Jackery recently showed off the EnergyGuard Max whole home energy storagesystem at their booth at IFA Berlin. The system pairs the Energycore 100kWh battery module with the PowerVault 50 inverter in weather-resistant enclosures. Also at their booth, I had the opportunity to talk with their CEO and founder, Jack Sun. One thing that stuck with me was his key objective of identifying pain points in the transition to sustainable energy and coming up with solutions to those challenges. Those pain points can range from resilience and affordability to useability and aesthetics. When talking to one of their product people, he said that their CEO is always asking: “What problem are you fixing?” Jackery EnergyGuard Max at IFA Berlin. Photo by Larry Evans That made me start wondering about the problems that the EnergyGuard Max could fix. This isn’t your typical home backup. While the model on display was still pre-production, it will be built in Jackery’s net zero factory. While not as large as some commercial and industrial storage, it offers multiple times the capacity of typical home batteries and weighs 1.5 tons. While the design makes it somewhat streamlined, it is still a large battery at 971 mm wide by 1531 mm high by 1308 mm deep. While my initial thought was this would be for very large homes or farms with heavy power requirements. But the potential could go much farther. The battery itself has a nominal capacity of 104 kWh and an operating voltage of 332.8 V. As the LFP battery is liquid cooled, like most EVs, it should also hold up well under repeated high-current charging and discharging. Also, like most EVs, it supports OTA updates. An operating temperature down to -20 C (-4 F) makes it suitable for many European locations, outside of Scandinavia. Jackery EnergyGuard Max at IFA Berlin. Photo by Larry Evans When looking through the specs of the accompanying PowerVault 50 Inverter, DC battery input has a voltage range of 150 V to 950 V and maximum charging/discharging current of 2 X 80A. This brings up a lot of potential to work with EV batteries for bi-directional charging. With that voltage range, you could potentially see home Level 3 charging that could charge an EV in about an hour. Not as fast as the fastest chargers, but much faster than the typical Level 2. If charged daily on off-peak electricity or solar power, this is also enough to be able to charge an EV whenever it is convenient, rather than having to schedule charging. V2G can also be used to take advantage of the relatively large batteries in vehicles. As people want to be able to drive away when they need to, only a portion of the battery is typically used. However, when combined with the larger battery, this could open new opportunities. During an extended outage, a car could potentially drive to an available charger, recharge, and then return to the home to recharge the large home battery. Like an electric jerry can. The car could also work with the large battery to extend backup power and overall storage capacity. Jackery at IFA Berlin. Photo by Larry Evans Safety is perhaps the greatest need for a battery in a home. The battery system also incorporates Jackery’s FortiShield Safety System, a comprehensive 7-layer security framework. The inverter safety protections include DC/AC surge protection, insulation resistance detection, PV string input reverse polarity protection, battery input reverse polarity protection, ground fault monitoring, residual current monitoring, AC short circuit protection and anti-islanding protection. With the added safety features, adding a battery potentially makes home electricity supply safer overall, addressing a concern for some customers, while also adding resilience. As this model is intended for Europe, AC input/output has a rated power of 50 kW with a nominal voltage of 230V or 400V. Grid output current is rated at 72.2 A at 400V, supporting unbalanced 3-phase. The battery supports switching times of just 10 ms, less than some UPS batteries. This would make it useful for homes with sensitive electronic equipment. If it were to be offered in the US, the voltages would be different. The US household consumes an average of 29 kWh per day, although that amount can change dramatically based on home size, construction and location. In Europe, households tend to use half to a third as much, although that also varies. If there was a long-term power disruption, this size of battery could run a home for days, even weeks if consumption is minimized. In addition, if energy prices peak during a cold snap or a heat wave, the battery could avoid the worst of it. And a 100-kWh battery could be especially useful in off-grid applications in Europe. While warm currents moderate the temperature, Europe is much farther north than many realize. The palm tree lined streets of Monaco are farther north than the frigid nor’easters of Portland, Maine. As such, days are much shorter in the winter. Overcast weather can stretch for days at a time in some locations. As such, a moderately sized home trying to rely on solar for much of their energy could greatly benefit from a battery that can store energy when the sun is available. Jackery EnergyGuard Max at IFA Berlin. Photo by Larry Evans Speaking of solar, the inverter/battery can take up to 100 kWp of PV input power. That is more than most home solar systems. However, many are increasing electricity consumption through electrification, higher temperatures are increasing the prevalence of air conditioning, and more households are switching to multiple electric vehicles. As such many homes may see the benefit of larger solar systems and the batteries that can store the energy generated for when it is needed most. Beyond energy storage, another potential application is to buffer power requirements. In older homes, the electrical connections were often made before air conditioning was prevalent and when heat tended to be generated by fossil fuels. In many cases, people who want to go electric, but they run into limitations. An electrical service upgrade can be expensive. If a transformer upgrade is needed, it can lead to significant delays. By charging when energy demand is low and discharging during demand peaks, peak power input from the utility can be reduced. If connected to the grid, these systems could also be used as part of a virtual power plant (VPP) system to sell energy back to the grid. Potentially, these batteries could pay for themselves quickly, if utilized as part of a VPP. Pricing has yet to be revealed. The battery itself would undoubtedly be more expensive than something like a Tesla Powerwall due to the larger capacity, but it would cost a fraction as much on a per kWh basis. While I couldn’t get a firm estimate, the 100-kWh battery would cost less than the average new car in the US. Battery priced have come down to a point that a home battery that might have previously been seen as excessive is now becoming accessible. In a country like Germany, where electricity prices are high and dynamic prices can swing dramatically, the ROI potential is clear. In the US, where electricity costs tend to be lower, it would depend largely on the utility rate structure and the ability to be part of a VPP. Jackery EnergyGuard Max at IFA Berlin. Photo by Larry Evans Raising Expectations For Home Battery Storage When the original Nissan LEAF was released with a 24-kWh battery and 73 mi EPA range, some saw it as sufficient. It was significantly more range than the typical commute. Many felt the ability to charge to 80% in around 30 minutes was also an acceptable inconvenience. You could drive for an hour and then charge for half an hour. But technology has progressed. The paradigm for EV usage shifted. Few would find that range and recharging acceptable now. In the process, EVs went from a few early adopters to increasingly mass adoption. When looking at a large battery like the Energycore 100kWh, some will think it is unnecessary. This is not for some households. For an apartment, a balcony solar system like Jackery’s SolarVault 3 would be a better fit. But these batteries have potential to address the needs of customers, including needs that they didn’t realize they had yet. In the process, large home batteries can provide greater capability. By expanding the potential use cases, more people will find them valuable. They can potentially solve more problems. Homeowners can find greater energy security and self-sufficiency. Solar has the potential to be better utilized, and EV owners can find more value and flexibility. In the process, the grid can become greener and more stable. But what do you think? Could large batteries be the next phase in home energy storage?
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