Panasonic is one of the world’s largest battery cell manufacturers and made their foray into the energy storage industry in 2019 when they launched the original Panasonic EverVolt. In November 2021, they announced a new addition to their battery lineup: the EverVolt 2.0. While Panasonic will continue to sell models of the original EverVolt, the EverVolt 2.0 comes with new features, including a different lithium-ion battery chemistry, larger available sizes, and an outdoor rating.
Key takeaways
- The Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 comes in two different models: the EVHB-L6 with 17.1 kWh usable capacity and the EVHB-L9 with 25.65 kWh usable capacity.
- You can stack up to three EverVolt 2.0 systems for a total of up to 76.9 kWh usable capacity.
- The EverVolt 2.0 uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry and can be installed outdoors.
- Your EverVolt 2.0 storage system can be either AC- or DC-coupled: the system comes with an integrated hybrid inverter.
- Explore your solar-plus-storage options today on the EnergySage Marketplace.
What’s in this article?
- How does the EverVolt 2.0 work?
- Comparing the original EverVolt and the EverVolt 2.0
- Key things to know about the EverVolt 2.0
- What’s the warranty coverage for the EverVolt 2.0?
- How much does the EverVolt 2.0 cost?
How does the EverVolt 2.0 work?
The EverVolt 2.0 pairs well with solar panel systems, especially if your utility has reduced or removed net metering, introduced time-of-use rates, or instituted demand charges for residential electricity consumers. Installing a storage solution like the EverVolt 2.0 with a solar energy system allows you to maintain a sustained power supply during both day and night, as long as you store enough power from your solar panels when the sun is shining.
As with many other home battery products, the EverVolt 2.0 is sized for day-to-day use at your home and is primarily designed to be paired with a solar panel system. When your solar panels produce more electricity than you can use in your home, you can store the excess electricity in the battery system instead of sending it back into the grid. Later, when your panels aren’t producing enough electricity to meet your home’s needs, you can use the stored energy in your battery instead of having to buy it from your utility company.
Compare the original EverVolt to the EverVolt 2.0
Mukesh Sethi, Director of Solar and Energy Storage at Panasonic, stated, “the Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 boasts new features that not only meet the needs of energy-conscious homeowners but supports broader sustainability goals.” There are a few key differences between Panasonic’s original EverVolt and the EverVolt 2.0 – while we’ll go into more detail in the sections below, the following table provides a summary of these differences.
Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 specs vs. original
| Original EverVolt | EverVolt 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | 11.4 kWh Standard / 17.1 kWh Plus | 17.1 kWh EVHB-L6 / 25.65 kWh EVHB-L9 |
| Continuous output power | 4.6 kW Standard / 5.5 kW Plus | 7.6 kW off-grid / 9.6 kW on-grid |
| Battery chemistry | NMC | LFP |
| Built-in inverter | Storage (different inverters for AC and DC systems) | Hybrid (works for both AC and DC systems) |
| Outdoor rated? | No | Yes |
| Built-in MPPT? | No | Yes, four |
| Hardware for virtual power plant integration | No | Yes |
| Warranty | 10-year, throughput clause: 2.65 MWh / kWh | 10-year, cycles clause: 6,000 cycles |
Key things to know about the Panasonic EverVolt 2.0
When evaluating the EverVolt 2.0, there are various important metrics and technical specifications to evaluate. Among the most important are the size of the battery (power and capacity), its chemistry, depth of discharge, and roundtrip efficiency.
Size
The EverVolt 2.0 comes in two different models: EVHB-L6 and EVHB-L9. Two important metrics to keep in mind when comparing the EverVolt 2.0 to other home storage options are power and usable capacity. Power (measured in kilowatts, or kW) can be defined in two ways: peak (maximum) and continuous. Peak or maximum power refers to the maximum amount of electricity that can be output at a single time, while continuous power is the maximum amount of electricity that can be output consistently. Panasonic has only announced the continuous power of the EverVolt 2.0 with both models having an on-grid power rating of 9.6 kW and an off-grid power rating of 7.6 kW.
