Energy independence: This is just the beginning

sonnen’s presence at the Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition this year was marked with a number of firsts.

 We showcased the first sonnenBatterie systems that were made in Elizabeth, South Australia. At the show we introduced Black Start, a new feature that allows homeowners to restart a system that has shut down due to completely discharged batteries overnight, wake itself up and charge their sonnenBatterie hybrid with energy produced by their solar panels when the grid is down, as well as use backup power for essential loads.

 Black Start as it suggests means to “start from nothing”. In a world-first, sonnen demonstrated at Wildpoldsried, a Bavarian village in Germany, how sonnen was able to use Black Start. After the village had lost grid power, Black Start allowed homeowners systems to wake up, charge and produce power from their sonnenBatteries once their solar panels started to generate energy – without having a grid connection.

 We believe that Black Start is the most intelligent solution in the industry and this feature will appeal to homeowners who want their solar batteries to operate as a backup source should their grid-connected power be impacted regardless of how much battery charge they use overnight. This creates an additional layer of security for homeowners who are already increasingly seeking independence from the grid.

 But our work doesn’t stop here as we continue to grow the sonnenCommunity in Australia. Our next ambition is to drive the growth of sonnenFlat and to support thousands of Australian households slash their energy bills for good.

 Having spoken to our partners, we’ve realised we need to do more to help customers understand the benefits of sonnenFlat paired with sonnenBatteries to give them greater certainty over their home energy bills. If you have any suggestions on how we can further improve the sonnenFlat proposition, please let me know.

 2019 is shaping up to be an exciting year for energy storage. I’ve had many great conversations with partners and if you are attending All-Energy in October, I look forward to continuing those conversations then, and throughout the year ahead.

by Nathan Dunn

CEO APAC/Managing Director sonnen Australia Pty Ltd