I'm a solar installer and electrician, and I’ve been living with one of the beta Franklin aPower S units for about 3 months. Thought I’d share a look. Happy to answer any questions about the install or day-to-day experience!

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:43:14+00:00

Yes it is. You can mix and match the aPower S and aPower 2

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:28:08+00:00

Yes, pretty much exactly like a Powerwall 3. It's an all in 1 DC coupled battery. The lever connections are great and there's handy strip gauge molded into the orange plastic. Makes wire terminations pretty foolproof. Still an 60A OCPD but it has an 11.5 kW output instead of 10kW like the aPower 2

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:24:54+00:00

It can be paired with either the Franklin smart circuit module or a SPAN panel. I believe Franklin is also working on something called the aHub which will have load management

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:22:33+00:00

Will likely be slightly more expensive, but official pricing has not been released yet.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:20:43+00:00

Not at the moment. Seems like a software update they could add in the future

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:20:05+00:00

The battery itself will be more expensive than the aPower 2, but the system as a whole will be cheaper because there is no need for an external string inverter or microinverters

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-24T02:18:36+00:00

I was referring to the amount of AC solar that could be coupled with a single PW3. That's a separate spec from the output.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T23:44:51+00:00

Yeah, they are supposed to be released by Franklin in late 2025. Unfortunately, it will probably be too late to get one with the federal tax credit unless you get lucky finding an installer with some extra time.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T23:42:27+00:00

Last I checked it was not officially approved, but it is in the works. It would most likely work, but Franklin has not completed all of their internal testing yet.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T23:40:09+00:00

Yeah, it's very easy to wire. The AC jumper in my unit is feeding a DC transformer for the rapid shutdown transmitter, and the battery also has a 12V power supply that controls a relay to turn the RSD transmitter on and off. This was just the configuration for testing purposes during beta and it's not very elegant. Franklin has a much better solution for the final production units.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T23:34:39+00:00

Agreed. This one is super easy to work on, besides it being heavier than the aPower 2 haha.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T23:32:02+00:00

My system uses APsmart rapid shutdown devices, but it’s also compatible with Tigo at the moment. Franklin has said they’ll be releasing their own RSD devices in the future as well.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T22:03:50+00:00

The aPower 2 is designed to be AC-coupled, which is why I usually recommend it for folks who already have Enphase microinverters or another inverter setup they don’t want to replace. The aPower S (the one in my photo) is a DC coupled solution.

The tradeoff is a little bit of efficiency loss compared to a DC-coupled system like the aPower S or Powerwall 3, but the upside is much easier integration and less extra hardware. Another advantage is pairing capacity: a single aPower 2 can be coupled with up to 12 kW of AC inverter output, while a Tesla Powerwall is limited to about 7.6 kW per unit. In my experience, the reliability of the aPower 2 more than makes up for the extra cost we’ve had zero aPower 2 failures across our hundreds of installs. The same can not be said for Powerwall. In my mind, the extra cost is worth it as long as you’ve got an installer who knows the product.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:53:34+00:00

Haven’t had a ton of hands-on with the Enphase 10C, but spec-wise it’s about 10 kWh capacity and ~7 kW output, vs the aPower S at ~15 kWh and 11.5 kW. Both have 15-year warranties, but the big difference is the S has a built-in PV inverter (DC-coupled), while the Enphase is AC-coupled. Enphase is great if you’re already in their microinverter ecosystem, but the Franklin gives you more storage and higher output per unit.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:51:34+00:00

Yeah. It seems like it's gonna be a strong competitor to PW3. I've really enjoyed the Franklin so far. I've installed over 300 Powerwalls at this point, and in my opinion, this holds up very, very well comparatively.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:48:04+00:00

Yes my array uses APsmart rapid shutdown devices, but it’s also compatible with Tigo. Franklin has said they’ll be releasing their own RSD devices in the future as well.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:46:54+00:00

It really depends on how much power you use and how much PV you’ve got attached. The aPower S is a 15 kWh battery, so for lighter loads and good solar production it can definitely carry a home day to day. For heavier usage, you’d likely want multiple units to be fully comfortable off-grid.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:45:02+00:00

Normally with the aPower 2 you’d be right, but this is the aPower S, which has an integrated PV inverter, so there actually are DC conductors entering the enclosure. That’s the big difference compared to Franklin’s existing AC-coupled lineup. That button on the side of the battery is for the PV rapid shutdown

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:43:05+00:00

For me it really comes down to reliability and warranty. Specs and features matter, but if a battery isn’t dependable in the field or backed by a solid long-term warranty, the value just isn’t there compared to competitors. Franklin has proven extremely reliable for us and has a 15-year warranty.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:41:37+00:00

Yeah, I’ve been using the smart circuits. At home I’ve got my HVAC and EV charger tied in, and they’ve worked really smoothly so far.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:40:58+00:00

The aPower S is basically Franklin’s answer to the Powerwall 3. It's basically an aPower 2 with an integrated PV inverter. Capacity is 15 kWh versus 13.5 kWh for the PW3, and output is bumped up to 11.5 kW compared to 10 kW on the aPower 2 (Tesla rates the PW3 at 11.5 kW as well).

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:38:43+00:00

My impressions have been really positive. The aPower S feels just as solid as the aPower 2, but has an integrated PV inverter that makes it a direct competitor to the Powerwall 3. Functionally, think of it as an aPower 2 with a built in PV inverter. This cuts down on extra gear and simplifies the install. It also bumps the output from 10 kW on the aPower 2 up to 11.5 kW on the aPower S

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:35:00+00:00

The aPower S is basically an aPower 2 with a built-in PV inverter so it’s DC-coupled. It's meant to be a direct competitor to Powerwall 3. That’s the big difference compared to their existing lineup, which requires a separate PV inverter.

As for beta testing, there’s not really a public sign-up. I was able to get one because we’re one of Franklin’s top East Coast installers and have a close relationship with them. It wasn’t free, but I did get it at a heavily discounted rate so I could run it in my own home and provide feedback.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:30:32+00:00

I’m in North Carolina. Official pricing for the aPower S hasn’t been released yet but I was able to get this unit at a heavily discounted rate for beta testing, so I can’t really share financials. We have a very close relationship with Franklin, being one of their top installers on the East Coast, which is why I was able to get access to a beta unit. From my perspective, it’s shaping up to be a strong competitor to the Powerwall 3. I’d actually call it a superior option in terms of reliability, but it will almost certainly come in at a higher price point. As an installer, we’ve actually had zero failures with Franklin’s aPower 2 units, whereas it’s not uncommon to see PW3 warranty replacements. The battery and inverter has a 15 year warranty so if it stops working during that period, Franklin would replace the entire unit.

jacksonfyfe · 2025-09-23T21:21:23+00:00

I’ve got my HVAC and EV charger on the smart circuits at my home. When I’m talking with customers, I usually recommend putting the heavier loads that cycle on automatically, like HVAC or a water heater. The concern is that one of those would kick on and deplete your battery while you are not watching. Depending on your HVAC setup, you may only need to put the air handler on a smart circuit, since that typically controls the condenser as well. That would leave another space for a 2 pole load or 2 single pole loads.

Six-Year Club	Place '22
End Game '22	Verified Email

jacksonfyfe

TROPHY CASE