Frequently Asked Questions

sonnenCommunity

What is the sonnenCommunity?

All customers of sonnen are members of the global sonnenCommunity.

The sonnenCommunity shapes a new, cleaner, and more sustainable energy system that is growing every day. Thanks to sonnen´s smart energy products, renewable energy generated by the sonnenCommunity can be stored and managed locally to provide far-reaching benefits: from community-focused energy sharing, to energy resilient microgrids, to Virtual Power Plants.

The sonnenCommunity connects people to create decentralised digital electricity networks that change the way members use energy around the world. For the first time, people are at the heart of the energy system, driving a global energy movement. There are various options to join the sonnenCommunity and everyone can choose the extent to which they might want to participate. The more a member gets involved, the more he or she benefits whilst contributing to a cleaner energy future at the same time. This virtuous cycle leads to the increased generation and use of renewables overall.

The goal of the sonnenCommunity is simple and the same across the globe: clean, reliable and affordable energy for everyone — a true win-win: for the individual, the community and our planet.

sonnenBatterie

What is the sonnenBatterie?

The sonnenBatterie is a fully-integrated, smart home storage solution made up of safe and long-lasting Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery modules, intelligent energy management software, and a power inverter.

“Fully-integrated” means that the three components are designed to work together and offer a high-quality product in one neat box. “Smart home storage” means that the energy management software includes a self-learning algorithm that continuously adapts to your consumption patterns to achieve the highest self-consumption and savings for your household.

I already have a solar system. Can I still add a sonnenBatterie?

Yes. The sonnenBatterie can be retrofitted to any existing solar system. If you already have solar panels installed on your roof, the sonnenBatterie can simply be added by an accredited installer to complete your home energy system. The existing installation of solar panels and solar inverter will not have to be changed.

I do not have a solar system yet. How do I get a complete system?

The sonnenBatterie can be installed together with new panels and you even save the costs for a separate solar inverter. Why? Because the sonnenBatterie comes with a hybrid inverter that lets you connect the panels straight into the battery.

What is the right capacity for my household?

The sonnenBatterie is a modular home storage system and can be designed to fit exactly your household’s needs. That also means that it’s capacity can be increased even after install, if the initial system design does not have enough capacity to power you through the night. Additional battery modules can be added at a later time by your solar retailer to match your increased energy needs. Just give them a call and ask for a capacity upgrade.

Tip: To find the right capacity for your household, check your electricity meter in the evening and in the morning for a few days to find out what you use during peak times (e.g. between 6pm and 6am).

Tip: Make sure that you get a sufficient battery cabinet from the the start.

Why should I choose sonnenBatterie over other brands?

Every household uses and produces energy differently. A sonnenBatterie takes this into account via its smart energy manager, making the most out of your solar energy by responding to your house’s specific energy demands. The system maximises your self-consumption and with it, your savings. sonnenBatterie is designed to last well beyond the warranty period and incorporates the safest cell technology.

How much does sonnenBatterie cost and where do I buy one?

The price of a sonnenBatterie depends on the chosen battery capacity and will be quoted by the solar retailer from whom you get the system installed. sonnen work together with quality solar retailers across the country who are specialists in offering solar systems and energy storage solutions.

What is the warranty on a sonnenBatterie and how does it compare?

sonnen offers a 10-year Full Warranty on all its components. This means that your investment is protected for 10 years or 10,000 cycles, whichever comes first. During the warranty period, all components of your sonnenBatterie are covered: the inverter, all power electronics, the energy manager and the battery modules. Even the sonnenProtect comes with a 10-year warranty.

Is the warranty affected when I join a Virtual Power Plant?

No. The warranty allows for charging and discharging the battery 10,000 times within 10 years. It is therefore designed to provide multiple charging cycles per day, which makes it one of the few storage solutions viable for use in Virtual Power Plants (VPP). 

Is the sonnenBatterie safe?

Yes! We only use the safest Lithium technology available: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4). Since the very first sonnenBatterie, sonnen have been relying on LFP battery modules because of LFP’s inherent safety attributes. The main point being that the battery cells do not burn and are therefore the ideal choice for our residential energy storage solution.

Why does sonnen use LFP battery chemistry?

The simple answer is: It’s the safest Lithium Ion chemistry available for home battery systems. Battery cells made of LFP are durable and safe. We’ve been testing various battery chemistries since 2009 and have always chosen LFP battery cells over other battery chemistries such as Lithium Manganese Nickel Cobalt (MNC).

Does the sonnenBatterie power my house when the grid fails?

