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How much does the Sonnen Eco cost?
The sonnen eco solar battery price starts at $6,100 in 2023. The battery can be purchased in storage capacity increments of 2.5 kWh, with the smallest battery size starting at 5 kWh. Therefore, the total price of a sonnen eco battery in 2023 will depend on the size of the battery that is purchased. Installation and labor costs for the sonnen eco battery can run between $1,500 to $4,500 when installed with a solar energy system.
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About the Sonnen Eco home battery
Sonnen was founded in 2010 in Germany by Christoph Ostermann and Torsten Stiefenhofer. The company now has over 1,000 employees worldwide in offices in the United States, as well as Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and Australia.
The sonnen eco battery can recharge using energy from solar panels or a generator, which means you don’t necessarily need solar panels on your home in order to benefit from using the sonnen eco as a back-up energy source. To date, over 90,000 Sonnen batteries have been installed. Many of the best solar panel companies pair well with Sonnen solar batteries.
Is the Sonnen Eco right for you?
The sonnen eco battery may be right for your home solar panel system or back-up electricity options if:
- Your solar panels are very efficient. The best solar panels that are optimized to collect the most energy can benefit from a solar battery to save extra energy instead of sending it back to the power grid.
- Power outages are a major annoyance. Power outages can be bothersome, and even dangerous, especially for people in extreme climates or with medical devices that require a power source.
- Your energy provider has Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity rates.Some energy plans cost more per kWh during peak usage times. Using stored energy during higher TOU rates can help lower your energy bill.
- You are a Rocky Mountain Power customer in Utah or Idaho. Adding a Sonnen battery to your home could earn you benefits as part of the Wattsmart Battery Program.
Sonnen Eco tax credits and incentives in 2023
Tax credits and incentives for the sonnen eco solar battery can come from county, state, or federal programs. Check your local incentives by visiting our statewide solar incentives list.
Some common local solar battery incentives include:
- Property tax exemptions
- Net-metering credits toward your monthly energy bill
- Low-interest solar loans
Clean Energy Credit (formerly the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit)
Apart from local incentives, the Federal government is offering a tax credit for solar-related home improvements. The sonnen eco battery and related installation costs are eligible for the 30% federal solar tax credit through 2032, also called the Clean Energy Credit.
The Clean Energy Credit was formerly called the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law in August 2022, the credit has increased from 26% to 30% and extended for another 10 years. The solar tax credit will revert to 26% in 2033 and decrease to 22% in 2034, its final year.
One stipulation regarding the solar tax credit is that only homeowners who purchase or finance their solar array can claim the federal solar tax credit. Other methods of acquiring a solar panel system, such as leasing or entering a solar power purchase agreement (PPA), cause the rebate from the solar tax credit to benefit the owner of the solar system.
Sonnen Eco key features 2023
Here are other key features that set the sonnen eco apart from its competitors:
- Safe battery technology: The sonnen eco runs on a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which is safer due to its thermal and chemical stability. According to Electralab and Printed Electronics Corp (EPEC), “[t]his battery stays cool in higher temperatures. It is also incombustible when it is mishandled during rapid charges and discharges or when there are short circuit issues.”
- 100% recyclable: Environmentally friendly Sonnen batteries are cobalt-free and fully recyclable at any of the nearly 700 R2 recycling facilities throughout the U.S.
- Long-term warranty: The 2023 sonnen eco warranty outlines a 10-year/10,000 cycle warranty with a guaranteed 70% storage capacity since the capacity of solar batteries degrades over time. The warranty includes “inverter, battery modules, cabinet and components.” The warranty does have exclusions if the battery is transferred from its original location or to a new owner.
- Sonnen App: The my sonnen app, available for iPhone or Android, allows you to monitor your battery in real time and review historical data for optimum performance.
- Customer dashboard: With the online dashboard, Sonnen owners can optimize battery settings, designate peak periods, and monitor energy usage, no smartphone required.
- System applications: The sonnen eco software has three modes to choose from. The self-consumption mode is where the solar battery powers the residence to minimize energy use from the grid. Time-of-use mode lets you set the time of day that you want to rely on solar battery energy, which is useful if your energy plan has peak hours that have higher rates. Back-up power mode conserves the battery’s energy to only be used in case of a power outage.
Sonnen Eco key specs 2023
Below are the key specification descriptions of the Sonnen eco battery. The full spec sheet is also available to download.
| Feature | Detail | Description |
| Energy capacity | 10–20 kWh | The capacity of a Sonnen eco battery is customizable in increments of 2.5 kWh up to a total of 20 kWh. The usable capacity of the solar battery will be slightly less due to the energy consumed for the battery to operate. With the sonnen eco, 2.5 kWh will equal roughly 2 kWh of usable capacity. |
| Warranty | 10 years or 10,000 cycles | The sonnen eco warranty is 10 years or 10,000 cycles, whichever comes first. A cycle is the depletion of one full battery. |
| Round trip efficiency | 81.6% | Round-trip efficiency is how much energy the battery will supply after accounting for the energy that the battery needs to function. |
| Dimensions | 26” W x 57” H x 19” D (for batteries 12.5 kWh and under.) | Sonnen eco batteries above 12.5 kWh will measure 26” W x 84” H x 19” D. |
| Weight | 543 pounds for 10 kWh; 724 pounds for 15 kWh; 830 pounds for 20 kWh | The Sonnen eco is one of the heavier batteries available. For example, the Tesla Powerwall weighs less than half of the Sonnen at 251 pounds. |
| Temperature range | 41–113℉ | The Sonnen battery is rated for indoor use only. |
| Automatic transfer switch | Comes included and is built into the battery. | The automatic transfer switch seamlessly changes the home’s power source to battery power after a power outage. |
| Device protection | Comes included and is built into the battery. | Integrated protection safeguards the sonnen eco battery from short-circuiting, overloading, and overheating. |
Pros and cons of the Sonnen Eco solar battery
The sonnen eco solar battery has strong technical features that highlight the battery’s benefits. However, there are some less tangible features that could be interpreted as disadvantages. Even still, sonnen eco is consistently ranked among the best solar batteries currently on the market, in line with the Tesla Powerwall and the Generac PWRcell.
| Pros | Cons |
| Large capacity* | Efficiency is less than other batteries |
| Three different power modes | Price is more expensive than other batteries |
| 100% renewable | Smaller, newer company (founded in 2010) |
*The sonnen eco battery is customizable in 2.5 kWh increments, from 5–20 kWh total capacity. The amount of backup energy your home requires depends on your home’s size and energy consumption. However, the average U.S. household uses just under 30 kWh/day on average, for a total of about 900 kWh/month. Using this figure, a 5 kWh system could keep vital appliances running for a few hours in the event of a power outage.
Should you buy the Sonnen Eco in 2023 ?
The 2023 sonnen eco has many benefits if you are considering adding a solar battery to your home’s energy system. The sonnen eco battery can be added to your solar panel system retroactively. The battery can enable more energy independence for your home because the stored energy can allow you to keep the power on during temporary power outages.
You don’t even need pay the cost of a solar panel system to benefit from the sonnen eco. According to Sonnen, “solar is not required to install a sonnen eco. The eco system can also be recharged using a generator or excess low-cost energy from the grid and stored for use during peak times to power your home.“
If you prefer less reliance on the power grid and your budget allows, the sonnen eco is a great option for a home solar battery solution in 2023.