Tesla Powerwall 3 against Enphase IQ Battery side by side
Two public anchors put the brands on one basis. The installed range is the Why Solar tracker reading for September 2026, inc GST, excluding any hybrid inverter the battery needs, with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount taken off at $39 per certificate; the per-kWh line divides that by usable capacity, which is the fairest single number because the two reference units are different sizes. The list price is the hardware on a public shop page where one exists.
| Line | Tesla Powerwall 3 | Enphase IQ Battery |
|---|---|---|
| Reference unit | Tesla Powerwall 3 | Enphase IQ Battery 10T |
| Usable capacity | 13.5 kWh | 10.08 kWh |
| Installed, before the federal discount | $15,000 to $17,000 | $14,000 to $15,000 |
| Federal discount (2026 factor) | 91 STCs, $3,549 | 68 STCs, $2,652 |
| Installed, after the discount | $11,451 to $13,451 | $11,348 to $12,348 |
| Per usable kWh, after the discount | $848 to $996 | $1,126 to $1,225 |
| Hardware at list, inc GST (public shop page) | $13,600 (Powerwall 3 with Backup Gateway, 13.5 kWh) | not published |
| Hardware net of the discount, at list | $10,051 ($745 per kWh) | n/a |
| Warranty | 10 years to 70 per cent capacity | 15 years, no retention percentage stated |
| Chemistry | lithium iron phosphate (LFP) | lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
| Needs a separate hybrid inverter | No, has its own | No, has its own |
| Sizes | 13.5 to 40.5 kWh | 5 to 20 kWh |
Price per kilowatt-hour
Per usable kilowatt-hour after the discount, Tesla is the cheaper at $848 to $996 against $1,126 to $1,225 for Enphase, about $254 a kilowatt-hour at the midpoints. On a 10 kWh battery that is about $2,535 installed. The Enphase figure buys what the warranty and pairing sections below describe. The Tesla carries its own inverter. The battery prices page works every system on the site to dollars per kWh and the battery worth-it guide prices the payback by state.
Federal discount on each size, $39 per STC
The discount is set by usable capacity, not brand or price, so at the same size both brands earn the same amount: 6.8 certificates per kWh on the first 14 kWh, 60 per cent of that from 14 to 28 and 15 per cent above 28, for installs to 31 December 2026, then 5.7 per kWh from 1 January 2027. The installer claims it and shows it as a line on the quote.
| Brand | Model | Usable | Certificates | Discount, 2026 | Discount, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Powerwall 3 | 13.5 kWh | 91 | $3,549 | $2,964 |
| Tesla | Powerwall 3 plus one Expansion | 27 kWh | 148 | $5,772 | $4,836 |
| Tesla | Powerwall 3 plus two Expansions | 40.5 kWh | 165 | $6,435 | $5,382 |
| Enphase | IQ Battery 5P | 5 kWh | 34 | $1,326 | $1,092 |
| Enphase | Two IQ Battery 5P | 10 kWh | 68 | $2,652 | $2,223 |
| Enphase | Three IQ Battery 5P | 15 kWh | 99 | $3,861 | $3,237 |
The battery rebate calculator works any size, and the January 2027 guide prices the step down.
Warranty terms compared
Tesla Powerwall 3: 10 years to 70 per cent capacity. Cycles or throughput: unlimited for solar self-consumption, time-based control and backup; 37.8 MWh aggregate throughput for any other application. Full ten-year term depends on the unit staying online for firmware updates and being registered; Tesla states it will honour at least four years otherwise. Enphase IQ Battery: 15 years, no retention percentage stated. Cycles or throughput: up to 6,000 cycles. The page states a 15-year limited warranty up to 6,000 cycles and no end-of-term capacity percentage; the warranty document itself was not read. The retention percentage and the throughput cap together are the number that matters: a battery cycled once a day for ten years delivers about 3,650 full cycles, which is the scale the caps are set at. The documents are linked in the sources.
Inverter and pairing
Tesla Powerwall 3. AC-coupled with a built-in 10 kW solar inverter (DC solar can connect direct); needs the Backup Gateway for backup. The Powerwall 3 has its own 10 kW inverter with up to 20 kW of DC solar input, so a new system needs no separate solar inverter; an existing solar system can stay on its inverter and AC-couple. Backup needs the Backup Gateway on the switchboard.
