Winter storms bring beautiful scenery, but they also bring extreme challenges for your home's energy system. Cold temperatures significantly impact battery performance, often reducing efficiency, limiting capacity, and even preventing charging or discharging entirely. For homeowners, this could mean potentially losing backup power when you need it most.
Briggs & Stratton, a leader in energy storage innovation, engineered the SimpliPHIⓇ 6.6 specifically to solve this problem. With its rugged construction, superior Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) chemistry, and wide operating temperature range, the SimpliPHI 6.6 delivers reliable home energy storage even in the coldest conditions, ensuring your home stays safe, warm, and powered.
Why Home Batteries Struggle with Cold Weather
Many home energy storage systems lose performance as temperatures approach freezing — especially those using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, like the Briggs & Stratton SimpliPHI 6.6 battery and Tesla’s Powerwall 3. In contrast, systems using nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry, like the Tesla Powerwall 2 and earlier Generac PWRcell units, may perform differently at low temperatures. Generac’s lineup is transitioning toward LFP in newer versions, including select PWRcell 2 models, to achieve improved safety, thermal stability, and cycle life.
Regardless of chemistry, cold temperatures can impact operation. When a winter storm hits, homeowners may experience:
Reduced Charging Capacity: Batteries may refuse to charge until internal temperature rises to a safe level.
Lower Efficiency & Higher Self-Consumption: Energy may be redirected to internal heating or thermal management instead of powering the home.
Derated Output: Delivered power may fall short of advertised specs, reducing available backup support when it’s needed most.
"Cold weather is one of the toughest challenges for home batteries," says Sequoya Cross, VP of Energy Storage at Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions. "The SimpliPHI 6.6 was engineered to handle the cold, maintaining reliable performance and giving homeowners confidence their power will be there when they need it most."
How Briggs & Stratton Provides Reliable Winter Backup Power
The Briggs& Stratton’s SimpliPHI 6.6 battery was purposely built to excel in cold climates, offering superior specifications that ensure consistent performance when temperatures plummet:
Extreme Operating Range: It can discharge down to –4°F (–20°C) and charge at C/2 down to 14°F (–10°C), one of the widest ranges in the industry.
Engineered for the Cold, No External Heaters Needed: Our batteries use inherently stable LFP chemistry and a specialized cell design built to manage cold temperatures without external assistance. This design choice eliminates the need for energy-wasting external heaters or complex thermal management systems. When temperatures drop, the battery's own function is activated: the internal BMS (battery management system) automatically slows the charge rate, creating a gentle internal heat to gradually warm the cells and increase charging efficiency. This internal monitoring ensures the battery's thermal response is delayed and more stable than the surrounding air.
Outdoor-Ready Durability: The IP65 outdoor-rated construction makes it safe for both outdoor and indoor installation, regardless of rain, snow, or extreme temperature fluctuations.
Flexible Scalability: Its modular design allows you to easily scale your home energy storage from 6.65 kWh up to nearly 120 kWh for whole-home coverage.
High Cycle Life: Offers exceptional durability with up to 4,500 cycles at 100% depth of discharge for long-term reliability.
The Result: Your family has consistent, reliable winter backup power to run lights, heating, appliances, and essential medical devices, even during extended winter storms.
Briggs & Stratton Home Batteries vs. Competitors
Cold-Weather Performance Breakdown
Among leading home energy batteries, the SimpliPHI 6.6 stands out as the ultimate winter-ready solution—delivering full-rate charging down to 14°F (–10°C), a true IP65 outdoor rating without the need for an additional enclosure, and the added safety of durable LFP chemistry.
View our full SimpliPHI 6.6 Battery Spec Sheet Here.
