LG ESS Home 8 Review: A Big Battery From a Huge Household Name

6.1

LG ESS Home 8

Like

• Good power output
• Fair price
• Can be installed without solar panels

Don't like

• Lower depth of discharge
• Lacking modular sizing options for homeowners

The home battery market is full of companies you've never heard of, and batteries can be expensive. Then there's the LG ESS Home 8.

LG Electronics debuted the Home 8 in the US in 2022. This battery quickly became popular thanks to the LG brand's popularity and large energy storage capacity. The Home 8 offers more power and capacity over the popular Tesla Powerwall. Both batteries are also comparable in price, falling between the $10,000 to $12,000 range. 

Since our methodology on how we rank batteries prioritizes warranty and modularity categories, the Home 8 receives a lower score for its lack of modular sizing options and average warranty. But that doesn't mean the Home 8 is a bad battery. The main benefits that the Home 8 offers is power, lots of storage capacity and a decent price tag. If this is what you're mainly looking for in a battery, then the Home 8 is worth considering. Besides the actual battery itself, you'll also get a powerful inverter and the gateway component. 

"It is an all-in-one system -- it's not just a battery," Jim Brown, senior account manager of LG Electronics' US Energy Storage Systems division, told CNET. "I know 'battery' is the generic term for energy storage these days, but this approach by LG Electronics goes beyond the battery to a complete system."

We didn't conduct any hands-on testing for this review. Home batteries are part of a complex home energy system that heavily varies between houses. Instead, this review is based on publicly available information online from LG Electronics and an interview with Brown to get the most up-to-date information. 

Here's what to know about the LG ESS Home 8.

What do I get with the LG ESS Home 8?

The LG ESS Home 8 offers quite a bit of storage capacity (14.4 kWh), so if you're looking for a larger battery, this could be an option. You can also install up to four units to further increase your storage capacity. As far as performance and power are concerned, the Home 8 does pretty well. The LG Home 8's warranty is also fairly standard, but we'll talk more about these things below.

This is an AC-coupled system, meaning it's compatible with new and existing solar panel systems. It can also be installed without solar panels as a stand-alone power source, so if you don't want solar, you won't need it. 

Here's a quick look at the LG ESS Home 8 specs.

System components

The Home 8's design is compact -- you'll only have two boxes on your wall. The battery cabinet is the larger of the two "boxes" and houses the battery modules and inverter. Then there's the Smart Energy Box, which acts as a sort of power management system, monitoring energy consumption, solar generation and grid power status. 

"The intelligence is in the smart energy box," Brown said. "All the horsepower is in the battery enclosure."

The Smart Energy Box also houses the automatic transfer switch, which will automatically switch your battery system to backup mode when the grid goes down.

Capacity and modularity

If you're looking for a larger capacity battery for your home, the LG ESS Home 8 has you covered. One Home 8 unit can store up 14.4 kWh of usable energy. If you want to store more, you can install up to four LG ESS Home 8 units for a total usable storage capacity of 57.6 kWh. 

Keep in mind that while the Home 8 does have a modular battery design, it's mostly for the benefit of the installer. A modular battery features several small battery modules that connect together versus one giant battery. These small modules are much easier to carry and install than just one large lithium-ion battery. Modular batteries can also be easier to repair because the individual modules can be removed. This could save you money on labor costs, but this is definitely an installer benefit -- not one you'll notice.

"We have four separate battery modules and we built them in a modular fashion because of the weight of the system," Brown said. "As we remove these battery modules, we reduce the cabinet weight, which makes it very easy for two people to install."

Most modular battery designs we've seen offer multiple capacity options and the ability to upgrade your storage capacity in small increments. This gives you more wiggle room in deciding what size of battery is "just right" for your home. And while the LG ESS Home 8 is a modular system, you still only have one option when it comes to the capacity of a single Home 8 unit. If you need more energy storage, you'll have to buy another 14.4 kWh LG ESS Home 8 battery, and this can get expensive. 

The way we score batteries gives those that are more modular an advantage because you buy closer to as much battery as you need, not way more. But if 14.4 kWh (or a multiple of it) is what you need, don't worry too much about the modularity of this battery.

Performance and efficiency 

We've seen batteries with worse performance specifications than the Home 8, but we've also seen some with much worse. 

First, let's talk about round-trip efficiency. This is essentially a measure of how much energy actually makes it into storage without getting lost along the way. The LG ESS Home 8's round-trip efficiency is marked at 90%, about average for residential lithium-ion home batteries. 

A battery's depth of discharge is the amount of energy you're actually able to use from the battery relative to its maximum capacity. Another way to look at it is the manufacturer's limit on the amount of energy you can safely drain from your battery without damaging it. The Home 8 uses that "blocked-off energy" as a sort of safety cushion for when the power goes out and your battery is empty.  

"We've built in the hard floor so nobody can kill the battery," Brown said. "Because we built in the floor and have reserve capacity, the Home 8 will wake up every two hours and look for juice."

And while this is a cool feature, it still limits the amount of energy that you could have access to on a daily basis. The actual capacity of the Home 8 is 15.8 kWh, but you'll only be able to use 14.4 kWh. We found the average depth of discharge for these types of batteries to be at about 95%. The Home 8 falls a bit lower, at 91%. 