Usable capacity (measured in kilowatt-hours, or kWh) is a measure of the maximum amount of electricity stored in your battery on a full charge. The EVHB-L6 and EVHB-L9 have usable capacities of 17.1 kWh and 25.65 kWh, respectively.
The Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 is also modular, meaning you can stack multiple battery systems together if you want an even larger backup capacity. You can stack up to three EverVolt 2.0 systems together, for an overall maximum usable capacity up to 76.9 kWh.
Deeper dive into power and usable capacity
Think of your battery like water running through a pipe. The usable energy capacity is the amount of water available to push through the pipe, while power is the size of the pipe itself. Larger pipes allow more water to flow through at once, which depletes the water faster. Similarly, a battery with a high power rating can deliver more electricity at one time, but will burn through its available energy capacity faster too.
A battery’s power determines what appliances you can run with it at the same time, while usable capacity determines how long those appliances can be run. Batteries with a higher power rating are capable of powering more robust appliances or many appliances at once, while batteries with a higher usable capacity can store more total energy and thus can run your appliances for longer periods of time without needing to recharge.
Basic functionality
The functionality of one solar power battery next to another can vary; some batteries have excellent off-grid capabilities, while others offer software solutions specific to rate arbitrage. The EverVolt 2.0 offers many different functionalities, depending on what you need from your battery system. You’re able to switch the operating mode of your EverVolt 2.0 from back-up, to residential, to time-of-use, to a custom mode of your choice. Compared to the original EverVolt, the EverVolt 2.0 also comes with a more user-friendly mobile app allowing you to more easily monitor your battery system.
Serviceability
While solar batteries are highly reliable and rarely require maintenance, some are easier to service than others. In general, batteries that are modular are easier for installers to service in the field – meaning you likely won’t have to ship the whole battery back to the manufacturer for maintenance. The EverVolt 2.0 is a modular battery and Panasonic specifically states that it’s designed for field serviceability, giving you peace of mind that your battery can be easily fixed in the event that you experience any issues.
Chemistry
The EverVolt 2.0 is a lithium-ion storage product; specifically, it is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery – a change over the original EverVolt which is a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) battery. This is one of the most common lithium-ion battery technologies, and for good reason: LFP batteries are known for their high power rating and safety. To learn more about how different lithium-ion battery chemistries stack up against one another, check out our overview of battery chemistry differences.
Outdoor rating
If you’re hoping to install your solar battery outside, you’ll need to make sure it’s weatherproof and has an outdoor protection rating. While you can only install the original EverVolt indoors, the EverVolt 2.0 is a weatherproof outdoor-rated system.
Inverter
Inverters are necessary to convert electricity from direct current (DC) which is generated by solar panels and stored in solar batteries to alternating current (AC) which is used by most household appliances. Storage systems can come with or without an integrated inverter – if your system doesn’t come with an integrated inverter, you’ll have to pair it with a separate, external inverter.
If your system comes with a hybrid inverter, it can cover the production from your solar panels as well as the requirements of your storage system. Storage systems can also be either AC- or DC-coupled. While AC-coupled systems are generally easier to install if you’re retrofitting your storage system to an existing solar system, DC-coupled systems typically provide a higher overall efficiency. The EverVolt 2.0 comes with a built-in hybrid inverter that can be either AC- or DC-coupled (for systems with up to 12 kW solar), giving you flexibility in your system setup. It also comes with four built-in maximum power point tracking (MPPT) charge controllers, which prevent the battery from overcharging while delivering the maximum power possible from your solar array.
Performance metrics
Two key ways to evaluate the performance of a solar battery are its depth of discharge and roundtrip efficiency.
Depth of discharge (DoD) indicates the percentage of a battery’s energy that has been discharged relative to the overall capacity of the battery. Because the useful life of a battery decreases each time you charge, discharge, and re-charge it, many battery manufacturers specify a maximum DoD level for optimal battery performance. In general, batteries with a higher depth of discharge are considered higher quality products. The EverVolt 2.0 boasts an impressive DoD of 100 percent.
