Tesla Powerwall 3 vs Enphase IQ Battery 10C, from the datasheets
The Powerwall 3 holds more (13.5 kWh against 10 kWh) and can deliver more (up to 11.5 kW against 7.08 kW). The Enphase 10C promises a longer warranty, 15 years against 10, but a lower share of capacity at the end: 60% against 70%. Neither document prints a price, so this page compares what the manufacturers published.
Data as of 8 Nov 2026, source: Tesla Powerwall 3 datasheet (2025); Tesla warranty Rev. 2.6; Enphase DSH-00565-10.0 (22 Jul 2026)
Energy and power
The two datasheets name capacity differently. Tesla gives "nominal battery energy" of 13.5 kWh AC for one Powerwall 3, measured at 25 C at beginning of life, and states no separate usable figure. Enphase gives a usable capacity of 10.0 kWh and says it already includes a 2% safety limit and 3% overnight reserve. So 13.5 against 10 compares a nominal figure with a usable one, so the gap in energy you can actually draw cannot be read from the two numbers alone.
On power, a Powerwall 3 installs at one of four ratings, with 11.5 kW the highest. The 10C is rated 7.08 kW. Divided by capacity that is 0.85 kW per kWh for Powerwall 3 at its top setting and 0.71 kW per kWh for the 10C (derived). Both can be paired in larger systems, which raises the totals for either.
Derived: energy at end of warranty is the energy figure times the promised percentage (70% and 60%). Tesla rates at 13.5 kWh and Enphase at 10 kWh, as above. The methodology page shows the arithmetic. For how long either runs a given load, use the runtime calculator.
How each one connects to solar
Powerwall 3 is a DC-coupled system: its datasheet describes a fully integrated solar and battery system with an inverter that takes up to 20 kW of DC solar input. The 10C is AC-coupled: it carries four embedded IQ8B microinverters and works with Enphase microinverters, the IQ Combiner 6C and the IQ Meter Collar named in its data sheet. The Powerwall 3 datasheet also shows a Backup Gateway 2 configuration that supports up to 10 AC-coupled Powerwalls with partial home backup, so the Tesla unit is not DC-only.
Berkeley Lab's August 2026 data update says the shift toward Powerwall 3 contributed to a drop in module-level power electronics, because Powerwall 3 systems in their typical DC-coupled setup "do not readily allow" their use. The lab's statement is about market data, not a product test. If a house already has microinverters, ask the installer how the battery will connect, and have a licensed electrician and the local code authority sign off on whatever design results.
Warranty
Tesla's warranty (Rev. 2.6, effective 6 May 2026) promises 70% of 13.5 kWh at 10 years. Cycles are unlimited for solar self-consumption, time-based control and backup. For any other application, or any mix that includes one, the term carries a 37.8 MWh throughput limit. Enphase's data sheet says 60% capacity, up to 15 years, or 6,000 cycles, whichever comes first, and restrictions apply. At 10 kWh that is 60 MWh (derived) or 6000 full cycles.
In kilowatt-hours the end-of-term promises are 9.45 kWh after 10 years for Powerwall 3 and 6 kWh after up to 15 years for the 10C (both derived). They are different terms, so the numbers do not rank the batteries. The Tesla warranty also says that a unit offline for a long period or never registered may not get the full ten years, because Tesla relies on remote firmware updates. Enphase's full warranty text was not read for this page, so we cannot compare offline conditions. Terms for more brands are in the warranty comparison.
