Battery storage
FranklinWH aPower 2 installer in Southern California
The aPower 2 is the biggest single home battery we install: 15 kWh usable, 10 kW continuous, a native generator port, and a 15-year warranty. Helios designs and installs it across Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and San Diego counties, alongside the Tesla Powerwall 3 and Enphase IQ Battery, so the recommendation you get is the right battery for your home.
Quick answer: FranklinWH aPower 2 in Southern California (September 2026)
- Price: one aPower 2 plus the required aGate controller typically costs $16,000–$21,000 installed through Helios, gross, before any incentive. A second unit adds roughly the battery-only cost.
- Capacity: 15 kWh usable and 10 kW continuous per unit, the largest single-unit capacity in the residential class. Two units give 30 kWh and 20 kW.
- Who it is for: larger homes, fire-zone and PSPS-exposed addresses that want multi-day backup, homeowners with a generator to integrate, and retrofits onto solar with a non-Tesla inverter.
- Warranty: 15 years or 60 MWh of throughput, whichever comes first.
- Incentives: the 30% federal residential credit expired December 31, 2025. A prepaid lease can still pass through roughly 30% via the commercial credit. SGIP applies only to CPUC Equity, Equity Resiliency, and qualifying resiliency tiers.
These are the gross prices Helios Energy Global quotes in Southern California; method and sources are at the end of this page.
aPower 2 vs. Powerwall 3 vs. Enphase IQ 10C.
We install all three. Here is how they line up on the numbers that decide a design.
| Spec | FranklinWH aPower 2 | Tesla Powerwall 3 | Enphase IQ Battery 10C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity (one unit) | 15 kWh | 13.5 kWh | 10 kWh |
| Continuous power | 10 kW | 11.5 kW | 7.08 kW (10.5 kW peak) |
| Coupling | AC-coupled, inverter-agnostic | DC-coupled with integrated solar inverter (AC-couples to existing solar) | AC-coupled, embedded IQ8B microinverters |
| Controller required | aGate | Backup Gateway | IQ System Controller 3 |
| Generator input | Native port on aGate | Not native; separate transfer equipment | Supported with the 3G controller variant |
| Warranty | 15 years / 60 MWh throughput | 10 years | 15 years / 6,000 cycles |
| Typical Helios installed price, one unit | $16,000–$21,000 (with aGate) | $14,500–$18,500 | $13,000–$15,500 (with controller) |
Prices are typical Helios installed ranges for one unit in Southern California, gross, before incentives. Full comparison, including runtime and price per kWh, in Powerwall 3 vs. Enphase vs. FranklinWH. Powerwall detail on our Powerwall install page; Enphase on our IQ Battery 10C page.
What a FranklinWH aPower 2 costs installed.
One aPower 2 with aGate: $16,000–$21,000 installed through Helios. Public estimates for the same system sit at $15,000–$20,000 (Solstice Solar, December 2025) and around $18,000 for a typical single-unit project (Solar.com). We sit about $1,000 above that band on purpose: owner-reviewed design, our own crews, and one gross price with the permit fee passed through at cost.
That number covers the battery, the aGate, mounting, wiring and conduit, the backup tie-in, permit, inspection, and interconnection paperwork. Four things move it.
Main panel upgrade
Homes with an older 100 A panel sometimes need a service upgrade before a whole-home battery can be tied in. Budget $3,000–$5,000 when the load calculation says it is required; many homes skip it entirely.
Whole-home vs. partial backup
The aGate can back up the entire panel. If you only want essentials covered, a critical-loads subpanel is a little more wiring but lets one aPower 2 stretch across multi-day outages.
Generator integration
The aGate has a native generator input, so an existing standby or portable generator can recharge the battery during a long PSPS event. The wiring, inlet, and interlock add a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars depending on the generator.
A second aPower 2
Two units give you 30 kWh and 20 kW continuous, enough to carry central air. Because the aGate, permit, and crew are shared, the second unit adds roughly the battery-only cost rather than doubling the project.
How to pay for it: cash, a solar loan, or our prepaid lease, which passes through roughly 30% up front because the financing partner claims the federal commercial credit. The residential credit is gone for 2026 purchases. Every option is explained on our financing page.
Why homeowners pick the aPower 2 over a Powerwall.
We are a Tesla Certified Installer and we install more Powerwalls than anything else. The aPower 2 wins a specific set of jobs, and it is worth being clear about which ones.
- 15 kWh in one box. Eleven percent more usable energy than a Powerwall 3, which is the difference between essentials lasting two days and lasting three during a PSPS event.
- A native generator port. The aGate accepts a generator input without third-party transfer hardware. For canyon and foothill homes with multi-day outage exposure, a small generator recharging a 15 kWh battery is the most practical resilience setup we know of.
- Inverter-agnostic retrofits. The aPower 2 AC-couples to whatever inverter you already have. If your solar was installed under NEM 2.0 with a SolarEdge or string inverter, you keep it and add storage without touching the array.
- Built for whole-home backup. The aGate can carry the full panel and manage two smart circuits, so large loads like a pool pump or EV charger can be shed automatically when the grid is down.
When the Powerwall 3 is the better call
- You are installing new solar. The Powerwall 3’s integrated solar inverter removes a separate inverter from the bill, and the combined project usually lands $1,500–$3,000 cheaper than a solar system plus an AC-coupled battery.
- You need the highest continuous power from one unit: 11.5 kW vs. 10 kW.
- Budget is the deciding factor. One Powerwall 3 installs for $14,500–$18,500; one aPower 2 for $16,000–$21,000.
