Home Batteries By The Beach: Watch For Warranty Exclusions

Sun, surf, sand – and solar batteries. Some home battery manufacturers have warranty exclusions for coastal installations that prospective beachside-dwelling buyers should be aware of; and even Australians living a little further away.

Anker Solix is a relative newcomer to the Australian residential energy storage scene, and last week showcased its wares at an event held in Sydney. Among the features of the Anker X1 home battery is C5-M corrosion rating. According to Anker Solix, the X1 has undergone a 1000-hour neutral salt spray test, surpassing the industry standard of 480 hours.

“Unlike some lower anti-corrosion rated products that are limited to urban or industrial settings, the Anker SOLIX X1 system can be confidently installed in coastal and offshore areas without the worry of corrosion,” says the firm.

But Anker Solix excludes defects or parts that need to be replaced due to corrosion or rust according to the X1 warranty document. It’s a good thing corrosion isn’t a worry according to their press release. Should it prove otherwise, the company’s statement above could be considered an express warranty – an additional promise a business may make about a product or service that doesn’t appear in the written warranty.

Corrosion concerns aside, some manufacturers make installation within X distance of the coast a specific warranty exclusion – and that’s something coastal battery buyers should check for. Curious as to how common this exclusion is, I flicked through the warranties of a bunch of residential energy storage solutions (but not all) currently listed on SolarQuotes’ home battery comparison table.

No Coastal Exclusion Mentioned

When going through the warranties, I searched for the terms “salt”, “coast” and “corrosion”. The following battery warranties didn’t mention any of these terms in the exclusions listed.

As for RedEarth Sunrise, it just mentions corrosion or weathering that does not have an adverse impact on performance.

No Coastal Exclusion, But …

These were a bit trickier – it depends on how the manufacturer applies the warranty exclusion. If you’re considering installing any of these batteries and you live in a coastal location, do your due diligence.

• AlphaESS Smile 5 – Doesn’t mention coastal installations specifically, but foreign material contamination (e.g. dirt, smoke, salt, chemicals and other impurities).
• SolarEdge Home Battery – Mentions corrosion among “force majeure” events.
• iStore Smart Battery – Coastal areas or salt not mentioned, but “damage as a result of natural wear and tear i.e. caused by site specific conditions such as vermin” is.
• Eveready Energy Vault – Mentions foreign material contamination (e.g. dirt, smoke, salt, chemicals and other impurities).
• JinkoSolar Suntank – Mentions foreign material contamination (as above).
• Soltaro AIO2 – Mentions abnormal environment (such as acid rain, salt, chemical substances or other pollution) or extremely rapid change of surroundings, corrosion, oxidation.
• Enphase 5P – Exclusion if “installed or used in an unsuitable environment” and also if subject to “generalized corrosion”, but doesn’t mention salt or coastal areas specifically.

Coastal Warranty Exclusions

• Bluetti EP760 – Can’t be installed indoors within 1km of the coastline or outdoors within 2km of the coastline.
• GoodWe Lynx – A warranty exception is “Faults or damage caused by exposure to sea coasts/saltwater or other aggressive atmospheres or environmental conditions without GOODWE’s written confirmation/approval prior to the installation.”
• Sigenergy Sigenstor – Warranty exclusion if the battery is installed in coastal areas within 500 meters of the coastline.
• SunPower Reserve – Can’t be installed within 500 meters of a coastline.

IMPORTANT: As mentioned, these details were sourced from our home battery comparison table, and the warranty documents on hand at the time of listing or updating. As warranties can change, check for the latest documentation before making a purchase decision regardless of which category a battery has been placed in above. If still in doubt, get it in writing from the manufacturer that your coastal location will be covered.

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/batteries-coastal-warranty-mb3160/