Pylontech vs BYD: the two top-selling solar batteries compared

Pylontech and BYD are the two leading Chinese brands in residential solar batteries. LiFePO4 tech, proven quality in thousands of EU installs. But meaningful differences in how they're used.

Topology: low vs high voltage

Pylontech US3000C: low voltage (48 V). Modular, up to 16 units parallel. BYD HVS/HVM: high voltage (200-500 V). More efficient transfer (less conversion loss) but less compatible with low-cost inverters.

Module capacity

Pylontech US3000C: 3.5 kWh usable. Stackable to 56 kWh. BYD HVS: 5.1-12.8 kWh per tower. BYD HVM: 11-22 kWh per tower. BYD optimized for large capacity, Pylontech for modular flexibility.

Inverter compatibility

Pylontech: Victron, Sol-Ark, Sofar, Solis, Voltronic, Studer, Deye and many more. Very open. BYD: Fronius, SMA, Sungrow, Goodwe, Solis. More closed but perfectly integrated with those.

Warranty

Pylontech: 10 years or 6000 cycles at 80% capacity. BYD: 10 years or 7300 cycles at 80%. BYD slightly better on paper, but both enough for 12-15 years real life.

2026 pricing

Pylontech US3000C 3.5 kWh: $1900-2150. BYD HVS 5.1 kWh: $3300-3700. $/kWh: Pylontech ~$580, BYD ~$700. Pylontech cheaper per kWh, BYD systematically more efficient.

Verdict

Up to 10 kWh, price priority: Pylontech. 10+ kWh with Fronius/Sungrow inverter: BYD. DIY self-install: Pylontech (more open docs). Business with certified tech: BYD for clean integration.

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