Why we recommend Sonnen Batteries
Sonnen batteries have been for sale in Australia since 2018 and have an excellent track record. With their German heritage and proven technology, they offer a great solution for homeowners looking for a reliable home storage solution.
Their 10-year warranty provides peace of mind, together with a battery chemistry of Lithium Iron Phosphate which adds to the safety aspect of their product.
Customer feedback on the Sonnen home storage solutions is excellent. The company’s products have been praised for their high quality and performance. The batteries are available in various sizes and capacities to meet the needs of different Australian homes. The Sonnen installation partners are well-trained to ensure product delivery without any issues. A genuinely superb battery solution.
General
Sonnen batteries are made in Germany and are known for their high quality and performance. They use lithium-Iron technology, one of the most popular battery brands, to store solar energy in Australian homes. The product can be used to provide backup power during outages, and it can also be used to save money on energy bills by storing energy generated during off-peak hours and using it during peak hours.
History
Sonnen was founded in Wildpoldsried, Bavaria, Germany, in 2010 by Christoph Ostermann and Torsten Stiefenhofer. They developed the first all-in-one lithium-Iron home battery system, the sonnenBatterie. Sonne is the German word for Sun, so the direct translation is the SunBattery.
The original sonnenBatterie was a revolutionary concept in 2010, as residential solar systems were, in the majority, designed to export the excess electricity generated back to the grid instead of storing it in a home battery and then using this energy in the home.
Sonnen has since become a global leader in home battery storage, with over 100,000 battery systems installed worldwide. The company is still headquartered in Wildpoldsried, Germany, and has offices in the United States, Canada, the UK Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and since 2018 in Australia.
Technology
The Sonnen storage battery in the Hybrid 9.53 had a relatively low IP rating of IP20, meaning it could not be installed outdoors in Australia. The most likely reason for this design was that in Germany, their initial key market, most homes either have a spacious cellar or a garage, allowing an easy indoor install.
Weatherproof
In 2023, a fully weatherproof version was launched in the Australian market, the Sonnen Evo, with an IP56 outdoor rating. It is protected from dust and water jets from any direction. It can also withstand temporary immersion in water up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. This makes it ideal for installation in both indoor and outdoor situations.
Lithium-Iron technology
The key technology, just like in other popular home batteries, is lithium-Iron, designed to store energy generated by solar panels. The battery also allows backup power during blackouts and load shifting, meaning charge at times of low tariffs from the grid and release it during peak hours, when electricity costs are high.
Durable and trouble-free operation
Sonnen Batteries are known for their durability and trouble-free operation. The unit includes battery packs, an inverter, a charge controller and a communication box, which allows the battery to communicate with the panels, the grid and the Sonnen cloud. A user-friendly monitoring system forms part of the package.
Manufacturing
Sonnen batteries are made from lithium-Iron cells that are sourced from Panasonic. The cells are assembled into modules and then into batteries. Sonnen batteries are available in a unit size of either 2.5 to 5kWh.The Evo battery offering comprises of 2 * 5 kWh batteries with a combined 10 kWh offering. The Hybrid 9.53 has an expandable range from 2.5 kWh to 15 kWh
From 2018 to 2020, Sonnen batteries were manufactured in Elizabeth, South Australia. The company had a factory in the former Holden manufacturing plant, employing around 100 people. Unfortunately, in 2020 Sonnen announced that it would be closing its local factory. The company cited several factors for the closure, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the global shortage of semiconductors.
Sonnen batteries are now manufactured in Germany and China. The company’s majority of batteries are designed in Germany and made with components worldwide. The batteries are then assembled at the company’s manufacturing facilities.
Ownership
Sonnen was founded in 2010 by 2 German battery pioneers, Christoph Ostermann and Torsten Stiefenhofer. The company is headquartered in Wildpoldsried, Germany. In 2019 after Sonnen had established itself as a leading battery brand with a strong following, Shell New Energies acquired Sonnen for $1.2 billion. Shell New Energies is a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world’s largest energy companies.
Such a significant energy player’s ownership of the battery manufacturer ensures the manufacturer’s warranties and finance of future research are solid.
Global Distribution
Sonnen batteries are distributed worldwide through a network of wholesalers, authorised dealers and installers. The company has a strong presence in Europe, North America, and Asia.
In some countries, Sonnen passes its batteries to wholesalers, who then sell them to retailers and installers. Finally, Sonnen distributes its batteries to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who then incorporate them into their products.
By 2023 Sonnen batteries were distributed to over 100 countries. The company has successfully installed more than 100,000 battery storage systems worldwide.
Advantages
Other
Sonnen batteries offer one of the best battery solutions on the Australian market. Their reliability is proven with over 10,000 local batteries in the field, many in the hot South Australian conditions.
They offer several advantages, such as providing energy independence, backup power, time of use optimisation and increasing a customer’s solar system self-consumption. Sonnen batteries are known for their durability and long lifespan. They are designed to undergo frequent charge and discharge cycles without significant degradation, providing reliable energy storage for years.
Being a premium product, their upfront cost can be higher than other energy storage options. However, potential energy savings and the battery’s long lifespan will offset this cost. With their German heritage in engineering and manufacturing, you know you get an excellent product.
