Home Battery Backup Systems

In short: A home battery backup system stores electricity in a LiFePO4 battery and switches your home to it automatically when the grid goes down, with or without solar panels. Solar Power Store Canada sells complete systems from Barrie, Ontario: Northern Fox (Fox ESS) kits at about $10,000 for a 12 kWh system with whole-home backup, Luxpower + Moose kits from $7,604.99 for 14.34 kWh, a Sump Pump Battery Backup Kit from $4,471.99, and heated batteries and insulated outdoor cabinets built for Canadian winters. Our own team in Barrie handles warranty support and repairs for the systems we sell, Northern Fox and Luxpower alike, and we ship kits to you or directly to the homeowner, or help arrange the installation.

Which home battery backup system is right for you?

Why Northern Fox: Canadian engineering, warranty and repairs

Northern Fox is the Fox ESS platform engineered, sold and supported in Canada by Maple Leaf Power Systems at Solar Power Store Canada in Barrie, Ontario. As an official Fox ESS partner, our Barrie office has direct engineering access, and we act on warranty claims and repairs ourselves, so you deal with one reputable Canadian company instead of chasing a manufacturer in another country. Northern Fox systems carry a 15-year total warranty (12.5 years from the manufacturer plus 2.5 years from Maple Leaf Power Systems), expand from 8 to 28 kWh on one inverter, and add whole-home backup with the Fox ESS Hub G2.

Budget pick: Luxpower + Moose

For the lowest cost per kWh, pair a Luxpower inverter with a Maple Leaf Moose battery. The Luxpower SNA 12K + Moose kit gives you a 12 kW split-phase (120/240 V) inverter and 14.34 kWh of LiFePO4 storage for $7,604.99, and a second Moose doubles the storage to 28.68 kWh for $13,004.99. The Moose is IP65 rated, UL9540A certified, rated for 8,500+ cycles and carries a 15-year warranty. It is a great fit for backup power, cabins and off-grid homes, and like Northern Fox, Luxpower + Moose systems are supported and repaired by our team in Barrie. For a grid-tied solar system that sends power back to your utility, Northern Fox is our first pick.

Battery backup for sump pumps, especially big ones

Most battery backup sump pump kits add a small second 12 V pump. A Luxpower inverter with Maple Leaf Beaver Heated batteries runs your main pump itself, at full pumping capacity, and can carry your fridge, furnace fan and internet too. Put the batteries in a Maple Leaf Mountie, an insulated IP65 waterproof steel cabinet that holds up to six Beaver batteries and protects them in a damp basement or outdoors down to -40°C.

Our Sump Pump Battery Backup Kit puts it together: a Luxpower LXP6K 6 kW inverter, a Beaver Heated battery, a Mountie and the battery cables for $4,471.99, 10% off the regular price of the parts, or $5,902.99 with two batteries. Add four or eight 550W+ solar panels on a Maple Leaf Goose ground mount to recharge during long outages. One Beaver (4.92 kWh usable) runs a 1,000 W pump for about 4 to 5 hours of actual pumping, which usually covers a much longer outage because sump pumps cycle on and off. Add Beavers for bigger pumps, two pumps or multi-day outages, or step up to the SNA 12K + 4 Beaver + Mountie kit. Have a licensed electrician size the inverter to your pump's nameplate and starting current, and mount the inverter indoors on the wall, above flood level. Our battery backup sump pump guide has runtime tables for every pump size.

Northern Fox vs. Tesla Powerwall 3

Canadian guides quote Tesla's list price of C$10,974 for one Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh) plus C$1,165 for the required Gateway, before installation. A Northern Fox FLEX kit with a 9.6 kW inverter, the Hub G2 and 12 kWh of storage is $9,700, about $10,000 for a similar-size system, and $12,000 buys 16 kWh. Read our full Tesla Powerwall alternatives comparison.

How long will a home battery run my house?

Divide the battery's usable kWh by the average power your backed-up loads draw. Essentials (fridge, furnace fan, sump pump, internet, some lights) often average 0.5 to 1 kW, so 12 kWh of usable storage lasts roughly 12 to 24 hours, longer if solar panels recharge it during the day. Central air conditioning, electric heat, an electric stove or a dryer use much more. Our guide How Much Battery Storage Does Your Home Need? walks through the math, or send us a hydro bill and we will size it for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need solar panels for a home battery backup system?

No. A hybrid inverter charges the battery from the grid and keeps it ready for outages. Solar panels let you recharge during a long outage and lower your bills, and you can add them later.

Will a home battery work in a Canadian winter?

Yes, if it is chosen and placed for the cold. Lithium batteries cannot safely charge below freezing without heating, so look for built-in heaters (Northern Fox modules and Beaver Heated batteries have them), install batteries in a garage, basement or utility room where you can, or use an insulated outdoor cabinet like the Mountie.

What is the difference between whole-home and partial-home backup?

Whole-home backup switches your entire panel to battery power (with Northern Fox, through the Fox ESS Hub G2). Partial-home backup moves your essential circuits to a backup subpanel, which needs less battery and inverter capacity and costs less.

Is a home battery better than a generator?

A battery is silent, needs no fuel, switches over automatically, and can cut your bills every day when paired with solar or time-of-use rates. A generator runs as long as you have fuel. Many customers combine them: the Fox ESS Hub G2 and Luxpower SNA inverters accept a generator input. See Generator vs. Solar Backup Power.

Are there rebates for home batteries in Canada?

Programs change often. Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program has offered rebates for battery storage, with conditions on how the system connects to the grid. Check the current rules with Save on Energy before you buy, and read our Ontario incentives article.

Can I install a home battery myself?

Connecting a battery to your home's electrical panel needs an electrical permit and inspection (ESA in Ontario). We ship kits to you or directly to the homeowner for your own licensed electrician to install, or we can help arrange the installation.

How do I get help choosing a system?

Call our Barrie team at 1-888-421-5354 or email hello@solarpowerstore.ca with a recent hydro bill and a list of what you want to keep running in an outage. We will recommend a system and size it for you.