SonnenBatterie Evo is a fully integrated AC-coupled solar battery system that can be installed outdoors and indoors for residential homes. It features an 11-kWh battery range, 5kW power rating, and lithium-ion-phosphate cell chemistry. Sonnen is incredibly efficient, contains a battery management system, and includes a ten-year or 10,000 cycles warranty.
Batteries help you store excess power, which you can utilise when your solar panels don’t generate sufficient power. When choosing a suitable battery, it’s essential to consider factors such as cell chemistry, home backup, compatibility, and battery range.
This review will discuss the SonnenBatterie Evo, its battery range, price, technical specifications, key features, and battery installation.
Let’s dive in!
What is the SonnenBatterie Evo?
SonnenBatterie Evo is a fully integrated AC-coupled storage system for indoor and outdoor installation. The battery storage has an IP56 outdoor rating and follows the AS/NZS 5139 indoor and outdoor set-up guidelines.
Sonnen is a German company; its batteries are imported from Germany and assembled in Australia. The company began in 2010 and has been manufacturing home batteries for more than a decade. Sonnen was known initially as ‘SonnenBatterie’ but later rebranded due to telegram charges.
The SonnenBatterie Evo range is 11-kilowatt-hours. However, it can only discharge a maximum of 91% to avoid capacity loss. This translates to 10-kilowatt-hours. These solar batteries stay close to 10 kWh during the ten-year warranty, or at least 80% of the original battery range.
Is the SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Worth it?
The SonnenBatterie Evo solar battery is worth consideration since it offers energy independence, increased savings, protection from outages, and a reduced carbon footprint.
One of the first considerations when determining if a home battery system is its financial viability – how much savings it offers. Thankfully, with energy bills progressively increasing and feed-in tariffs reducing, it now makes more economic sense to increase your self-consumption.
For example, the average Australian household of four can save between $1,000 – $2,000 annually with rooftop solar. But once you add the SonnenBatterie Evo to the mix, your savings can reach as much as $2,500 – $3,800 per year. So, a battery system can save you an additional $1,500 – $1,800 every twelve months.
One reason for adding battery storage to a solar system is to reduce your energy bills to generate more solar savings. With the cost of electricity rising steadily, a battery system provides you with enough payback to cover the investment cost quickly.
Having battery storage is also worthwhile because it safeguards you from outages. In a grid failure or power outage, a home battery system can be a godsend.
Lastly, a home battery system also reduces your carbon footprint. Without energy storage, you’ll need more power from the electricity grid, and grid power is produced by burning fossil fuels. However, power stored in your battery for later consumption is yielded by your solar system without any harmful carbon emissions.
How Much Storage does the SonnenBatterie Evo Have?
SonnenBatterie has a nominal capacity of 11-kilowatt-hours. However, it has a usable storage capacity of 10 kilowatt-hours because it can only discharge 91% of its nominal capacity.
Battery capacity is how much energy the battery can store and supply to your residence. You measure it in kilowatt-hours kWh (power * time). The battery size will inform you of the battery power sections of your home on time.
The actual battery capacity is always lower than the original capacity due to the following reasons:
- The presence of internal resistance.
- Charging and discharging cause batteries to lose energy.
How Long Will the SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Power My Home?
Yes. The Sonnenbatterie Evo Solar Battery can power your home for several hours, even during the evening. However, several factors determine daily power use. These include the number of household consumers, the types of appliances you have (especially power-hungry or power-friendly devices), how much time your family members spend in the house, etc.
However, the average home uses about 18 kWh of electricity in Australia per day. Consumption is usually highest in the evening, from 6 – 10 pm. Typically, those hours account for about one-third of daily solar consumption. So, roughly 12 kWh of electricity is required in the evening when solar modules aren’t generating power in the average Australian household.
Luckily, the SonnenBatterie Evo solar battery has you covered. Since it has a 10 kWh usable energy capacity, this battery can satisfy all electricity needs in most Australian homes in the evening when the modules aren’t active. The battery could provide about 80% of the power your home needs in the evening in the worst-case scenarios.
SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Technical Specifications
The specifications of the SonnenBatterie Evo, published in its datasheet, highlight its technical qualities:
| System Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Nominal Voltage: | 230 V |
| Nominal Frequency: | 50 Hz |
| Nominal Power Rating (@ 40 ⁰C): | 5 kW |
| Power Factor Range: | 0.5 leading … 0.5 lagging |
| Grid Connection: | Single-phase, L / N / PE |
| Battery Specifications (DC) | |
| Nominal Voltage: | 102.4 VDC |
| Operating Voltage: | 204.8 VDC |
| Nominal / Usable Capacity: | 11 kWh / 10 kWh |
| Max Charge / Discharge Current (Continuous) / Max Energy: | 40 A / 5 kW |
| Cell Chemistry: | Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) |
| General Data | |
| Dimensions (W x H x D): | 710 mm x 1,400 mm x 427 mm |
| Installed Weight: | 163.5 kg (Cabinet 74 kg, Battery Module (each) 40 kg, Plinth 9.5 kg) |
| Ambient Temperature Range: | 10 ⁰C to 50 ⁰C |
| Max. Relative Humidity: | 90%, non-condensing |
| Permissible Installation Altitude: | 2,000 m |
| Inverter Efficiency: | 94.4% peak |
| On-Grid Pass-Through: | 35 A |
| Applications: | Time-of-use / Self-consumption / Backup |
| Communication: | Ethernet |
| Safety | |
| Protection Class / Overvoltage Category: | I / PE conductor / III |
| Degree of Protection: | IP 56 |
| Backup Power Specification | |
| Nominal Backup Current (Continuous): | 21.7 A |
| Nominal Output Voltage: | 230 V |
| Nominal Power: | 5 kW |
| Nominal Frequency: | 50 Hz |
| Nominal Power / 30 Min Peak: | 5 kW / 5.3 kVA |
| Certifications | |
| Tests and Directives: | AS/NZS 4777.2:2020, EN 61000-6-1, EN 61000-6-3, IEC 62040-2, IEC 62040-1, IEC 62477-1, IEC 62619. |
| Warranty: | Ten years or 10,000 cycles |
SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Key Features
Here are some valuable features of the SonnenBatterie Evo:
- Lithium iron phosphate battery
- 10-kilowatt-hour usable storage
- 5 kilowatts continuous power
- AC-coupled
- Built-in backup
- Can be installed outside
- Designed for the Australian climate
- Intelligent battery management system
- Compact design
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Battery
SonnenBatterie Evo is a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery. A battery’s chemistry is the base compound that stores electricity in the battery. In this case, SonnenBatterie Evo uses lithium-ion phosphate as the primary blend. There are many benefits of having a lithium-iron-phosphate battery:
- They are incredibly efficient and charge faster than other batteries because they handle high amperage levels;
- The batteries are more energy-dense, meaning they use less space to store electricity;
- Lithium batteries perform at high levels for many years;
- Lithium-ion phosphate stays cool at room temperature;
- Lithium-ion batteries don’t use cobalt and have a lower carbon footprint.
The SonnenBatterie Evo solar battery has a longer life span, requires little maintenance, is very safe, and more.
Ten Kilowatt-hour Useable Storage
The useable storage capacity of the SonnenBatterie Evo is only 91% of its nominal capacity. Still, it can discharge ten kilowatt-hours of electricity. As a result, the SonnenBatterie Evo can provide you with energy independence as it can supply the power needs of most Australian homes in the modules’ downtime.
Five Kilowatts Continuous Power
SonnenBatterie Evo emits five kilowatts of continuous power. The battery can also supply more. It has a 5-second surge capacity of 7.2 kilowatts and can release 8.6 kilowatts in 1/10 of a second. New solar batteries with a nominal capacity of 10 kilowatt-hours will deliver 5 kilowatts of power for a few hours (at most two).
Power rating is the amount of electricity a battery can deliver to your residence in one go. The power is represented in kilowatts (kW). It shows you the number of appliances you can run simultaneously.
Solar batteries have two power ratings: peak and continuous rating:
The peak power rating is the highest level of electricity a battery can provide for a short period. Peak power rating is for appliances that need a power burst to run, such as air conditioners.
In contrast, the continuous power rating is the electricity level that solar batteries constantly produce. It’s for appliances that need a stable energy supply, such as refrigerators.
The best solar batteries have a peak power rating of 7 kW and a continuous power rating of 5 kW. Thus, having a peak power rating of 7.2 kW and a continuous power rating of 5 kW makes Evo one of the best solar batteries.
An AC-Coupled Storage System
The SonnenBatterie Evo is a fully integrated AC-coupled storage system. There are two types of battery installation systems – AC and DC coupling. The difference lies in how the solar panels link with the battery storage system.
In AC-coupled battery systems (like the SonnenBatterie Evo), the DC power from the panels goes directly to the solar inverter for conversion to AC power used by household appliances. Unused AC power then moves to another inverter, where it is converted to DC power before being diverted into the battery for storage.
Whereas in DC-coupled battery systems, the DC power from the panels goes straight to the solar battery. It goes into a hybrid inverter from the battery to be converted to AC power useable by household appliances.
Though more power inversions are carried out in AC-coupled systems, they have many advantages over DC-coupled systems. For example, AC-coupled battery systems offer more flexibility in solar system planning, increased reliability, and are easier to retrofit in solar installations.
Therefore, the SonnenBatterie Evo is an excellent choice for people installing a new solar and battery tandem system and retrofitting a battery to an existing solar installation. AC-coupled energy systems also have higher efficiency when powering AC appliances like air-conditioners, pool pumps, etc.
Built-in Backup Power
Unlike the SonnenBatterie Eco, where backup power is optional, the SonnenBatterie Evo has built-in backup power (5 kW continuous and 7 kW surge capacity). Whenever there’s a blackout or electricity grid failure, the solar battery will always produce 5 kW of energy, just as usual.