Full spec table
| Spec | Tesla Powerwall 3 | Enphase IQ Battery 10C |
|---|---|---|
| Energy as stated | 13.5 kWh nominal, AC, beginning of life, 25 C | 10.0 kWh usable (includes a 2% safety limit and 3% overnight reserve) |
| Continuous output | 5.8, 7.6, 10 or 11.5 kW, configurable; up to 15.4 kW off-grid with PV only under conditions in a footnote | 7.08 kVA, 7.08 kW maximum continuous discharge, at 240 VAC |
| Motor start | 185 LRA load start | 90 A LRA power start, "may vary"; 56 A peak for 3 s, 44.8 A for 10 s |
| Efficiency as stated | 89% solar to battery to home or grid (typical solar shifting, 25 C); 97.5% solar to home or grid | 90% AC round trip at 50% power; 96% DC round trip |
| Coupling | DC: integrated hybrid inverter, up to 20 kW DC solar, 6 MPPTs | AC: four embedded IQ8B grid-forming microinverters |
| Chemistry | Not stated | Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
| Scaling in the datasheet | Up to 4 Powerwall 3 units and up to 3 expansion units, 7 units in total | Not stated in the data sheet pages read |
| Size | 1105 x 609 x 193 mm (43.5 x 24 x 7.6 in) | 621 x 708 x 365 mm (24.5 x 28 x 14.4 in), H x W x D |
| Weight | 291.2 lb installed unit (132 kg); battery alone 272.5 lb | 317 lb total installed (144 kg); max lifting weight 125 lb |
| Operating range | -20 to 50 C, may derate above 40 C | Charge -20 to 50 C, discharge -20 to 55 C |
| Enclosure and noise | NEMA 3R, IP67 battery; under 50 dB(A) typical at 1 m | NEMA 3R; under 33 dBA at 1 m, passive cooling |
| Warranty | 10 years, 70% of 13.5 kWh; unlimited cycles for self-consumption, time-based control and backup, else 37.8 MWh | Up to 15 years or 6,000 cycles, whichever first; 60% capacity |
Copied from the Tesla Powerwall 3 datasheet (2025 edition), the Tesla Powerwall Limited Warranty (USA) Rev. 2.6 and Enphase data sheet DSH-00565-10.0, all read 8 Nov 2026. Tesla's start rating is LRA and Enphase also gives amps, so the two motor-start lines are not directly comparable. The two efficiency figures use different boundaries and should not be subtracted. Weight per kWh, derived from the installed weights above, is 21.6 lb for Powerwall 3 and 31.7 lb for the 10C, with the caveat that the two weights include different parts.
Backup, programs and price
Both manufacturers describe whole-home backup with the right accessories: Tesla with Gateway 3 or a Backup Switch, Enphase with its IQ Meter Collar. What a given house can back up depends on its panel, loads and service, and that is a design job for a licensed installer working to the electrical code and the local utility's rules.
Utility programs often list both models. Green Mountain Power lists Powerwall 3 and Enphase IQ Battery, and Xcel Energy's Colorado program accepts all Tesla Powerwall models and all current Enphase models. See the battery incentives ledger for amounts, status and dates. The federal homeowner credit does not apply to installs finished after 31 Dec 2025, as the federal status page explains.
Neither document prints a price, and we assign none to either model. EnergySage's brand averages from the first half of 2026 are $967 per kWh for Tesla and $1,429 per kWh for Enphase Energy, but each covers every model the brand sells, so they are not prices for these two. See home battery cost for how that figure was built and what else it leaves out. The rest of the field is in the battery comparison.
What is not compared
Installed price, installer quality, app and software behavior, field failure rates and real-world efficiency are outside the datasheets, and we did not test either unit. Capacity retention is a promise at the end of the term, not a measurement. The Tesla datasheet is the 2025 edition linked above; Tesla may revise it. Enphase's revision history on the data sheet lists July 2026 as editorial updates only.
- Tesla, Powerwall 3 datasheet, 2025 edition, read 8 Nov 2026.
- Tesla, Powerwall Limited Warranty (USA), Rev. 2.6, effective 6 May 2026, read 8 Nov 2026.
- Enphase, IQ Battery 10C data sheet DSH-00565-10.0, 22 Jul 2026, read 8 Nov 2026.
- Berkeley Lab, U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update, Aug 2026, read 8 Nov 2026.
- Green Mountain Power and Xcel Energy program pages, linked in the incentives ledger.