Dive Brief:
-
German battery maker Sonnen has introduced a compact battery designed for residential use that it is selling at prices 40% below the costs of its other products.
-
Sonnen says it is selling it 4 kWh sonnenBatterie eco compact system for $5,950 without installation. The price includes the inverter, battery modules, and a smart energy management system and measuring technology.
-
Sonnen says its eco compact's smart energy management system includes self-learning software designed to optimize solar self-consumption and supporting grid services.
Dive Insight:
As net metering policies come under scrutiny in several states across the U.S., Sonnen of Germany sees opportunities to pair energy storage with rooftop solar as a way of enhancing value to homeowners.
"We expect to see a dramatic increase in the installation of storage across the country," Boris von Bormann, CEO of Sonnen, said in a statement.
He said the company’s reduced cost eco compact battery is aimed at “self-consumption markets” where net metering policies have been revised to be less lucrative, such as Nevada and Hawaii.
Sonnen says its eco compact battery can enable homes to store unneeded solar power for use later in the day, increasing the daily consumption of self-generated renewable energy at a much lower cost. That should enable residential customers to realize greater returns on solar investments by expanding the use of solar energy throughout the day, the company says.
Sonnen cut the cost of its eco compact battery by removing backup power features. The company says the modular design of the eco compact system allows it to be easily expanded in 4-kWh increments up to 16 kWh in a single unit.
In addition to changes in net metering policies, some areas are hitting net metering caps, which Sonnen also sees as a potential market for selling storage solutions to bolster the value of existing rooftop solar panels.
San Diego Gas & Electric recently became the first California utility to hit its net metering cap. And last month, Maui Electric hit is net metering cap under the state's revised incentive policy.