Roundtrip efficiency is a measure of the electrical losses involved with charging and discharging a particular battery. The higher the percentage, the more efficiently the battery is able to convert incoming electricity into stored electricity and then back into usable electricity. The EverVolt 2.0 has a roundtrip efficiency of 90 percent; this means that for every 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity you put into the battery, you’ll receive 9 kWh of output.
EverVolt 2.0 warranty coverage
EverVolt 2.0 warranties
- Warranty period: 10 years
- Warrantied cycles: 6,000
- Guaranteed end of warranty capacity: 60%
In most cases, homes with an EverVolt 2.0 will charge and discharge their battery every day. So, how long do the EverVolt 2.0s last? Panasonic states that the EverVolt 2.0 is covered under a 10-year product and performance warranty as long as it’s installed by a Certified EverVolt Installer. This warranty will cover the battery modules, the inverters, all internal components, and the cabinets and enclosures.
Importantly, the EverVolt 2.0 warranty comes with a clause of 6,000 cycles – meaning if you exceed 6,000 cycles before 10 years, your warranty will no longer be applicable. The warranty also states that at the end of 10 years, your system will still be able to store at least 60 percent of its initial out-of-box capacity.
Panasonic’s battery technology is similar to other rechargeable batteries both large and small: as time goes on, the battery loses some of its ability to hold a charge. Think of how the battery life of a brand-new smartphone compares to one that is a few years old. As you continually charge and drain your phone’s battery, it starts to lose some of its ability to hold a charge.
The battery life of your EverVolt 2.0 will deteriorate in the same way. That isn’t an indicator of a product flaw – all batteries lose some of their ability to hold a charge over time after extended usage, whether it’s an electric vehicle battery, a home energy battery, or a rechargeable AA battery. This is why Panasonic offers a warranty that guarantees a certain percentage of storage capacity.
If you want to compare individual battery models side-by-side, our battery Buyer’s Guide lets you select products and compare them based on efficiency, capacity, power, and more.
How much does the EverVolt 2.0 cost?
A solar battery installation isn’t as simple as a list price for a component – depending on your electrical setup, among other factors, installation costs can vary widely. Panasonic has not yet announced costs for the EverVolt 2.0, but an installation of the original EverVolt generally ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 depending on if you choose the Standard or Plus model.
If you want to install the Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 as part of a solar-plus-storage system, battery costs are just one part of the equation. A 5 kW solar energy system costs anywhere from $9,000 to $15,000 depending on where you live and the type of equipment you choose.
That may sound like a lot of money, but installing a solar-plus-storage system can be a worthwhile investment. Whether or not the EverVolt 2.0 makes sense for you is determined by the way that your electric utility structures its rates, as well as your reasons for installing a solar battery.
In some cases, depending on where you live, you may have access to financial incentives that can reduce your home energy storage installation costs. For instance, if you live in California, you could get a cash rebate that covers most of your home battery costs through the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). Other states (such as Massachusetts) are in the early stages of evaluating battery storage performance incentives as well, and several states already provide cash rebates. You may also be able to participate in a virtual power plant (VPP) aggregation program, in which you get paid to help stabilize the grid – in fact, the EverVolt 2.0 has hardware for future integrations with VPP providers and aggregators.
Can you go off-grid with the EverVolt 2.0?
Installing a solar-plus-storage system at your home is a great way to take control of your electricity bill, but it doesn’t mean that you’re completely disconnected from your utility. Going “off the grid” with solar batteries is actually a more expensive and complicated proposition than you might think. Most home batteries, including the EverVolt 2.0, only have enough capacity to store a few hours of electricity. That being said, the EverVolt 2.0 could serve as temporary backup when the grid goes down if you have a solar panel system to provide power.
Where to buy the Panasonic EverVolt 2.0
Whether you want to install an EverVolt 2.0 or another solar battery, you will most likely need to work through a certified installer. Adding energy storage technology to your home is a complicated process that requires electrical expertise, certifications, and knowledge of the best practices required to install a solar-plus-storage system correctly.
A qualified EnergySage-approved company can give you the best recommendation about the Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 and other energy storage options available to homeowners today. If you are interested in receiving competing installation quotes for solar and energy storage options from local installers near you, simply join the EnergySage Marketplace today and indicate what products you’re interested in your profile’s preferences section.
