Sonnen Battery

The Sonnen Battery is a reliable, durable, German-made home battery

Sonnen GmbH

You may not have heard of the parent company, Sonnen GmbH.

However, Sonnen is a significant, long-term player in the energy storage market. Founded in 2010 in Germany, it has already installed over 60,000 battery storage systems worldwide.

In 2019, it was bought by Shell New Energies, so expect the Sonnen Shell marketing combination to increase your awareness of its storage solutions soon.

Sonnen has therefore built up tremendous real-world experience in home solar batteries. Its Sonnen Battery range is reliable, efficient, and safe. Just what you’d expect from a German manufacturer.

Sonnen Battery Chemistry

The battery chemistry in the sonnenBatterie range is lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄). It’s also cobalt free.

The two main advantages of LiFePO₄ chemistry are:

1. High safety standards, and
2. The batteries last a long time.

Sonnen founded its industry-wide cobalt free initiative in 2019. The goal is to promote the use of more sustainable materials in manufacturing and to increase awareness of cobalt mining. All the companies in the industry are encouraged to change their battery technology and display the logo on the left to signify a decisive move towards more sustainable manufacturing practices.

The new Sonnen batteries range incorporates high voltage technology, resulting in more efficient energy conversions.

sonnenBatterie 10

The latest version of Sonnen’s storage solution – brand new for 2021 – is called sonnenBatterie 10, or Sonnen Battery 10.

It comes in the following storage capacities (usable energy):

• 10 kWh
• 20 kWh

For the 10 kWh configuration, you have a single cabinet installed. Cabinet dimensions are 172-184 cm tall, 69 cm wide and 27 cm deep. If you opt for 20 kWh, you need two of these cabinets.

10 kWh of storage would be a good match for the average UK home. If your annual electricity requirement is around 3,650 kWh a year (you can find the actual figure on your electricity bill), that equates to 10 kWh a day which is exactly what the entry-level sonnenBatterie can provide. As long as you fill it each day with a combination of solar and grid electricity, you could run your home off the battery.

If your annual electricity requirement is around 8,000 kWh and above, then the sonnenBatterie 20 kWh version should be considered.

sonnenBatterie 10 Specification

Sonnen has packed the 10 with high performance features, including:

• 4.6 kW charge and discharge rate
• Smart home ready via KNX certification
• sonnenVPP virtual power plant capable
• 10-year, 10,000 cycles warranty
• Option for emergency back-up power with the sonnen Protect 4000
• Two different storage capacities to match your needs

The sonnenBatterie 10 is a modern, stylish, future-proof, battery system. Download the datasheet for further details.

sonnenProtect 4000

The sonnenProctect 4000 is an optional extra for the sonnenBatterie 10, allowing you to access the electricity stored in the battery during a power-cut.

Its key features are:

• 4 kW discharge rating
• 5 seconds from power-cut to restored power
• IP65 enclosure
• Operating temperature: -5ºC to 50ºC

In addition, there is a ‘black start’ function which allows the battery to recharge itself using solar electricity – assuming you have solar PV panels – instead of power from the grid.

It’s 52 cm tall, 23 cm wide, 12 cm deep, and weighs 10 kg. Read the datasheet for the complete picture.

sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 vs. sonnenBatterie 10

Sonnen has another range of battery storage known as sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53. How does it differ from sonnenBatterie 10?

The hybrid 9.53 versions comprise:

1. Battery storage
2. Solar inverter

In other words, it’s a ‘hybrid’ product because it adds built-in solar functionality to the battery storage. The DC electricity from the solar panels can be connected directly to the sonnenBatterie hybrid unit.

It has ‘dual MPPT’ capabilities which means you can connect up to two strings of solar panels – ideal for an east-west roof layout, or if one area of panels is shaded.

The sonnenBatterie hybrid range comes in the following battery sizes:

• 5 kWh  [hybrid 9.53/5]
• 7.5 kWh  [hybrid 9.53/7.5]
• 10 kWh  [hybrid 9.53/10]
• 12.5 kWh  [hybrid 9.53/12.5]
• 15 kWh  [hybrid 9.53/15]

The charge/discharge rate of the hybrid batteries is 3.3 kW (2.5 kW for the 5 kWh unit), whereas the sonnenBatterie 10 has a higher 4.6 kW charge/discharge rate. Take a look at the datasheet for the full specifications.

The hybrid units can also be set up to work in a power-cut, providing emergency power to your home. This is achieved via the separate sonnenProtect 2500. It has a 2.5 kW discharge rate, compared to the 4 kW rate of the sonnenProtect 4000 which works with the sonnenBatterie 10.

You’ll see from the image below there are three different cabinet combinations for the hybrid 9.53 range.

sonnenBatterie’s Energy Manager with Real-time Monitoring

The Energy Manager is the brain of the system, constantly monitoring your energy. It ensures you consume as much of your self-generated electricity as possible.

All the charging and discharging data can be accessed via your dedicated, online portal and app. You can keep track of solar PV generation, battery activity, electricity flows in and out of the home, and so on.

Sonnen Battery – who is it for?

The Sonnen Battery (sonnenBatterie) is a tried and tested, reliable, modular solar battery from a European manufacturer.

The Sonnen Battery should appeal to:

• Electric car owners who have, or are going to get, solar panels.
• Customers who want home battery storage from an experienced manufacturer.
• People who want to make use of smart tariffs and charge off-peak.
• Home-owners that live in areas prone to power-cuts.
• Customers who would like a nice-looking, all-in-one product on their wall.

You will find the Sonnen Battery price for various configurations in the table below.

Product Details

Here are further details about the Sonnen Battery hybrid 9.53 range (prices include the sonnenProtect 2500 back-up power module).

We display the information in the same format for all the home battery storage products we review, to help you compare and contrast.

Given the hybrid 9.53 units also contain a solar inverter, in addition to the battery storage, they represent excellent value for money.