FranklinWH aPower Explained: aPower 2 Specs, Cost, Warranty and Who It Suits

The Franklin aPower is FranklinWH's AC-coupled home battery, and the current aPower 2 stores 15 kWh with 10 kW of continuous output, controlled by a separate box called the aGate. It is built for large backup loads and adding storage to existing solar. EnergySage put a single installed aPower 2 at about $17,655 before incentives in its May 2026 review, so it sits at the higher end of the market.

Key takeaways

• aPower 2: 15 kWh usable, 10 kW continuous, 185 A load-start rating, LFP chemistry, AC-coupled.
• The aGate is the controller that manages grid, solar, battery and generator connections. One aGate can manage up to 15 aPower 2 units.
• Warranty: 15 years or 60 MWh of throughput on the aPower 2. The original aPower carried 12 years.
• EnergySage data from 2026 put FranklinWH at roughly $1,177 to $1,232 per kWh installed.
• The federal residential clean energy credit does not apply to expenditures made after December 31, 2025.

What is the Franklin aPower?

The aPower is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a built-in inverter. It connects on the AC side of your home's wiring, which is why FranklinWH and EnergySage describe it as AC-coupled. EnergySage says this design does not need to tie directly into your solar inverter, which makes it a good fit for retrofits.

The system has two main parts:

• aPower: The battery itself, which stores energy and converts it to household AC power.
• aGate: The energy management controller. It sits between the utility meter, your main panel and the batteries. FranklinWH says the newer aGate adds a generator module, Bluetooth commissioning and improved black start.

Day to day, the battery stores solar (or grid) power and releases it later. In an outage, the aGate separates your home from the grid so the battery and solar can keep it running.

Franklin aPower 2 vs the original aPower

FranklinWH announced the aPower 2 in September 2024. Here is how the two compare, using FranklinWH's datasheets and warranty.

The aPower 2 doubles continuous power over the original. Its datasheet also lists an 8 kW charge rate and a 185 A load-start (LRA) rating. FranklinWH's product page says one unit can start a 5-ton air conditioner.

Sizing a Franklin aPower system

Battery sizing has two parts: energy (kWh, or how long) and power (kW, or how much at once). The aPower 2's 10 kW output is high for a single home battery, so one unit can often run larger loads. FranklinWH markets a single aPower 2 as able to power an entire home, but real coverage depends on your loads and how long the outage lasts.

How long it lasts depends on what you run. To size it:

1. List the loads you need during an outage, such as the fridge, lights, internet, well pump and HVAC.
2. Estimate daily kWh use for those loads, using your utility's hourly data if you can.
3. Decide whether you want whole-home or essential-loads backup.
4. Check that the battery's power and surge ratings cover your largest motor load.

EnergySage notes that each expansion adds a full 15 kWh unit, so capacity grows in large steps.

How much does a Franklin aPower cost?

Dated price data we could verify:

In the same review, EnergySage put two aPower 2 units (30 kWh) at roughly $35,300 and said three Powerwall 3 units would cost about $40,400. Your quotes will vary with location and wiring work.

Tax credit: The IRS says the residential clean energy credit is not available for expenditures made after December 31, 2025. A battery whose installation is completed in 2026 does not qualify. Look for state or utility incentives instead.

Backup power vs bill savings with an aPower

The aPower 2 is designed with backup in mind. Its high continuous output, large load-start rating and generator support through the aGate suit homes that lose power for long periods or that need to run central air or pumps.

Bill savings depend on your rates. On a time-of-use plan, the battery can cover expensive evening hours with stored solar. Where export credits are low, as under California's net billing tariff, storing solar is worth more than exporting it. Where you still get full retail net metering, the savings case is weaker. Our guide are solar batteries worth it walks through the numbers.

One efficiency trade-off: EnergySage notes that AC-coupled batteries like the aPower lose a bit more energy storing solar than DC-coupled designs, because power goes through extra conversions.

Installation and placement details

The aPower 2 is a large, heavy unit. FranklinWH's datasheet lists it at about 45.2 by 29.5 by 11.8 inches and 357 pounds complete, so it needs a solid wall or floor location and a crew to move it.

FranklinWH's product page lists features that matter for placement:

• IP67 rating, with water immersion tested to 3.3 feet for 30 minutes
• Fan-less convection cooling
• Noise listed at 30 dBA

The aGate also matters for installation. FranklinWH's September 2024 announcement says the newer aGate lets two aPower 2 units connect through a quad breaker, so no combiner box is needed. It also lists a built-in generator module, which is useful if you already own a standby generator and want both to work together.

FranklinWH's datasheet says the aPower 2 can run in parallel with its aPower S batteries. If you own an original aPower, ask your installer how it works with newer hardware before adding units.

Pros and cons at a glance

• Pros: High 10 kW continuous output, strong motor-starting rating, generator support, LFP chemistry and a 15-year warranty term.
• Cons: Higher average price per kWh than some rivals in 2026 EnergySage data, large 15 kWh expansion steps and a heavy unit.

Franklin aPower warranty and lifespan

FranklinWH lists a 15-year or 60 MWh throughput warranty for the aPower 2. Its September 2024 launch announcement described 60 MWh as more than 10,000 cycles. The original aPower warranty runs 12 years, with at least 70% of rated capacity at the end of that period or at 43 MWh of throughput, whichever comes first.

Fine print from FranklinWH's published end-user warranty (effective August 2022, written for the original aPower system). Ask your installer for the warranty document that covers the exact equipment you buy:

• Remote software updates are needed for the full warranty term.
• If a system stays disconnected from the internet, FranklinWH says it will still provide a limited warranty of four years from installation.
• The aGate's communication module (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 4G) has a 5-year warranty.

The aPower 2 datasheet (October 2026) lists an operating range of -4°F to 122°F, and operation up to 131°F at a derated 5 kW output. Ask your installer about placement in hot garages.

Next steps

See how it compares with Tesla's battery in our Powerwall 3 vs Franklin aPower guide. Then get several quotes, check them with the solar quote checker and research installers in our solar company directory.