Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

This home energy storage system is a low-cost alternative to Tesla’s Powerwall, and it’s pretty incredible

A maxed-out installation can keep your home running for more than two full days during a power outage

Geneverse PowerPillar solar home battery backup system installed on a modern home
Geneverse

From all-electric cars to solar-powered homes to the best ultra-portable solar generators designed to take on your next camping trip, clever power solutions are everywhere nowadays. We’re living in something of a golden age of battery technology. So much so that most consumers, even non-tech heads, are familiar with Teslas and backup battery banks to top up their phones and tablets on the go. But residential solar power and home energy storage solutions are still not on most people’s radar. Geneverse is looking to change that. Through a just-announced partnership with Jackery (one of our favorite solar generator makers), it’s launching a next-generation energy storage solution that promises to make solar battery backup technology more accessible than ever.

The company’s all-new PowerPillar is a revolutionary power system designed to make residential energy storage safer, easier to install, and more reliable than any other system on the market. Like the Tesla Powerwall, the goal is to provide homeowners with immediate whole-house backup power in the case of blackouts, brownouts, or other unexpected outages. But Geneverse promises the PowerPillar is a step above.

Recommended Videos

The core of the technology is a DC-coupled system that works seamlessly with most modern homes. Built-in energy management options also provide an increased potential of up to 40%. Coupled with Jackery’s extensive knowledge of portable power systems, Geneverse developed the PowerPillar with both an elevated energy density and an extended battery life. So, it can not only power your home for longer, but the entire system is built to last significantly longer, too.

PowerPillar_Visual_Intro_RE+

In a just-released press release, Geneverse CEO Anson Liang noted, “The Geneverse PowerPillar signifies a momentous stride in energy storage technology. Through the innovation and dedication of the Geneverse team, we have created a product that redefines the capabilities of energy storage systems. This technology ensures exceptional performance while maintaining an advantageous edge in installation simplicity and cost-effectiveness for our partners.”

Home energy storage solutions can be notoriously tricky and even downright dangerous to install, especially for unskilled homeowners looking for a DIY setup. The PowerPillar aims to solve that problem with a comprehensive system that’s far less complicated than anything on the market. It features a stacked, plug-and-play design that takes the guesswork out of integrating the system into almost any home. With 75% lighter weight batteries, the system is also much easier to physically wrangle into your garage, basement, or wherever you opt to install it.

Modular options of the Geneverse PowerPillar solar home battery backup system
Geneverse

How does the PowerPillar work?

The central hub of the PowerPillar serves as both a conductor and an all-in-one connector. The result is an ingenious system that automatically charges from the grid, a solar array, or both, depending on the time of day and your home’s energy needs. Energy is diverted into the integrated battery units when excess power is available to store for future use. Each battery unit in the system is capable of providing up to a 5kWh capacity, which is expandable to up to 20kWh of usable energy storage per PowerPillar unit.

What’s more, the system can be installed with three units in parallel for a maximum of up to 60kWh home backup power. With the average home power consumption clocking in at around 28kWh per day, that means a fully maxed-out PowerPillar setup could theoretically run a home for more than two full days under ideal conditions. Every battery is also built to UL Standards, ensuring they’re reliable, versatile, and most of all, safe. Plus, Geneverse even supports every PowerPillar with a solid, 12-year extended warranty.

Mobile app screenshots for Geneverse's PowerPillar app for iOS and Android
Geneverse

Managing the Geneverse system

Once installed, the entire setup can be updated with the latest firmware automatically over Wi-Fi or 4G, and it’s easy to manage through the Geneverse Monitoring mobile app. Through any compatible iOS- or Android-powered tablet or smartphone, homeowners can keep tabs on everything from power output and usage to cost savings data, all from anywhere in the world in real time. Built-in options also allow for complete control over energy-saving preferences and tracking energy use trends. The app can also prevent system performance issues via status alerts and provide support options (via Geneverse’s own U.S.-based rapid-response engineering support) if needed.

Earlier this year, Geneverse proved what a difference even a modest portable backup battery can make for disaster preparedness. After Hurricane Ian hit the Southeast Florida coast, the company distributed more than 125 indoor-safe solar battery generators to residents who were hit hardest. It was a much-needed donation that helped more than 100 families charge their devices, keep their food fresh, and stay in contact with loved ones in the wake of the storm. Geneverse partnered with The Brandon Agency to document the initiative in this short video that even won an EMMY at the 49th Annual Southeast EMMY Awards.

Geneverse Powers the Community of Fort Myers After Hurricane Ian

The PowerPillar is currently available only to select California homeowners, although we expect Geneverse to begin a larger rollout at some point in the near future. The total cost depends on a number of factors, including the size of your home and the exact setup you’ll need. Geneverse is inviting interested customers to contact the brand directly for custom pricing.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Tony Soprano vs. Walter White: Who is the ultimate antihero?
TV's biggest heavyweights duke it out for the antihero crown
Breaking bad season 4 screen shot

Sports fans often debate between two heavyweight legends. For basketball, it's LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Switching to tennis, you have Roger Federer fans and Rafael Nadal diehards. Debates like these are ingrained in the culture of athletics, but TV fans have their own version of this sparring match.

Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and Walter White from Breaking Bad are the two characters who still send shockwaves through every drama in the 21st century. These men were the perfect mix of good and evil. They navigated family life and the criminal underworld with cunning intelligence and ruthless risk-taking. Every show with morally gray characters at the center owes its storyboard to Walter and Tony, but which character deserves the antihero crown? This is Tony Soprano vs. Walter White for all the marbles.
Who was the more complex character?

Read more
Learn how to smoke a pipe the proper way with our guide for beginners
Let us show you the classy way to smoke a pipe
Packing a pipe

Pipe smoking is the most aesthetically distinguished way to enjoy tobacco, but you lose the classy effect if you don’t know how to smoke a pipe properly. Smoking a pipe has become a lost art, and these days, most people who engage in pipe smoking do so to achieve a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps your grandfather enjoyed a puff now and again paired with a good stiff whiskey, or maybe your goal is to emulate a pipe-smoking artist.

I know that I enjoy a good puff on a pipe now and then, and knowing the right way to enjoy a pipe has made the experience much more pleasurable for for me. Whatever the case, if you intend to take up the time-honored tradition of unwinding with a pipe like me, you should learn how to smoke a pipe the right way. And smoking a pipe is very different than smoking a cigar (except you shouldn't be inhaling either).

Read more
Don’t ruin your cigars: here’s how to properly season a new humidor
Seasoning secrets every cigar lover could use
faceless man presenting a cigar humidor with cigars inside with gloved hands

If you're a newcomer to the world of cigars or just bought a brand-new humidor, you'll need to season it. And no, I'm not saying to add salt and pepper to it. If you've never heard of it, you might ask, "What is seasoning for a humidor?"

Don't think you need to flavor the box or anything — seasoning is really about getting the wood inside your humidor so as not to rob your cigars of precious moisture. Easy to understand, and getting it done is relatively straightforward as well. The trick is figuring out the "why," and we'll get into that in a bit. But let's first discuss seasoning a humidor.

Read more