You can also charge the battery from solar power during a blackout. But for this, your solar inverter must be 6 kW or less, and you must be on the same phase as the Evo.
An Indoor and Outdoor Home Battery Solution
Sonnen Evo is perfect for outdoor installation due to its ingress protection rating of IP56. This rating indicates that the solar battery can resist strong water jets. If anyone uses a hose to clean it (which is not recommended), the battery would still be in perfect condition.
Designed for the Australian Climate
While it may be engineered in Germany, the SonnenBatterie Evo is specifically made for Australia and New Zealand.
The battery has an ambient temperature range of -10 ⁰C to 50 ⁰C and has a maximum relative humidity of 90%. The operating temperature is the range in which your battery can work best. Extreme temperatures affect batteries in the following ways:
- Shortening the battery life.
- Causing reduced battery efficiency.
- Voiding the warranty.
Luckily, the temperature in Australia ranges from about 0 ⁰C to 34 ⁰C, which is safely within the operating temperature of the SonnenBatterie Evo.
The batteries can also be installed up to an altitude of 2,000 m. The lowest altitude in Australia is 330 m, while the highest is 2,280 m, so Sonnen Evo can be installed on most rooftops.
An Intelligent Battery Management System and SonnenInverter
Sonnen Evo has an active battery management system to optimise your solar power consumption. If solar energy is available but not required for your residence, the Sonnen battery will automatically divert power to other consumers. Examples of such consumers include your heating system, washing machine, or dishwasher.
The company’s ‘My Sonnen’ application also provides solar monitoring capabilities. It allows you to monitor the system from any location. You can activate it to view the following:
- Your battery’s capacity
- Operating mode
- State of charge
- Normal use of energy
- Battery’s details such as the serial number.
Compact Design
The SonnenBatterie Evo dimensions are 710 mm x 1,400 mm x 427 mm. The batteries also weigh 163.5 kg (Cabinet 74 kg, Battery Module 40 kg each, Plinth 9.5 kg), making them more compact than other Sonnen batteries.
Is SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Easy to Install?
The battery installation process is very straightforward if you already have solar panels. Solar panels need more workmanship than a battery. Installing your SonnenBatterie Evo requires less personnel than solar panel installation.
Depending on your preference, the SonnenBatterie can be installed outside or inside (on the ground). Fewer installers are required, resulting in lower installation charges than panels. If your solar panels are up to date and working competently, the installation labour will not be more than $1,000.
As an AC-coupled battery, adding the SonnenBatterie Evo to an existing solar system is effortless. So, if you already have solar but want to add a home battery system to increase your self-consumption, this storage system is ideal for your needs.
However, you should not attempt this installation yourself. Instead, choose a reliable solar system installer, such as Instyle Solar.
We provide high-performing and reliable solar batteries, solar panels, and other products from all over the world. Our most popular brands are Sonnen and Tesla. We also offer installation services for solar batteries and solar panels performed by our experienced staff, who are ready to answer any of your questions.
Is the SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Reliable? Does it Come With a Warranty?
The SonnenBatterie Evo ticks the right boxes as a high-performing and reliable energy storage system.
The battery’s cell chemistry gives it a promising start on the reliability index. Generally, LFP batteries have improved charge/discharge efficiencies and a longer life span. The battery’s IP56-rated enclosure is another badge of credibility. This enclosure effectively blocks dust and water ingress that would otherwise affect the proper functioning of the inverter. The SonnenBatterie Evo is also a complete system with smart energy management software which ensures that everything runs smoothly.
SonnenBaterie Evo provides a 10-year full warranty on all its parts. This means your battery will be protected for 10,000 cycles or ten years. All SonnenBatterie parts are covered during the warranty period, including electronics, inverter, battery modules, and the energy manager.
Your warranty will likely run the entire 10-year period. Even if you charge and fully discharge the battery twice a day, it would still take over 13 years to reach 10,000 charge cycles. This warranty gives you peace of mind when using the SonnenBaterie Evo.
Is the SonnenBatterie Evo Solar Battery Safe?
The SonnenBatterie Evo solar battery is safe for indoor and outdoor installations. The battery complies with different standards, including:
- AS/NZS 5139, establishes safety requirements for battery energy storage systems connected with power conversion equipment to supply electric power.
- IEC62619, which specifies requirements for the safe operation of lithium cells and batteries used in stationary applications.
- IEC62477-1 sets out safety requirements for power electronic converter systems and equipment.
- IEC62040-1 sets out safety requirements for uninterrupted power systems (UPS).
- IEC62040-2, which sets out electromagnetic compatibility requirements for UPS.
Which Inverters Work with SonnenBatterie Evo?
The SonnenBatterie Evo is an AC-coupled energy system, so it functions independently from a solar system. It won’t matter which type of solar inverter your system has. The battery is compatible with all of them.
Hence, the SonenBatterie Evo work with all the top solar inverters in Australia, such as:
Next Steps…
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