Powerwall 3 vs FranklinWH aPower 2: Which Is Right for Your Home
Written by HyreSolar Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
Quick answer
Powerwall 3 vs FranklinWH aPower 2 comes down to upfront cost, lifetime savings and how long you plan to stay in the home; here is each factor side by side.
On the headline numbers they are close: 13.5 kWh and 11.5 kW for Powerwall 3, 15 kWh and 10 kW for aPower 2, and both data sheets state a 185 LRA motor start.
What separates them is design. Powerwall 3 has a solar inverter built in, so it takes new panels directly. aPower 2 is AC-coupled and works with any existing solar inverter through FranklinWH’s aGate. aPower 2 also publishes a 15-year or 60 MWh warranty and LFP chemistry; Powerwall 3 publishes 10 years and no chemistry.
Cost side by side
Installed prices as other publishers state them, gross of incentives. Each range is the median published low to the median published high across at least 12 dated sources, retrieved October 21–22, 2026; the source rows sit on the linked cost page.
| Option | Published range | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Powerwall 3, installed | $13,000–$16,000 | 17 dated |
| Adding a battery to existing solar | $10,000–$18,000 | 12 dated |
No 30% federal credit is subtracted: Section 25D ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025.
The two data sheets side by side
| Specification | Tesla Powerwall 3 | FranklinWH aPower 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Usable energy per unit | 13.5 kWh AC | 15 kWh AC |
| Continuous discharge | 11.5 kW AC | 10 kW / 11.5 kVA |
| Peak and motor start | 185 LRA load start | 15 kW for 10 s; 25 kW for 1 s; 185 A LRA |
| Charge power | 5 kW | 8 kW |
| Coupling | Integrated solar inverter, 6 MPPTs, up to 20 kW solar | AC-coupled; any solar inverter, via the aGate |
| Maximum units | 4 | 15 per aGate (up to 225 kWh) |
| Round-trip efficiency | 89% solar-to-battery-to-home | 90% grid-to-battery-to-load |
| Chemistry | Not stated on the data sheet | Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
| Warranty | 10 years; no throughput or retention figure | 15 years or 60 MWh throughput |
| Enclosure notes | Floor or wall mount; 130 kg | Indoor/outdoor; IP67 battery pack; flood resistance up to 29 in |
Tesla Powerwall 3 Datasheet (2024) and FranklinWH aPower 2 datasheet (V2.0), read 22 October 2026. The efficiency figures measure different paths.
New system or existing system decides most of it
On a new solar-plus-battery install, Powerwall 3’s built-in inverter does the solar inverter’s job too: panels wire into its six inputs and charge the battery without an extra conversion, which Tesla puts at 97.5% solar-to-home. That can mean one box on the wall instead of two.
On a house that already has solar, aPower 2 is AC-coupled, so it does not care which inverter you have; FranklinWH’s aGate manages backup switching and the solar.
Powerwall 3 can also be added on the AC side, but its integrated inverter then goes partly unused. If you are adding storage to a system that works, ask both installers how each design treats your existing inverter. See AC vs DC coupling.
Power, charging and scale
Both publish 185 LRA, so on paper either should start a typical central air compressor; check your nameplate anyway. aPower 2 charges faster (8 kW against 5 kW), which matters when you want to refill from solar on a short winter day, and it publishes a 1-second 25 kW transient figure.
Powerwall 3 delivers more continuous power per unit (11.5 kW against 10 kW).
For very large homes or long outages, aPower 2 scales to 15 units on one aGate; Powerwall 3 to 4 units. Most homes need one or two of either. The battery sizing tool starts from your load list.
Savings over 25 years
Daily savings come from shifting solar into evening peak hours, and that depends on your tariff more than the brand.
The warranties decide what happens later. aPower 2’s 60 MWh cap is about 4,000 full cycles of 15 kWh, or roughly one a day for 11 years, so daily cyclers may reach the cap before the 15 years; backup-only owners will reach the 15 years first.
Powerwall 3 guarantees 10 years with no throughput or end-of-term capacity figure published. Budget for one replacement within 25 years either way; there is no homeowner federal credit after 2025.
What to ask both installers
- 1Which circuits are backed up, in writing
Whole-home designs often shed large 240-volt loads first. Get the list and check it against what you need in an outage.
- 2The combined surge for the proposed system
Both sheets state 185 LRA per unit. Compare it with the locked rotor amps on your air conditioner or well pump nameplate.
- 3What happens to my existing inverter
With Powerwall 3 on a retrofit, ask whether it is AC-side and what its integrated inverter does. With aPower 2, ask how the aGate controls your current inverter in an outage.
- 4Where the unit will be mounted, and which document allows it
aPower 2 publishes an IP67 battery pack and flood resistance up to 29 inches; Powerwall 3 mounts on floor or wall. Your fire code and building official decide the location.
- 5The warranty document itself
Read the term, any throughput cap and any end-of-term capacity figure in the warranty, not the brochure.
Which to choose if…
- 1You are buying panels and battery together
Powerwall 3’s integrated inverter may remove a separate inverter; price both designs.
- 2You are adding a battery to existing solar
aPower 2’s AC coupling works with any inverter; compare against an AC-side Powerwall 3 quote.
- 3You want the longest published warranty
aPower 2 publishes 15 years or 60 MWh; Powerwall 3 publishes 10 years.
- 4You need more than four batteries
Only aPower 2 scales beyond four units on one controller.
When you are ready
Ready to explore solar for your home?
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Keep learningQuestions
Which is better, Powerwall 3 or FranklinWH aPower 2?
Does aPower 2 work with my existing solar inverter?
How long does the aPower 2 warranty last?
Can either run my whole house?
Sources & retrieval dates
- Tesla Powerwall 3 Datasheet (2024) , 13.5 kWh AC, 11.5 kW AC continuous, 185 LRA load start, 6 MPPTs and up to 20 kW of solar input, 89% solar-to-battery-to-home efficiency, up to 4 units, 10-year warranty, UL 9540A wording; no chemistry row and no cycle or throughput figure. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- FranklinWH aPower 2 datasheet (V2.0) , AC-coupled, LFP, 15 kWh AC per unit, 10 kW / 11.5 kVA continuous, 15 kW for 10 seconds, 185 A LRA, 8 kW charge, 90% round trip, 15 years or 60 MWh throughput, up to 15 units per aGate. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
HyreSolar does not install, finance or sell solar. This page is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice; terms, prices and rules vary by state, utility and contract.