Longer read: Tesla Powerwall 3 vs. FranklinWH aPower: which is right for you.
SGIP and time-of-use, without the sales gloss.
SGIP. The CPUC’s Self-Generation Incentive Program still funds batteries through its Equity and Equity Resiliency budgets (income-qualified households, and resiliency for High Fire Threat District or medical-baseline customers). The general-market residential budget is effectively waitlisted. We check your address and tier before quoting, and we do not book a rebate into your price unless you are eligible under the current CPUC rules.
Time-of-use. Under NEM 3.0, exported solar is worth a fraction of what you pay for grid power. The aGate’s scheduling shifts your midday production into the 4–9 PM peak, when SCE averages 48–58¢ per kWh in summer and SDG&E averages around 46¢ all day. LADWP customers pay closer to 28¢ with better export credits, so there the aPower 2 is a resilience purchase first and a savings tool second; we say so.
Design to Permission to Operate.
Most Southern California battery projects run four to ten weeks end to end. The install is one day; the rest is paperwork we handle.
Load calculation and design
We pull 12 months of utility data, walk the panel, and design for your actual loads. Taylor, the owner, reviews the design before it goes out.
Permit
Battery permits in most SoCal cities take days to a few weeks; a handful of jurisdictions are slower. Our permit-timeline page lists what to expect by city.
Installation
A single aPower 2 plus aGate is typically a one-day install. Two units or a panel upgrade can run a second day.
Inspection and PTO
City inspection, then utility Permission to Operate. SCE, SDG&E, and LADWP each have their own interconnection queue; we handle the paperwork and the follow-up.
City-by-city detail: battery permit and PTO timelines.
FranklinWH questions, answered.
- How much does a FranklinWH aPower 2 cost installed in Southern California?
- A single FranklinWH aPower 2 with the required aGate controller typically runs $16,000–$21,000 installed through Helios in 2026, before any incentive. Public market estimates put the same system at roughly $15,000–$20,000 (Solstice Solar, December 2025) and around $18,000 for a typical single-unit project (Solar.com). We position about $1,000 above the market range because every job is designed by the owner, installed by our own crews, and priced as one gross number with no financing markup hidden inside it.
- Is the aPower 2 better than a Tesla Powerwall 3?
- It depends on the job. The aPower 2 holds more energy (15 kWh vs. 13.5 kWh), has a native generator port, and AC-couples to any existing solar inverter, which makes it the stronger retrofit and the stronger deep-outage battery. The Powerwall 3 has more continuous power (11.5 kW vs. 10 kW), a built-in solar inverter that saves money on new solar-plus-storage installs, and a lower installed price. We install both and recommend based on your loads, not our inventory.
- Can I add a FranklinWH battery to solar someone else installed?
- Yes. Because the aPower 2 is AC-coupled and inverter-agnostic, it works with SolarEdge, Enphase, SMA, Fronius, and other string or microinverter systems without replacing your inverter. We will inspect the existing system, confirm it is producing as expected, and design the aGate tie-in around it.
- Will one aPower 2 run my whole house?
- For most homes without central air, yes: 10 kW continuous covers the fridge, lights, internet, well pump, and normal kitchen loads with room to spare, and 15 kWh usually carries essentials for two to three days when solar recharges it. Central air conditioning, EV charging, or an electric range push many homes to two units. We model your loads and show you the runtime before you sign.
- Does the federal tax credit apply to a FranklinWH battery in 2026?
- Not for a homeowner who buys the battery outright. The 30% residential credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025. What still exists is the federal commercial credit (Section 48E), which a financing partner can claim on a prepaid lease and pass through as roughly 30% off the top, with ownership transferring to you at the start of year 6. We show cash and prepaid-lease numbers side by side and recommend confirming the structure with your tax advisor.
- Do I qualify for SGIP on a FranklinWH battery?
- Only if your household fits one of the CPUC tiers that still has funding: the Equity and Equity Resiliency budgets for income-qualified customers, and resiliency support for homes in a High Fire Threat District or on a medical baseline. General-market residential SGIP is effectively waitlisted. We check your address and tier before we quote and never assume a rebate you may not receive.
- What is the aGate and do I need it?
- The aGate is the FranklinWH system controller: it senses the grid, islands your home during an outage, manages solar, battery, generator, and up to two smart circuits, and runs the time-of-use logic. Every aPower 2 installation requires one. Our installed price includes it.
- How long does the whole process take?
- From signed contract to Permission to Operate, most SoCal battery projects land between four and ten weeks. The install itself is usually one day; the rest is permit review and the utility interconnection queue. See our permit-timeline page for city-by-city detail.
Sources and method
The $16,000–$21,000 range is the gross installed price Helios Energy Global quotes for one aPower 2 with aGate in Southern California in 2026, set roughly $1,000 above the public market range below. Specifications are from the manufacturer. Incentive facts are from the IRS and CPUC. Electricity rates are utility averages we use in design modeling, not a guarantee of your bill.
- Solstice Solar — FranklinWH aPower 2 battery cost (Dec 12, 2025; $15,000–$20,000 installed with aGate)
- Solar.com — FranklinWH battery review (around $18,000 for a typical single-unit project)
- FranklinWH — aPower 2 and aGate product specifications (15 kWh usable, 10 kW continuous, 15-year / 60 MWh warranty)
- IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) (expired for systems purchased after December 31, 2025)
- CPUC — Self-Generation Incentive Program (Equity, Equity Resiliency, and general-market budget status)
Get a FranklinWH design for your home.
Real load modeling, honest runtime numbers, and one gross price with cash and prepaid-lease options side by side. The owner reviews it before it is sent.