Briggs & Stratton SimpliPhi 6.6 |
Tesla Powerwall 2 |
Tesla Powerwall 3 |
Generac PWRcell (M6/18 kWh) |
Generac PWRcell 2 (M6/18 kWh) |
|
Model Number |
SPHI-6.6-LO Module |
1092170-xx-y, 2012170-xx-y, 3012170-xx-y |
1707000-xx-y (System) |
G0080040 Module (3.0 kWh) |
G0080041 Module (3.0 kWh) |
Battery Chemistry |
Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) |
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) |
Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) |
Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) |
Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP) |
Min. Charge Temp (Full Rate) |
14ºF (-10ºC) |
-4ºF (-12ºC), but derating starts at 50ºF (10ºC) |
-4ºF (-20ºC) with dedicated Heat Mode |
41ºF (5ºC) Max Op 59ºF (-15ºC) Full Pref |
23ºF (-5ºC) |
Min. Discharge Temp |
-4ºF (-20ºC) |
-4ºF (-20ºC) |
-4ºF (-20ºC) with dedicated Heat Mode |
14ºF (-10ºC) Max Op |
-4ºF (-20ºC) |
Outdoor Rating |
IP65 when stacked; no external cabinet required |
NEMA 3R, IP67 (Battery) |
IP55 (Enclosure), IP67 (Battery) |
Type 3R |
NEMA 3R (All enclosures) |
Need for External Heater |
Not required for operation |
Optional Cold Weather Kit recommended for optimal efficiency below 14ºF (-10ºC) |
Dedicated internal heater (Heat Mode) for optimal performance in cold |
Internal heating for battery protection and to enable charge/discharge at low temps |
Internal heating for battery protection and to enable charge/discharge at low temps |
Optimal Storage Temp |
-4ºF to 131ºF (-20ºC to 55ºC) |
-4ºF to 86ºF(-20ºC to 30ºC) |
-4ºF to 86ºF (-20ºC to 30ºC) |
N/A |
-4ºF to 77ºF (-20ºC to 25ºC) |
Why Choose Briggs & Stratton SimpliPHI 6.6 for Cold Climates
For homeowners who depend on reliable power through winter storms and freezing temperatures, the SimpliPHI 6.6 delivers confident performance. Built on stable, non-toxic LFP chemistry and engineered for harsh conditions, it provides dependable energy when other systems begin to struggle.
Reliable Winter Backup: Designed to perform in cold conditions, supporting essential home loads during extended outages.
Scalable Energy Storage: Increase capacity over time as your energy needs grow.
Durable, Safe LFP Chemistry: UL-certified, non-hazardous, and built for long-term resilience.
Intelligent Cold Weather Management & Outdoor Readiness: The system's Intelligent Cold Weather Management allows for reliable charging across a wide range of temperatures. The battery is suitable for outdoor installation under typical winter conditions, providing flexible placement options. However, for maximum performance and efficiency during extreme cold that extends beyond the rated specifications, the battery should be installed indoors where temperatures remain above –4 F (-20 C).
The system includes built-in protection mechanisms that prevent charging or operation when internal temperature falls below safe thresholds, helping extend battery life and ensure performance when conditions improve.
SimpliPHI 6.6 isn’t just a battery—it’s the ultimate winter energy solution.
Sources
https://www.integratesun.com/post/tesla-powerwall-vs-generac-pwrcell
https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/should-you-buy-a-simpliphi-battery
https://a1solarstore.com/battery-packs/briggs-and-stratton-simpliphi-batteries.html
Spec Sheets
Generac PWRcell 2
https://www.generac.com/globalassets/residential/dealers--installers/generac-installer-programs/solar--battery-installer-support/pc2brochure_specguide.pdf
Tesla Powerwall 2 https://energylibrary.tesla.com/docs/Public/EnergyStorage/Powerwall/2/Datasheet/en-us/Powerwall-2-Datasheet.pdf
Tesla Powerwall 3
https://energylibrary.tesla.com/docs/Public/EnergyStorage/Powerwall/3/Datasheet/en-au/Powerwall-3-Datasheet-AU-EN.pdf
Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions SimpliPHI 6.6
https://briggs.widen.net/s/zphpfzrwgn/bas_es_bs1451_6-6_battery_spec04-02-24
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