3 Best Whole-Home Battery Backup Systems for Power Outages
Power outages are becoming more frequent across Canada, and being prepared makes all the difference. Whether you’re dealing with winter storms, grid failures, or simply want peace of mind, a whole-home battery backup system keeps your essentials running without the noise or fumes of a traditional generator. In this guide, we’ll cover the best whole-home backup systems from EcoFlow and discuss key considerations when selecting the right setup for your home.
EcoFlow’s Top Battery Backup Systems
1. Best Customizable Solution: EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus features 3600W of standard output and 7200W of surge output, covering the starting watts required to run your essential appliances, including heavy-duty ones. You can even choose which circuits stay powered via the app and prioritize what matters most.
Starting at 3072Wh of capacity, you can easily scale up with additional batteries to 11kWh in home battery storage, which can run an entire home, depending on your energy usage. You can set it up via a manual transfer switch or inlet box and even have it operate as a <10ms UPS to keep sensitive electronics running smoothly. It also offers 6 ways to recharge in just 48 minutes with solar and generator dual charging if you need more energy.
2. Best For Essential Appliances: EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus
For those seeking a budget-friendly solution to prepare for power outages, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus offers 3000W of continuous output and 6000W of surge output to support heavy-duty appliances like refrigerators and circular saws, but with a smaller 2048Wh capacity, making it more affordable upfront.
Still, it also offers easily expandable capacity up to 10kWh to run more essential appliances, and you can use the app to prioritize what circuits stay powered up. With five ways to recharge and ready in just 43 minutes, you can also get a longer runtime using an EcoFlow Smart Generator to get through peak demand.
3. Best for Whole-Home Backup: EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X
For a whole-home backup system, start with a large-capacity model, such as the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X, which has a 12kW output. It will power all your essential appliances, including a heavy-duty 240V 5-ton AC. From there, it offers expandable batteries to run even the largest, most power-hungry homes.
It can easily be integrated into your household electrical panel, solar panels, generator, EV charging, and acts as a UPS with a <20ms switchover to protect sensitive electronics and keep your household running. Then, the app allows you to prioritize your running appliances, throttle non-essential ones, and monitor your system from your smartphone.
DELTA 3 Max Plus Portable Power Station
What to Consider When Choosing a Whole-Home Battery Backup System
Battery capacity is a critical consideration if you want to run your entire home. To size your batteries correctly, look at your kWh of usage from your electricity bill and choose a capacity 20% larger than you need.
For dealing with long-term outages, consider solar power generators that use solar panels to recharge your batteries, allowing you to stay powered up indefinitely.
Battery chemistry is equally crucial, as LiFePO4 offers significantly more charging cycles, lasting 10-15 years or more, compared to lead-acid models, which typically last only 5 years. LiFePO4 batteries are also far less prone to the thermal runaway of older lithium-ion models.
Maximum output is essential when running multiple appliances simultaneously, particularly when one requires extra starting watts. This is where you want a model with an X-Boost or surge load to accommodate short extra bursts of wattage.
Portability may be a factor if you want the freedom to take one of your batteries with you on an RV, camping trip, road trip, etc.
Port options are important when you want to plug in essential appliances rather than having the battery tied to your home. You need enough of the correct output ports to run your appliances, and the right input ports to recharge using AC, DC, solar, etc.
Do you need your battery to operate as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)? This is critical for protecting sensitive electronics and allows for seamless switching to backup power, ensuring that lights and essential appliances never miss a beat.
Finally, always choose quality products backed by reliable warranties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Size Battery Do I Need To Power My Whole House?
The size of the battery you need depends on the number of appliances you need to run. For an average home, a 30kWh battery will run it for 1-3 days, depending on your energy usage. Larger homes may require more capacity, while smaller homes require less.
How Long Can a Home Battery Backup System Run During an Outage?
How long your battery backup system runs during an outage depends on your energy usage. A 30kWh battery will power most homes for 1-3 days, but the more energy you use, the faster you’ll deplete your capacity unless paired with solar panels, which would keep your home running indefinitely.
Can a Home Battery System Work Without Solar Panels?
Yes, a home battery system will still work without solar panels. However, if the grid is down for an extended period of time, without solar panels, you will eventually run out of power and have to wait for the grid to be restored to recharge the batteries.
Are Home Battery Backup Systems Worth the Investment?
Yes, home battery backup systems are well worth the investment for energy independence and peace of mind when the electrical grid inevitably fails. With battery backup, you can keep essential appliances or your entire home running.
Ready to Discover Ecoflow’s Scalable Whole-Home Battery Backup Systems?
Whether you’re preparing for severe storms or want greater energy independence, battery backup systems offer scalable solutions for every household, whether you start with a whole-home solution like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X or the customizable and expandable EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus. With their smart controls, fast charging, and reliable LiFePO4 battery chemistry, battery backup systems will keep your home safe, connected, and powered through anything.