Q: Why does the battery sometimes not (de)charge completely?

As part of the virtual power plant , the sonnenBatterie can temporarily free up some of the storage capacity or hold back stored energy as a reserve. Freeing up or retaining storage capacity is necessary so that the sonnenBatterie can absorb electricity from the grid in the event of a grid overload or release electricity to the grid in the event of a bottleneck.

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

One of the first things you might have learned about your new home solar battery is that every battery has a certain number of cycles in its lifetime. sonnen has a warranty of 10 years or 10,000 cycles, whichever comes first (though tests have shown it can last much longer). Batteries degrade with both time and cycles, so it's hard to predict when your battery will degrade past its useful life. However, if you were to cycle your battery every day for 10 years, you would run 3650 cycles – that's over 6,000 cycles of potential value.

sonnen allows you to capture this value through your participation in the sonnenVPP through our sonnenConnect contracts. Save money with your home battery contract and help to stabilise the grid with green energy.

Question 2

Does sonnen’s VPP affect my electricity supply?

Accepted Answer

No. Your supply is always guaranteed by your Distributor and sonnen. Did you know? VPP activity actually improves grid stability.

Question 3

Does sonnen’s VPP affect my blackout protection?

Accepted Answer

No. Backup functionality is not affected by your battery’s contribution to the VPP. The VPP is not active during blackouts.

Question 4

How can I see if my battery has been used for a VPP event?

Accepted Answer

Each month you will receive a report detailing any participation, see below for a sample of the monthly report.

Question 5

Why does the battery sometimes not (de)charge completely?

Accepted Answer

As part of the virtual power plant, the sonnenBatterie can temporarily free up some of the storage capacity or hold back stored energy as a reserve. Freeing up or retaining storage capacity is necessary so that the sonnenBatterie can absorb electricity from the grid in the event of a grid overload or release electricity to the grid in the event of a bottleneck.

Question 6

How do I become part of the sonnenVPP?

Accepted Answer

The participation requirements vary depending on your place of residence. Generally, a sonnenBatterie, a SmartMeter, and a suitable electricity contract are prerequisites for joining the sonnenVPP. For more information, click here.

Question 7

What happens to my battery when I join the sonnenVPP?

Accepted Answer

Your battery is connected with thousands of others in the sonnenVPP to participate in the energy market. It helps balance fluctuations in the power grid by storing or releasing energy based on supply and demand. The electricity is directed exactly where it's needed, stabilizing the grid. Plus, your battery earns money for you during this process! You don't have to worry about doing anything, the sonnen team accesses your battery via the internet, using smart algorithms to operate it as efficiently as possible. It always takes into account your anticipated self-consumption and current weather data.

Question 8

How do I benefit financially from participating in the sonnenVPP?

Accepted Answer

How exactly you can benefit financially from the sonnenVPP depends on the design of the national energy market. In some countries, due to regulatory and structural conditions, we can leverage the potential of our technology more effectively, providing even more advantages to our customers there. If you want to learn more about participation and the benefits in your region, click here.

Question 9

Does the sonnenVPP have an impact on the performance and lifespan of my battery?

Accepted Answer

Our software distributes tasks as evenly as possible among the batteries in the sonnenVPP to limit the impact on individual batteries. The sonnenBatterie has been specifically designed for VPP participation, ensuring that additional charge and discharge cycles have no effect on performance and lifespan. Furthermore, we provide one of the longest warranties in the market for your sonnenBatterie: 10 years or 10,000 cycles. For comparison: If your battery is fully charged and discharged once daily for self-consumption over 10 years, that's only 3,650 cycles. So, over 6,000 cycles remain unused.