with renewable energy. With a complete focus on efficiency and quality, the company provides streamlined solutions.
Tesla
Tesla is a futuristic company that came into being in the year 2003. The brand focuses on the betterment of the automobile sector. It also pays heed to residential and commercial usage. Tesla focuses on the growth of sustainable energy usage. The brand branched into the energy storage department in 2015.
The Redback Single Phase hybrid is a system that is a combination design. It packs in a solar inverter & modular storage for batteries. This sleek & modern design is perfect for homes in need of a single-phase connection.
This hybrid system has:
A solar battery’s BoS or Balance of System encompasses the testing & certifications for all critical solar components such as inverters, connectors, cables, mounting system, and more.
This integrated solar & battery storage device will fit seamlessly into the garage or outdoors. It doesn’t need any extra cabinets or cabling.
Redback hybrid also combines both hardware and software modules. It can readily be updated via remote connections. The devices by Redback are now remotely evolving with modern-day solar tech.
The Redback hybrid is tested, designed, & even provides customer support in Australia. The team ensures that the solar & battery storage device is perfectly suited to the Australian climatic conditions. The device can easily withstand the moist, hot, & unforgiving climate of the country.
This single-phase hybrid also allows an almost instantaneous power backup within 10 milliseconds. The device takes charge of key appliances whenever there is a power outage. With Redback, you need to pay only for the storage you require. You can start small & then grow the battery storage needs.
The device’s battery enclosure comes with a Pylon battery enclosure or it can also be left empty in case you want a battery-ready device.
In case the solar battery’s energy is exhausted during any prolonged grid outage, the device restarts itself. The sun’s captured energy helps the device capture more energy for better performance. After the power requirements are met in your home, the solar batteries recharge themselves to keep the power on in the evening. This feature is termed Blackstart.
The Tesla Powerwall is a lithium-based battery system brought to you by Tesla Energy. This unique design has surely brought in a humongous impact in the solar domain. It has also helped increase the popularity of household energy storage.
This unique battery with a DC-coupling design has a 6.4kWh capacity. Although the Powerwall comes at a higher price tag, the feature surpasses this additional cost.
The company is praised for creating high-quality products for sustainable power storage. Tesla Powerwall gels well with most modern-day solar panels. This Powerwall helps maintain the sustainable power supply in the daytime as well as at night.
Tesla Powerwall allows you to save the excess amount of electricity instead of sending it to the grid. With Powerwall, you need to keep two critical things in mind. This includes the power and its usable capacity. The Powerwall boasts a maximum 5.0kW power rating that goes along with the 13.5kWh usable capacity.
This battery is a modular design that means you can easily add multiple batteries to the setup. As per Tesla’s official website, you can easily add 10 Powerwall batteries to create a surplus storage system. This means the battery can help run the appliances longer with no need to recharge.
Tesla provides you power backup features to help you be in the light even when the local grid is down. The Powerwall has a 10-year manufacturer warranty. The Powerwall comes with an amazing smart monitoring system & management protocol. The battery can be integrated with Tesla’s system controller and inverter. This ensures a condensed and quicker installation. In bright and sunny conditions the Powerwall provides as much as 7.6kW power. On the other hand, under no light conditions, it can generate at least 5.8kW power.
The battery can successfully power certain sections of your house like electrical outlets, lights, & small appliances. The thing that makes the Tesla Powerwall all the more special is the fact that it has 3 unique operating modes that include:
All these modes help you choose when and how you release or store the energy in the battery. For example, when using the self-consumption mode, it can power the home while storing the power for later use. It saves the power for emergency backups when there is a blackout.
On the other hand, the Backup Power Mode ensures that the battery is charged either via solar or by the grid. It is only used when there is a grid outage. Tesla Powerwall can easily detect the blackout issue & switch to battery when needed.
Now, let us compare the Redback Hybrid device with the Tesla Powerwall. The
Redback device also comes with an approved Direct Current isolator. A DC isolator is basically a switch that acts as a safety add-on during maintenance. It serves as an isolation between the photovoltaic cells that receive direct current and the remaining system that converts it to AC current for home use. It is useful during maintenance or any accidents that might happen to the photovoltaic cells leading to complete system error. You can also experience a near-instantaneous & automated backup for selected circuits post main power failure. With its IP65 system rating, the design can be used outdoors as well as indoors. Redback also comes with an easy-to-use portal with apps that allow glitch-free monitoring. This includes PV generation, household consumption, and the charge level of the battery.
On the other hand, when talking about the Tesla Powerwall, this battery comes with advanced technical specs and features with an IP56 system rating. All this is available at the lowest possible price tag. The Powerwall is priced at AUD 12750 including supporting hardware and taxes. Also, the Powerwall isn’t available to be sold individually & must be paired with a panel system. Given that Tesla isn’t a hybrid system, it doesn’t have a DC isolator.
It also has an impressive power storage capacity that goes as high as 13.5 kWh. There is a continuous output of 9.6kW. The Tesla is ideal for light commercial and residential usage. The battery provides easy load shifting, a high-throughput application, and backup power. The DC/DC microprocessor-controlled converter is isolated electrically from the device’s internal battery. It also eliminates the user’s access to any live terminals during service or installation.
Let us talk about the warranty for both these systems. Both these batteries pack in 10-year manufacturer warranty. So, no need to worry about any system failures with both.
Redback is easy to install with its modular design and pre-wired set-up. The battery is factory tested to ensure quick installation. Flaunting a minimalist design, the Tesla Powerwall is also easy-to-install but you might have to bring in expert help to avoid any complications.
The Redback Install by Redback Technologies operates through Bluetooth connectivity. This app helps you get onboard quickly and monitor your solar battery. However, you might also have to make use of the Redback Smart Energy Manager app in order to get complete control of your solar power system.
Talking about the Tesla Powerwall, although you can download the official Tesla app for solar monitoring and vehicle management. It no longer functions with the Powerwall 1. You might need to upgrade to Powerwall-2 for the same.
When in need of an intelligent system for your home, the Redback offers an amazing software design. It ensures optimum energy usage for controlling the response of the inverter. It also optimizes the battery & directly controls the power load.
So, to say, if you can put in some extra money, the Tesla would be an ideal choice for you. If not, Redback is also an amazing device to bet on. With the RedBack Hybrid system, you get an inverter but Tesla requires you to get one separately.
Plus, you also need to keep in mind that Tesla can easily be installed into an existing system at your house. However, you won’t be able to do the same with Redback as it comes with its own inverter.
If your house already has an inverter and solar power system, you can be better off bringing home Tesla Powerwall. If you need an entirely new system to start from scratch, you can go for the Redback Hybrid.
Here is a quick comparison for you to determine which one fits your need:
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