Instead of running the wiring in a home’s breaker box, the BioLite Backup The home backup power solution relies on thin battery panels that can be placed behind appliances to keep them running for days. It’s built around two 1.5 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, Backup Core and Backup Extend. Like any uninterruptible power supply, Backup Core stays permanently charged from a wall outlet while power is available, then kicks in to keep whatever is plugged into it running during a power outage.
If you need more backup power, up to five Backup Extend units can be connected to a Backup Core unit to expand total capacity to 9 kWh, and you don’t need a contractor or electrician to install anything.
The BioLite system was designed to be a cheaper and simpler alternative to whole-home backup power solutions that rely on a central battery or gas-powered generator to keep the entire home running during a power outage. A natural gas generator alone can cost upwards of $5,000, while installing a Tesla Powerwall can cost upwards of $10,000.
The Backup Core battery panel will sell for $1,999, but BioLite will also offer a $2,999 Backup Complete solution, which combines a Core with a single Extend battery, which is eligible for a 30 percent home energy tax credit. The company says the 3kWh Backup Complete has enough capacity to keep an 18-cubic-foot refrigerator running for up to 60 hours or a larger 26-cubic-foot refrigerator on for up to 30 hours, while still allowing for occasional use of lights or other smaller appliances.
BioLite is bringing its backup power solution to consumers through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which launches today, with discounts for early backers or those who choose to put down a deposit and pay in full via an installment plan later. Although the company has been around since 2006, making products like a power-generating camp stove, this will be its most expensive offering to date – and the usual caveats and risks of crowdfunded products apply here.
Backup by BioLite batteries are 73cm tall and weigh between 15 and 18kg. However, each is just 7cm thick, allowing them to be mounted behind appliances or furniture out of sight, using hardware that takes about 30 minutes to install, the company says. But permanent installation is not necessary, as BioLite says the batteries will work just as well if placed on top of a fridge or under a bed.