A battery's continuous power output is the amount of power it's able to handle at any given moment without causing damage. The higher the power output, the more of your house it can run at once. 

The Home 8 is pretty powerful. Discharging, the battery is able to run a continuous output of 7.5 kW. However, while charging the Home 8's power is a bit lower, at 5.4 kW. It's definitely not the strongest battery on the market, but it's still solid.  

"More power means starting larger loads and/or running more loads at a given time," Brown said. "And so that's why we went with the 7.5 [kW]."

Warranty

The LG ESS Home 8 warranty is pretty standard in comparison to the rest of the industry. The battery's expected throughput (59.8 MWh) is a bit higher than other batteries, which is nice to see. Here's a quick warranty breakdown.

Years: This is the number of years your battery is warranted for. The Home 8's warranty expires after 10 years, which is the industry standard for batteries.

Throughput: This is the expected total amount of energy the battery will provide during its lifetime, as determined by the manufacturer, in megawatt-hours. Once your battery hits its listed throughput, in this case 59.8 MWh, your warranty expires. It doesn't matter how many years you have left on your warranty.

Capacity guarantee: Batteries will develop capacity retention issues over time. The capacity guarantee is the manufacturer's guarantee that your battery will be able to retain a certain percentage of its usable capacity by the time your warranty expires. LG Electronics guarantees that the Home 8 will be able to hold at least 70% of its original usable capacity by the end of your warranty.

Customer support

If you notice something strange is afoot with your battery system, the first person you contact should be your installer. Since they are the most familiar with your specific system and are able to be there psychically to diagnose the issue, they will likely be the most helpful for your situation. But if you aren't able to get ahold of your installer or you think it might be a tiny troubleshooting issue, it's nice to know you'll be able to contact your battery's manufacturer.

If you need support, LG offers several methods of contact. They have a support email and phone line, as well as a 24/7 live chat option. You can also send them a tweet or message them on Facebook. LG even has video tutorials and a help library for some quick troubleshooting. Most manufacturers don't offer a live chat option, so this is nice to see. 

LG ThinQ app

If you choose to install the LG ESS Home 8, you'll also gain access to the LG ThinQ app. You'll be able to monitor your home's energy consumption, view your energy data and take advantage of the Home 8's various operating modes. 

The Home 8 has three operating modes: Backup, Time of Use and PV Self Consumption. Backup mode is helpful for when the power is out, while Time of Use and PV Self Consumption modes can help optimize your energy usage and avoid high electricity rates. You can also connect other LG appliances and electronics to the app as well. It's almost like building an LG ecosystem in your house. 

How much does the LG ESS Home 8 cost?

The LG ESS Home 8 has an estimated price range of $10,000 to $12,000, before taxes, labor and incentives. A general rule of thumb when it comes to battery pricing is that you can usually expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 per kilowatt hour of storage. For the installation of the battery, you can typically expect to pay between $2,000 and $3,000. For a battery of its capacity size and power, the Home 8 has a good price. 

To get an accurate price estimate for your home, you'll need to speak with a certified installer in your area. We also strongly recommend looking into multiple battery options for your home from local installers. 

Is the LG ESS Home 8 my best choice?

First off, it's important to point out that there is no "best battery." Every home is different, and every household's energy needs are different too. The "best battery" for you is one that aligns with your energy needs and goals.

The Home 8 offers a ton of energy storage capacity and a powerful inverter in a decent price range. The battery's Time of Use and PV Self Consumption modes are also nice if you're looking to offset high electricity rates and efficiently manage your energy. However, its efficiency could be a bit better and if you need a capacity upgrade, you'll have to buy another Home 8 unit.

We strongly recommend looking into multiple battery options before making a final decision. Most installers are certified to install more than one brand of battery. Take your time and explore a few battery options beyond the Home 8, and try to get multiple quotes from installers in your area. 

How we evaluated the best solar batteries 

First let's be clear: Not every solar battery is right for every home. Solar is a very site-specific and personalized decision process, so it's a little tricky to pinpoint exactly which solar battery is the "best" battery for your home's energy needs without doing an on-site consultation. 

It should also be said that we didn't have any form of hands-on testing with any of the batteries we scored. This methodology also assumes you're purchasing a battery for the main purpose of using it for energy backup. If you mainly plan to use your battery for energy offset or to take part in a virtual power plant, there are likely better options than what we have featured in our reviews and rankings. We strongly encourage you to do your own research, as well as to speak with installers in your area. An installer will be able to get a better understanding of your home's energy use and what sort of system you might need. 

We used a few ways to evaluate and compare these batteries to find the stand-outs. Here's how we developed our list of top solar batteries.

First, we determined which categories would be used to evaluate each battery's performance, capacity and value. We also weighted each category. The weight of each category reflects the importance we felt was relevant to the average consumer: 

• Modularity: 20%
• Warranty: 20%
  
• Round-trip efficiency: 15%
  
• Power output: 15%
  
• Depth of discharge: 10%
  
• Price: 5%
  
• Price transparency: 5% 
  
• Customer support options: 10%
  

We looked at more than 15 of the most widely available batteries on the market and collected the data for each category to compare the numbers. Each category (for every battery) was given a rating (from 1 to 5) to evaluate which aspects of each battery were above average (among our list), just average or below average.

LG ESS Home 8 battery FAQs