What is the 2025 Solar Builder energy storage system Buyer's Guide?

The 2025 Solar Builder Energy Storage System Buyer’s Guide is here to cut through the noise. This ESS Buyer’s Guide is a comprehensive list of what each brand is offering in the residential and C&I space heading into 2025. We sent a questionnaire to every manufacturer to ascertain their top product and what components are included.

How does a solar energy system work?

From sunrise, the system captures solar energy and delivers it directly to your home through its grid-tied output. Surplus energy is automatically stored for use during peak hours, at night, or in the event of a short-term outage.

What does a solar inverter do?

A solar inverter’s main function is to switch DC power created by solar panels into AC power that’s usable for your home appliances. They also collect and transmit valuable data to help you monitor the production and health of your solar system.

Which solar inverter is best for You?

We’ve narrowed down the top products of 2025, but the best way to find which inverter is best for your some is to review your options with an Energy Advisor. Enphase has had #1 market share for residential solar inverters for the past several years because they continue to push the envelope of innovation, service, and reliability.

Which solar panel has a microinverter?

The Q.Tron AC module is actually a solar panel with a built-in microinverter. And, since we named it “Rookie of the Year” in our best solar panels for 2025 ranking, it should come as no surprise that we think they’re the best new inverter on the block too. Q Cells is a well-established solar panel manufacturer.

Which IQ8 series microinverters pair with specific solar panels?

Because of their microinverter architecture, there are different IQ8 series microinverters, which pair with specific solar panels. For example, the very popular REC Pure Rx 450 – 460w module only couples with the Enphase IQ8X series microinverter due to the high voltage window of the REC module.