Germany’s SMA has released initial details of a high-voltage battery compatible inverter for residential applications, reportedly compatible with Tesla Powerwall.
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UPDATE – October 4. Sunny Boy Storage 2.5 is now available in Australia from Energy Matters.
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The new SMA Sunny Boy Storage offers an AC-coupled system for high-voltage batteries, meaning it can be integrated into an existing PV installation without removing components of the solar power system.
SMA says through the AC coupling and standardized interfaces, the system can be expanded and adapted to suit individual needs.
The timing is good, with popularity of solar battery systems increasing in SMA’s home country.
“Within a year, the cumulated number of battery-storage systems installed in Germany so far has more than doubled to over 30,000, thanks to the decline in prices. Our future energy supply is decentralized and renewable,” said SMA Chief Executive Officer Pierre-Pascal Urbon
“With the new Sunny Boy Storage, SMA ensures the cost-effective, easy and flexible integration of the solution into new or existing photovoltaic systems.”
While the wraps are still on the new solar inverter, those will come off at Capital Markets Day on January 29 in Knightsbridge, London.
The press release from SMA doesn’t mention it specifically, but according to PV Tech an SMA representative has confirmed Sunny Boy Storage is compatible with the Tesla Powerwall battery system.
SMA Sunny Boy Storage will be sold in Germany starting in March, followed by a rollout in other key international battery storage markets; including the USA, UK, Italy and Australia.
Other energy storage solutions from SMA include the Flexible Energy Storage System; which has been available in Australia since 2014.
SMA solar inverters have been popular choice for residential and commercial solar PV installations in Australia since the early stages of our solar revolution.
SMA’s announcement is another indicator that the next solar revolution – home energy storage – is now really starting to kick into gear. SMA anticipates medium-term global annual demand of approximately AUD $0.79 billion to $1.91 billion for all storage applications.
On a related note, SolarEdge recently announced international availability of its StorEdge solution. StorEdge is a suite of inverter and related products designed to manage residential energy storage. StorEdge is also compatible with Powerwall.
