Anker’s minimalistic home backup batteries are ready for blackout season

Nearly a year since it was first announced, Anker is finally selling its Solix whole-home battery backup solution in North America. The Solix X1 is just 5.9 inches thick and attaches to a wall like a Tesla Powerwall. It’s a more permanent and minimalist alternative to Anker’s modular F3800 kits, which can be quickly detached to power a weekend away. 

The Solix X1 can be configured to deliver between 3kW and 36kW of power with a stackable design that supports between 5kWh and 180kWh of LFP battery capacity. It’s covered by a warranty of 10 years or 16.5MWh throughput, whichever comes first. Cutover from the grid to the battery happens in less than 20ms, so you might not even notice the next power outage.

Calculating how much power and capacity you need can be tricky, but fortunately, you can expand the Solix X1 over time as your needs and budget allow. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the average US home consumed 889kWh per month in 2022, or about 29.2kWh per day. But your battery system can be configured with much less capacity if you’re only interested in powering critical devices like the fridge, freezer, sump pump, and a few lights during blackouts, which are happening more frequently due to the rise in extreme weather.

Like other home backup systems, the Solix X1 will automatically charge itself if severe weather is forecasted. It’s also designed to operate normally in temperatures as high as 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) or as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) thanks to batteries that are automatically heated as the temperature drops. It has a NEMA Type 4 ingress rating against dust and rain, making it suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Anker says the Solix X1 operates at 35dB (which is slightly louder than a home theater projector) in temps below 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

The Solix X1 requires professional installation and can be integrated with solar panels to create your own micro-grid after purchasing enough modules. Or you can use it to collect energy during the day and then feed it back into the home at night to lower energy bills. It also supports California’s Net Energy Metering 3.0 (NEM 3.0) policy so X1 owners can sell electricity back to the grid at peak hours.