Kohler launches battery storage system

Kohler Power has launched a line of energy storage batteries targeting home standby and small commercial applications. Kohler said the new Power Reserve batteries are a milestone in its global initiative to support sustainability innovations and drive continual improvement within the housing industry.

Kohler has launched its Power Reserve range of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries targeting home standby and light commercial standby power applications.

“For over 100 years Kohler has provided distributed energy solutions that power the world’s homes and businesses,” said Brian Melka, Kohler Power Group president.

“We are leveraging that history of trusted expertise to improve the power resiliency of homes and small businesses through this exciting product launch.

“Clean energy plays a crucial role in the future of sustainable living and the continued expansion of Kohler Power for the next 100 years.”

Kohler said the new Power Reserve line offers customers a modular backup system to store and access energy produced by their home’s solar systems. For non-solar powered homes, the system offers a way to store energy from the grid during times of lower rates and then rely on the batteries for power during peak rate periods while providing the home with back-up power in case of a power outage.

The systems consist of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and inverters that are designed to couple with ac or dc circuits. The batteries are available in battery capacities of 10, 15 and 20 kWh and maximum outputs of 7.6 to 9 kw (5.76 to 7.6 kW continuous). Weighing from 346 to 580 lb., they can be installed indoors or outdoors and are compatible with any solar panel installation, the company said.

All of the batteries carry a three-year/3 MWh per kW battery warranty and Kohler said the system meets UL (1741 SA, 9540 and 954OA), CA Rule 21, HECO Rule 14, IEEE (1547 and 1547.1) and CSA 22 regulations.

Managed by app

Homeowners can access and manage their stored power in the Kohler Power Reserve system through an app designed to provide insights into real-time power flow for the home, timeline of power information for the day and historical statistics for the system. It also allows users to choose the operation mode for their system – backup, self-supply, time-of-use or custom – to personalize their battery’s storage and output.

“The new Kohler Power Reserve product line allows us to support customers who have invested in solar energy for their homes by offering them a smart storage solution to efficiently optimize their home’s power usage,” said Kyle Brandemuhl, Kohler Power general manager of Residential and Power Products. “With this modular system, homeowners can more easily access their stored solar energy for use at night, on cloudy days, or as a backup system for when the grid goes down.”

New opportunity for dealers

Kohler Power said it is expanding its dealer program with this new product line, offering the opportunity for existing dealers to diversify their services and for new interested partners to join the Kohler Power Dealer Network. Interested partners can learn more about the advantages of being a Kohler dealer by visiting the Kohler Clean Energy Dealer website.