In its standard configuration, the sonnenBatterie only supplies your house when the grid is online. If you want to protect dedicated circuits and important appliances against grid failure, your installer adds the sonnenProtect, which supplies your most important appliances with energy stored in your sonnenBatterie.

Does the sonnenBatterie always need to be connected to the Internet?

Yes. It does so for warranty purposes and for you to be able to monitor your household energy. The functions of the system are also working without an internet connection, but it cannot receive automated software updates, you will not be able to use the monitoring and sonnen does not provide warranty.

How do I know the sonnenBatterie is working?

Under normal operation, the sonnen logo - called eclipse - pulsates white. Through its Internet connection, the system sends metering data to the online portal and monitoring app and informs our technical service about maintenance requirements. We work together with your installer to make sure the sonnenBatterie gets back online asap if it ever loses connection. The different colours displayed by the eclipse and their meanings are listed below:

Pulsing White: Normal operation - No worries, everything works fine.

Pulsing Green: Off-grid operation - No worries, your most important appliances are being supplied.

Pulsing Orange: No Internet connection - Try to restart your internet router.

Solid Red: Error - Please call service.

Is the sonnenBatterie recyclable?

Yes. The components used in the sonnenBatterie are fully recyclable. The power electronics can either be refurbished for second life or scrapped for their metal. The LFP battery modules are the most environmentally-friendly Lithium Ion technology available to date, and can be taken apart to reuse both the Lithium and the Iron Phosphate components.

How many sonnenBatteries have been installed to date?

Up until 2020, sonnen has sold 50,000 sonnenBatteries worldwide.

What should I do if my battery goes offline?

Please check the light of your sonnenBatteries eclipse to see if there is an issue. In such an occasion the sonnen eclipse will not light up blue. If you are experiencing an issue please contact your local installer.

Can I increase the capacity of the sonnenBatterie?

Yes, the sonnenBatterie is a modular system and can be expanded at anytime in steps of 2.5kWh (sonnenBatterie 8, 9.43 and 9.53 models) or 5.5kWh (sonnenBatterie10).

What type of warranty do I have when I purchase a sonnenBatterie?

sonnenBatterie owners can enjoy a full 10-year warranty on all sonnenBatterie parts. After 10 years the sonnenBatterie will still have a storage capactiy of at least 75%.

sonnenProtect

What is sonnenProtect?

sonnenProtect is an optional accessory that can be installed with your sonnenBatterie to ensure power supply to dedicated circuits during a blackout. Blackouts can happen e.g. when extreme weather damages the network and electricity supply through the grid is interrupted.

How do I set up my sonnenProtect buffer system?

In the directory on the left under "sonnenBatterie" click on "Overview."

my.sonnenPortal

What is "direct consumption" and what is the difference between that and "consumption"?

Your "direct consumption" is the share of energy consumed directly from your PV system. Your consumption is your total consumption of energy from your PV system, national grid or any other source. For example, if your PV system generates 3kW and you consume 1.5 kW then your direct consumption is 1.5 kW. If your consumption increases to 4 kW, assuming your PV system maintains its 3 kW generation, then your direct consumption is 3 kW but consumption is 4kW.

What is autarky?

Autarky is the term used to describe self-sufficiency. It is the amount of self-generated energy your consume from your PV system.

Why can't I download any documents or statistics?

The statistics are not available to download because with the help of the portal or the sonnen App you can view daily, weekly, monthly and even annual data whenever you need.

Why do I no longer have access to the old sonnenBatterie portal?

After reviewing customer feedback we decided to create an entirely new customer portal and thus, the old portal is no longer accessible. Additionaly, the new customer portal is now mobile friendly to facilitate viewing from a web based browser app.

Why can't I see a consumption and production prognosis in the daily graphs?

The prognosis view is not yet available. However, the sonnenBatterie will continue to run its prognosis feature in the background.

Why do other customers have access to the old customer portal and the sonnenApp, but I don’t?

We are slowly inviting customers to use the new customer portal which might mean that some customers still have access to the old portal and sonnenApp before getting access to the new customer portal. If the customers are keen to use the new customer portal, then they can register at my.sonnen.de.

How do I change my password?

When logged in you can change your password under account settings. (Username > My Account > Password > Change Password). If you forgot your password, simply click "Forgot my password" on the log-in page to reset your password

Feedback

The feedback function will allow you to directly send suggestions, critique and praise. We please ask you to remain polite and constructive when giving your feedback. For support with your sonnenBatterie please use the contact form and send us a message. We thank you for any feedback you send our way to help us improve our customer experience.