Enphase IQ Battery 10C vs FranklinWH aPower 2

If you’re shopping batteries in 2026, these two are on a lot of short lists for a reason: Enphase IQ Battery 10C is one of the most “power-dense” AC batteries in the mainstream market, and FranklinWH aPower 2 is one of the most flexible batteries for homeowners who want storage without rebuilding their solar system.

The best way to think about it is this: Enphase is usually the cleanest path when you’re already living in the Enphase ecosystem (and want everything to feel like one product). FranklinWH is often the easiest path when you want a battery to work with almost any existing inverter or microinverter setup—especially older systems.

Comparison chart (homeowner essentials)

Category	Enphase IQ Battery 10C	FranklinWH aPower 2
Usable storage capacity	10.08 kWh	15.0 kWh
Continuous power output	7.08 kW (7.08 kVA)	10.0 kW
Peak / surge power	~14.2 kW peak (short duration)	15 kW (10 sec) / 25 kW (1 sec)
Motor start / LRA capability	Up to ~90A LRA per battery	Up to ~185A LRA
Battery chemistry	LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate)	LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
Solar compatibility	Enphase-only ecosystem	Universal (AC-coupled)
Works with older Enphase systems	Limited	Yes (M250, S280, IQ6, IQ7)
Works with string inverters	No	Yes (SMA, Tesla, Fronius, ABB, Aurora, others)
Scalability	Stackable within Enphase system	Stackable, multi-battery systems
Warranty term	15 years	15 years
End-of-warranty capacity	60% at year 15	70% at year 15
Warranty structure	Capacity or throughput-based	Capacity or throughput-based
Best fit for	Enphase-native homes	New systems & retrofits

Quick note on “kW vs kVA”: manufacturers sometimes publish output as kVA (apparent power). For most homeowner comparisons (typical power factor), kVA is close enough to treat as “about kW,” but your installer should size loads based on the exact published ratings and site conditions.

The big real-world difference: compatibility with your existing solar

This is where FranklinWH often wins the conversation for retrofit homes.

If you have an older Enphase array (M250, S280, IQ6, IQ7 generation) or you have a legacy string inverter (SMA, Fronius, ABB/Aurora era equipment), the FranklinWH aPower 2 is attractive because it’s designed to be universally compatible as an AC-coupled battery. In plain English: you can keep your solar system that’s still producing well, and add storage around it, instead of being forced into a full “rip-and-replace” just to get batteries.

The IQ Battery 10C, on the other hand, really shines when you’re building (or already have) a more modern Enphase-centric system and you want one monitoring platform and one tightly controlled experience.

Capacity: how long will each actually run your home?

The IQ Battery 10C gives you 10 kWh usable storage, which is a strong “daily shifting + essentials backup” starting point. The FranklinWH aPower 2 gives you 15 kWh, which is more breathing room overnight and during longer outages.

Most homeowners don’t truly “feel” the difference between 10 and 15 kWh until there’s an outage that lasts through the night or until they try to run heavier loads for longer. If your goal is to be more self-sufficient from the grid (especially evenings), that extra 5 kWh per unit is meaningful.

Power output + surge: the part most homeowners overlook

Storage capacity answers “how long,” but power output answers “what can I run.”

The IQ Battery 10C is legitimately strong here — Enphase highlights 7.08 kW continuous and provides high burst output for starting loads. FranklinWH aPower 2 takes the “whole-home capable” angle even further with 10 kW continuous, 15 kW for 10 seconds, 25 kW for 1 second, and a published 185A LRA motor-start figure.

For homeowners, that usually translates to this:

• FranklinWH tends to feel more comfortable with big inrush loads (HVAC compressors, well pumps, pool equipment) when the system is designed for it.

• Enphase 10C is also very capable, but the overall outcome depends heavily on how the Enphase system is configured (load control, critical loads strategy, and how many 10Cs you stack).

Warranties

Both batteries offer long-term coverage, but the performance guarantees are structured differently.

The Enphase IQ Battery 10C comes with a 15-year limited warranty, with Enphase warranting the battery to retain at least 60% of its usable capacity at year 15. This warranty is designed around daily cycling within Enphase’s managed energy ecosystem and aligns with Enphase’s focus on controlled loads and system-level optimization.

The FranklinWH aPower 2 also includes a 15-year limited warranty, but its performance guarantee is structured more aggressively. FranklinWH warrants the battery to retain at least 70% capacity at year 15, or until a specified energy throughput limit is reached (whichever comes first). This reflects FranklinWH’s positioning as a higher-capacity, higher-power battery intended for broader backup use and heavier cycling scenarios.

In practical terms, both warranties are strong, but FranklinWH maintains a higher end-of-warranty capacity target, which may matter to homeowners planning for long outages, higher daily usage, or long-term self-sufficiency.

Which one should a homeowner pick?

If you already have an Enphase system and you want the most seamless “single ecosystem” experience, IQ Battery 10C is hard to ignore — it’s compact, powerful for its size, and designed to behave like part of a unified Enphase energy platform.

If you care most about universal compatibility (especially with older microinverters or legacy string inverters) and you want stronger published motor-start capability with more per-unit storage, FranklinWH aPower 2 is one of the best “works with almost anything” batteries on the market.

Quick note from Renewable Innovations

You can always get a quote through Renewable Innovations. We’ll look at your actual solar equipment (or your plans for a new system), your main panel/service size, and the loads you actually want to run—then recommend the best-fit design instead of forcing you into an ecosystem you don’t need.