Can You Get Home Battery Backup Without Solar, Which Products Allow It, and What Does It Cost?
Summary
Yes, with some products and not others, and it costs about what a battery costs with solar. Tesla's Powerwall support page has a section titled "Without Solar" describing grid charging at cheap hours and automatic backup in an outage, but adds that grid charging can be restricted by the utility or installer. Enphase's compatibility table lists only configurations that include solar. FranklinWH describes grid charging for the aPower 2. Base Power installs a battery it keeps owning, for a $695 installation fee in Texas plus $19 a month and electricity bought from Base. Installed prices run about $1,159 per kWh on EnergySage's data, Tesla at $13,055 for 13.5 kWh. The limit is physical: without solar, a battery delivers what it stored before the outage and nothing after.
Product by product
| Product | Without solar? | What the maker says |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall | yes, with a condition | a "Without Solar" section: charges from the grid when rates are low, discharges when high, backs up the home in an outage. Grid charging is set by the utility or installer; the app shows "Grid Charging Restricted" where it is not allowed, and in the U.S. Tesla ties the setting to tax-credit guidance that assumed solar charging |
| Enphase IQ Battery 5P | not as listed | the installer compatibility table lists three configurations, every one with solar |
| FranklinWH aPower 2 | yes | described as storing grid power as well as solar |
| Base Power | yes, as a service | the company owns the battery; the homeowner pays an installation fee and buys electricity from Base |
| Portable power station | yes | charges from a wall outlet; feeds only what is plugged in unless a transfer panel is installed |
What it costs
| Route | Price seen |
|---|---|
| Installed home battery, national average | about $1,159 per kWh; about $15,650 for 13.5 kWh (EnergySage, updated 2026-08-26) |
| Tesla, installed | $967 per kWh; $13,055 for 13.5 kWh |
| Base Power, Texas (Oncor area example) | $695 installation, $19 a month, 13.9 cents per kWh all-in; 12-year battery agreement, $500 early de-install |
| Base Power, Illinois (ComEd area) | $95 installation for the first 2,000 homes (was $695), no membership fee, energy 25 to 27% below ComEd's Price to Compare |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3, 4 kWh portable | $2,799 on October 4, 2026; Smart Home Panel 2 $1,599 plus an electrician for automatic switchover |
Absent solar, there is no 25D credit question to ask; the credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 in any case.
The physics that does not change
DOE's resilience guidance describes long-outage backup as "solar and its associated energy storage": the battery carries the night, the panels refill it by day. A battery alone carries one night, or part of a day, and then waits for the grid. For a 13.5 kWh Powerwall that is about 34 hours at a 400 W average load by the arithmetic in our nighttime-outage guide, and about 2.7 hours at 5 kW. If outages where you live run longer than that, the choice is solar, a generator, or a smaller load list.
When it still makes sense
- Time-of-use rates: charging at the low rate and discharging at the high one is the use Tesla's "Without Solar" section is written for, and it pays whether or not an outage ever comes.
- A roof that cannot take panels, or a rental: Base Power's model and the portable route both avoid roof work.
- Short, frequent outages: a battery that covers hours, not days, covers most of them.
Shopping for one? Browse home backup power stations →
Sources
- Tesla — How Powerwall Works
- Tesla — Powerwall Modes (Grid Charging)
- Enphase — Storage compatibility (installers)
- FranklinWH — aPower 2 Home Battery Backup
- Base Power — Pricing
- Base Power — Illinois
- EnergySage — Energy storage (updated 2026-08-26)
- U.S. Department of Energy — Solar and Resilience Basics
- EcoFlow US — DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station
- EcoFlow US — Smart Home Panel 2
We have not tested these products. Specs, prices, stock and terms are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.