Home batteries are built to serve for many years, and manufacturer warranties typically cover 10 to 15 years. Rather than stopping on a set date, a battery keeps working year after year, holding slightly less charge as it ages, like a phone battery. Many keep working well beyond their warranty.
Because a battery is a long-term part of your home, it helps to have a local team that installs it, supports it, and stays with you for as long as you own it.
What the warranties cover
Battery warranties cover two things: how many years the battery is protected and how much of its original capacity it's warranted to retain at the end of that period.
The two batteries we install most often take slightly different approaches. The Tesla Powerwall 3 carries a 10-year warranty and is warranted to retain 80% of its capacity at the end of that term. The Enphase IQ Battery 5P comes with a 15-year warranty and is expected to retain 60% of its capacity at the end. Both are designed for years of daily use, and both come from established manufacturers that stand behind their equipment. Our Powerwall vs. Enphase comparison covers the other differences.
Warranty terms vary by model and can change over time, so we'll walk you through the current terms for the battery that fits your home before you decide.
How a battery ages
The lithium-ion cells in a home battery hold slightly less charge over time as they charge and discharge. It's a slow, predictable process that manufacturers plan for and warrant against. Years into ownership, a battery still covers your evenings and backs up your home, with a bit less stored energy than when it was new.
That predictability is a big part of why home batteries are such a dependable investment. You don't have to guess how they'll perform over time, and the warranty spells out exactly what you can expect.
What helps a battery serve longer
Much of a battery's long-term performance is set at installation, which is where an experienced installer earns its keep.
- Placement. Batteries do best in moderate temperatures when possible. Spots such as a garage or a shaded wall, and the North Bay's mild climate helps.
- Configuration. How you set up a battery affects how deeply it cycles each day. We configure every system for the homeowner's goals from the start, and you can fine-tune it later. Our post on home battery settings explains the backup reserve and how to adjust it through the year.
- Software. Manufacturers regularly send updates that improve how batteries manage their charge, and most install automatically through the app.
- Installation quality. A properly sized battery, wired cleanly, and integrated correctly with your solar is set up for a long service life. We install every system with our own licensed crews, never subcontractors.
Savings Batteries and Backup Batteries
Both battery types charge and discharge daily to cover your evening use, and both are built and warranted for that. A Backup Battery usually holds a reserve for outages, so it doesn't use its full capacity on a normal day. A Savings Battery has no backup role, so it can put more of its capacity toward daily savings. Either way, the battery is doing exactly what it was designed to do, and we'll help you choose the setup that matches whether outage protection matters to you.
Batteries and panels on different timelines
Solar panels are built to produce for 25 to 30 years, as we cover in how long solar panels last. Batteries have a shorter lifespan, so over a system's life, many homeowners will eventually add or upgrade a battery while their panels keep producing.
That's something to look forward to, not plan around. Battery technology keeps improving, so a battery added years from now is likely to hold more and do more than today's models, working with the same panels already on your roof.
Getting the most from your battery
- Keep an eye on your app. It shows how your battery charges and discharges each day. Our post on tracking your solar production covers what normal looks like.
- Adjust settings with the seasons. Many homeowners raise their backup reserve in winter and lower it in summer.
- Keep your paperwork. Warranty registration and installation records make any claim simple, and they transfer to the next owner if you sell.
If your battery ever needs attention, we take care of it
This is where an established local installer makes the biggest difference. If your battery ever needs service, our service team handles it from start to finish:
- We diagnose it and tell you plainly what we find. Often it's a settings or connectivity issue we can resolve quickly.
- We help with the warranty. If your battery is covered, we work through the manufacturer's process so you don't have to sort it out alone.
- We handle upgrades and additions when you're ready for more storage or a newer model.
- We work on any system, including batteries and solar installed by other companies or by installers no longer in business.
We've supported North Bay homes since 1984, so we're the kind of local team that's still here years after installation.
A long-term part of your home
A home battery is built for years of daily use, backed by manufacturer warranties, and supported by a team that knows your system. We design and install battery storage across Marin, Sonoma, and Napa. We're 100% employee-owned, licensed as a General Contractor (B) and Electrical Contractor (C-10), and one of the first companies in California to obtain the state's C-46 solar license.
Questions about adding a battery, or about the one you have? Contact SolarCraft or call Sonoma/Napa 707.778.0568 or Marin 415.382.7717.
