Generac has recently introduced new products and capabilities to the PWRcell product line that turn the promise of whole home solar backup power into reality. These innovations make Generac’s PWRcell system the first solar + storage system to be capable of providing intelligently managed backup power to the entire home. The products include the new PWRcell Automatic Transfer Switch, known as the PWRcell ATS, with integrated load management; new higher-capacity batteries rated up to 18 kWh; and an outdoor-rated enclosure that allows for a simple, flexible and 100% outdoor installation.
The PWRcell ATS unlocks the potential to provide whole home power. While other battery storage systems’ capabilities are usually limited to a few preselected loads during an outage, PWRcell ATS allows Generac’s system to power the entire electrical panel. In the event of a power outage, the PWRcell ATS disconnects from the grid, allowing the whole home to be islanded as power is routed from the battery and solar array to the home’s electrical panel. Since Generac protects the entire home, the need to move or transfer circuits to a separate sub-panel is eliminated, reducing system complexity and installation time.
Generac has also unlocked additional power output and is introducing a combination of load management options. With improved performance, the PWRcell inverter can now deliver 9 kW of backup power from a single battery and up to 11 kW from a dual battery system. Generac Smart Management Modules (SMMs) allow that power to work smarter by managing home loads. When paired together, the PWRcell ATS and SMMs allow up to 12 circuits to be managed and prioritized. The PWRcell system not only keeps all the essentials running, but it can start larger home appliances like air conditioners and water heaters during a utility power outage, which competing systems can’t handle.
PWRcell has always been the largest energy storage system available, but it just got bigger. Generac is introducing the premium “EX” lithium-ion battery module, featuring 5% more battery capacity and improved thermal performance when compared with the standard PWRcell battery modules. PWRcell batteries installed with the optional EX modules will now store up to 18 kWh of usable capacity.
System installers will also have the option to offer the all-new outdoor-rated battery cabinet. This enclosure was purposefully designed to take advantage of the improved thermal range of the new EX battery modules. The option to install outdoors is not only faster and more convenient, it allows installers to meet code requirements for storage and frees up valuable interior space for your customer.
With the superior system design flexibility afforded by a single product system, Generac installers can give customers a complete whole home power solution for the first time. While power outages cause constant threats to comfortable living, the Generac PWRcell systems add confidence, cost savings and flexibility for the whole home.