Enphase IQ Battery. AC-coupled: six grid-forming IQ8D-BAT microinverters inside each 5 kWh unit, so it works with any existing solar system. Each IQ Battery 5P carries its own microinverters and delivers 3.84 kW continuous (7.68 kVA for three seconds), so it AC-couples to any solar system, new or old, without a hybrid inverter; backup needs the IQ System Controller 3, sold separately. Enphase sells only through authorised distributors and publishes no Australian price.
Hybrid inverter list prices ($3,794 to $5,609 for a Fronius GEN24 Plus) are on the inverter prices page; the solar with battery page prices the whole package.
Tesla Powerwall 3 or Enphase IQ Battery with solar by capital: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin
Both brands price nationally and the federal discount is the same in every state, so what changes by city is the solar system beside the battery and the state support. The table adds the standard 6.6 kW offer in each capital (October 2026, after STCs) to each battery's installed range after the discount. Perth is the cheapest capital for the solar side ($5,294) and the one state with an open battery rebate; Darwin is the dearest ($10,250).
| City | 6.6 kW standard offer | Solar plus Tesla | Solar plus Enphase | State battery support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $6,170 | $17,621 to $19,621 | $17,518 to $18,518 | Home Energy Saver zero-interest loan |
| Melbourne | $6,218 | $17,669 to $19,669 | $17,566 to $18,566 | none open |
| Brisbane | $6,756 | $18,207 to $20,207 | $18,104 to $19,104 | none open |
| Perth | $5,294 | $16,745 to $18,745 | $16,642 to $17,642 | WA Residential Battery Scheme rebate; WA Residential Battery Scheme no-interest loan |
| Adelaide | $5,812 | $17,263 to $19,263 | $17,160 to $18,160 | none open |
| Canberra | $6,144 | $17,595 to $19,595 | $17,492 to $18,492 | Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS) loan |
| Hobart | $7,544 | $18,995 to $20,995 | $18,892 to $19,892 | none open |
| Darwin | $10,250 | $21,701 to $23,701 | $21,598 to $22,598 | none open |
Related cost guides
Every price on Solar Scorecard comes from the Solar Scorecard Price Index, read monthly from installer offers after the STC discount. These guides apply it to tesla Powerwall 3 vs Enphase IQ Battery: price per kWh, federal discount, warranty and inverter compared, October 2026.
- Is a solar battery worth it: 10 kWh and 13.5 kWh after the federal discount, payback by state.
- Solar prices from 1 January 2027: the STC deeming step by zone and the battery factor cut.
- Solar plus battery pricing: bundles by capital and the tiered federal battery discount.
- Solar loans and "from $X a week": weekly repayments on a real quote at published lender rates.
- Solar panel cost in Australia: the Solar Scorecard Price Index: installed prices after STCs by city and size, checked monthly.
Tesla Powerwall 3 vs Enphase IQ Battery questions
Is a Tesla Powerwall 3 cheaper than an Enphase IQ Battery?
$848 to $996 per usable kWh installed after the federal discount for Tesla against $1,126 to $1,225 for Enphase, so Tesla is cheaper per kilowatt-hour in the September 2026 tracker. As whole units the ranges are $11,451 to $13,451 for the 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 3 and $11,348 to $12,348 for the 10.08 kWh Enphase IQ Battery 10T.
Which has the better warranty, Tesla Powerwall 3 or Enphase IQ Battery?
10 years for Tesla Powerwall 3 against 15 years for Enphase IQ Battery; retention 70 against not stated per cent. The cycle and throughput limits differ and are set out in the warranty section above.
How much is the federal battery rebate on a Tesla Powerwall 3 or an Enphase IQ Battery?
$3,549 on the 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 3 and $2,652 on the 10.08 kWh Enphase IQ Battery 10T at $39 per certificate; the discount is set by capacity, so at the same size both brands earn the same. It drops to $2,964 and $2,223 for installs from 1 January 2027.
Does a Tesla Powerwall 3 or an Enphase IQ Battery need a hybrid inverter?
Tesla: no, it has its own inverter. Enphase: no, it has its own. Neither adds an inverter line to the quote.
What does solar plus a Tesla Powerwall 3 or an Enphase IQ Battery cost in Perth?
$16,745 to $18,745 for a standard 6.6 kW system plus the Tesla Powerwall 3 and $16,642 to $17,642 with the Enphase IQ Battery 10T, installed after the federal discount in October 2026; Perth has the cheapest solar side of the capitals and Western Australia an open battery rebate for Synergy customers. The table by capital above gives the other seven cities.