Given that climate instability, power outages, and the price of energy are now considered the norm, choosing a house battery storage system is no longer optional; it has become a necessity. At BatteryEVO we have the pleasure of offering the Walrus G4 Plus, a home battery solution that leaves most of the competition scrambling to catch up with it in almost every regard. Today, we are going to compare the Walrus G4 Plus against one of its closest competitors, the FranklinWH Home Power system.
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Usable Capacity: Walrus Offers More Energy, More Security
When it comes to energy storage, usable capacity is king. The Walrus G4 Plus offers a whopping 23 kWh of usable capacity-significantly more than the 13.6 kWh provided by the FranklinWH aPower battery. While FranklinWH may stack up to 204 kWh (15 units), high-capacity single units from Walrus means fewer components and lower installation complexity, all of which add to better performance in the field.
Power Output: 16.5 kVA vs. 10 kW — No Contest
The Walrus G4 Plus is engineered for homes with a demand for performance. With a 16.5 kVA inverter, its continuous power output and surge handling are better than FranklinWH's 10 kW continuous / 15 kW surge rating. This allows the system to run large appliances such as HVAC systems, EV chargers, and pool pumps comfortably, tripping neither the battery nor requiring additional inverter capacity.
Solar Input & PV Compatibility: G4 Plus Charges Faster
The Walrus G4 Plus provides support for 8,000 watts of solar input capacity. This ensures a faster recharge cycle and better compatibility with modern high output solar panel arrays. FranklinWH's aPower is an AC coupling solution with compatibility to both string and microinverters though comes with a much lower intake amperage and thus limits extent of recharge speed during peak sunlight hours.
EV Charger Support & Load Control: G4 Plus Built for the Future
Need hassle-free EV charger integration? The entire suite of the Walrus G4 Plus offers: EV-Charging pass-through features, with superior load management via its intelligent controller. With respect to FranklinWH's aGate, it improves the smart circuit control; however, no direct passthrough is available, which mandates additional setup.
Off-Grid Capability & Reliability: Walrus Wins the Tough Jobs
Whether you're powering up a remote cabin through which you're preparing for grid failure, this is all about independence: The G4 Plus is completely off-grid and black-start capable, putting it above Franklin-wh, which was off-grid capable but still required the aGate for most functionality. Walrus has true microgrid-readiness out of the box.
Efficiency & Standby Consumption: Walrus Sleeps Smarter
The G4 Plus beats FranklinWH with sleep mode efficiency and negligible idle consumption. This is true since while Franklin's round-trip efficiency is about 89%, many of the real users reported reductions to 76-78% because of idle loads and internal electronic components.
Installation Simplicity: Avoid Main Panel Upgrades
Walrus keeps it simple. Its high single-unit output and built-in 16.5 kVA inverter reduce the need for complex wiring or main panel upgrades. FranklinWH uses a 280A busbar and is retrofit-ready, but often requires smart circuit rewiring.
Build Quality & Weatherproofing: Industrial-Grade Protection
Housing NEMA 3R and function in an operation range of -4°F to 122°F, the Walrus G4 Plus implements cooling for <30 dB operation without fans. Very much akin to the flood impact of Hurricane Ian is IP67 protection from FranklinWH, flood-tested for its durability; however, the Walrus achieves that protection using fewer parts.
Warranty & Support: Long-Term Reliability
BatteryEVO strongly backs Walrus G4 Plus with a warranty of 12 years and supreme customer support. With about 12 years (or 43-60 MWh throughput) of warranty from FranklinWH, they are also dependent on third-party certified installers for the acquisitions. Whereas, with the direct model of BatteryEVO, the customer may access prompt resolution and support.
Cost & ROI: More Power Per Dollar
While FranklinWH initiation revenues above $18,000 before incentives, modularity features fitted, out of the box, Walrus G4 Plus gives larger capacity and power. Less costly per kWh, built-in inverter and not much else needed at home brings the return on investment quicker.
Real-World Application: Walrus Is Built for Modern Homes
From smart load control through EV charging to the entire house backup, the Walrus G4 Plus is quite impressive in every aspect. FranklinWH, however, does not match the performance-first user standards while doing well for smaller homes or grid-tied applications.
Final Verdict: Walrus G4 Plus Is the Smarter Choice
BatteryEVO's Walrus G4 Plus is the clear winner when it comes to energy independence, power output, easy installation, and long-term ROI against FranklinWH.
Discover the Walrus G4 Plus today at BatteryEVO.com and start your journey to smarter energy independence.
FAQS
Q: How much does the Franklin Powerwall cost compared to the Walrus G4 Plus?
Basically, a FranklinWH battery system costs from about $18,000 before incentives, and that's for one unit at 13.6 kWh. So, in order to match the Walrus G4 Plus's total useable capacity of 23 kWh, every homeowner would need to buy additional devices, increasing the cost floor. The G4 Plus is backed by truly few components and delivers more power and capacity at a lower ongoing comparison dollar per dollar cost-a far better choice for homeowners looking for real backup performance.
Q: Where are FranklinWH batteries manufactured?
BatteryEVO's Walrus G4 Plus is engineered for an industrial-grade resilience with a NEMA 3R enclosure and wide operating temperature, suitable for simplified installation-all hand-crafted with performance-first quality for U.S. homes. In contrast, FranklinWH builds their batteries in Shenzhen, China, and designs them in San Francisco.
Q: What is better than a Powerwall or FranklinWH?
The best competition remains the Walrus G4 Plus, which boasts an impressive usable capacity (23 kWh as compared to 13.6 kWh), inverter capacity (16.5 kVA as compared to 10 kW), and solar input (8,000 watts) even higher. It goes even beyond these features with EV charger passthrough, microgrid readiness, and sleep mode efficiency-all making it much more a whole-home and off-grid appliance than either of the Tesla Powerwall and FranklinWH.
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If we take into account the numbers regarding upfront costs, FranklinWH might seem a cheaper price tag; however, once comparisons are made about needing several units to achieve a similar capacity or the added complexity in installation and lower inverter output, FranklinWH is actually more expensive in the long term. The Walrus G4 Plus has a lower cost per kWh, a quicker ROI, and greater reliability, especially when considering federal tax credits, SGIP incentives, and time-of-use savings.
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