At a Glance: Alpha ESS Batteries score 3.9 out of 5
Scoring is based on our solar battery scorecard which is consistently applied to each brand and battery available on the Australian market. This scoring reflects Alpha ESS’s residential Smile 5 series.
$$$ Price: Based on data from Solar Choice’s network of solar installers, the average price for an installed Alpha ESS battery is $1,025 per usable kWh. This means they are a mid-range priced solution.
- Company Backing and Trustworthiness (5 out of 5): Alpha ESS has offices in Adelaide and Sydney with a substantial number of Australian employees. They have been operating in Australia since 2015. The brand is diversified beyond solar batteries, also offering EV chargers.
- Warranty Offer (2.5 out of 5): Alpha ESS batteries come with a through-put warranty of 3.12MWh per usable kWh and a degradation rate of 70% after 10 years. They also have a product warranty of 10 years.
- Customer Reviews (3 out of 5): Based on verified reviews through Solar Choice’s independent platform, at the time of writing, Alpha ESS have received mostly positive customer feedback from a total of 59 reviews. Based on our customer reviewing scoring system, average ratings between 4 and 4.25 score 3 points.
- Functionality (5 out of 5): Alpha ESS batteries score a full 5 points for the functionality we look for. This includes being a modular stackable solution, outdoor rated at IP65, having a built in inverter so it can connect to any existing solar systems and having built in fire suppression. The batteries can also be expanded with new batteries not being affected by older degraded batteries in the stack.
Please note that the Solar Choice score card reflects our opinions only. Customers are encouraged to do their own research. Uncover essential details in the comprehensive guide below and find out what you need to know before you buy.
Background on AlphaESS – Company History
AlphaESS Battery System – How It Works
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You can ‘DC Couple’ or ‘AC Couple’ the Alpha ESS.
If you were starting from scratch and installing a new system, a DC coupled AlphaESS battery would make the most sense. This is because there would be no need to purchase an additional grid-connected inverter as the AlphaESS unit can do it all for you. It also only converts DC energy to AC energy once when the house is drawing down power from battery – meaning its a more efficient solution.
To read our full explanation on DC coupling and AC coupling – click here.
How Much do AlphaESS Batteries Cost?
One of AlphaESS’s most popular residential battery systems is the SMILE5 series. See the below table which provide an indicative guide based on data from Solar Choice’s Battery Price Index on the cost of installing a AlphaESS SMILE5 with different battery capacity:
| Alpha ESS Product | Indicative Price Range ($AUD) |
| Alpha ESS SMILE5 5.5kWh | $8,500 to $9,000 |
| Alpha ESS SMILE5 11kWh | $12,000 to $13,000 |
| Alpha ESS SMILE5 16.5kWh | $15,000 to $17,500 |
Please note
- Prices are an estimate of a full turnkey price for end-consumers including all products, labour and GST
- Price estimates does not include any battery rebates
To give this cost context it is important to balance the cost of a battery against the return of a cheaper power bill. Solar Choice’s solar and battery calculator is a comprehensive tool to understand the financial viability – although be warned, the financial return for batteries is still not as attractive as solar panels.
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AlphaESS Independently Tested by ITP Renewables
ITP Renewables, an independent organization funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), independently tested AlphaESS. They publish live performance data and biannual reports on the batteries they test. Their accelerated testing method cycles batteries three times daily, simulating nine years of use in just three years.
In 2017, ITP Renewables began testing the AlphaESS M48100 (9.6kWh) battery. After two years, equivalent to six traditional years of use, they noticed abnormal behavior: the battery’s charge/discharge rate was restricted. AlphaESS examined the battery and found over-temperature alarms, leading to the discontinuation of the test.
AlphaESS informed Solar Choice that the tested battery was their first model, manufactured over seven years ago, and they have made significant improvements since.
AlphaESS’s Warranty Terms for Australian Customers
As of October 2024, AlphaESS has updated their Australian documents to offer a 10-year product warranty for the inverter and all battery components. This covers manufacturing defects and is the aspect of the warranty that is most commonly claimed by customers.
The batteries also come with a performance warranty which guarantees whichever comes first out of the 2 conditions below:
- the battery retains 70% of its usable capacity after 10 years
- the battery has throughput 3.12MWh per kWh of usable capacity
The latest warranty document also removes some unusual limiting conditions that were present in previous documents. This now looks to be one of the better battery warranties for Australian customers. Alpha ESS have an office in Chatswood that you can contact for technical support and to claim warranty.
You can download the warranty details here:
Alpha ESS Australian Warranty Document
Pros and Cons of Alpha ESS Batteries
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The Chemistry Behind AlphaESS Batteries
This AlphaESS battery consists of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), as the cathode material and its anodes are carbon. This is different to Lithium Ion batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall 2.
Since 2008 our knowledge and sophisticated software has allowed over 300,000 Australian households and businesses to make a well-informed choice on their solar & battery installer.
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Reviews from Australians who have installed Alpha ESS Batteries
I didn’t choose but the battery looks terrific and takes up little space in my garage
At this time (plus 3 Days) I have no information on battery management software or performance - otherwise battery appears satisfactory, possibly underpowered.
Recommended for my house by the battery installer
The battery performance is as advertised. The Alpha ESS was the battery quoted and SBG indicated that it was a reliable product. It is very compact. The phone app appears to be very good.
The battery performance is as advertised. The Alpha ESS was the battery quoted and SBG indicated that it was a reliable product. It is very compact. The phone app appears to be very good.
Don’t know very much, it is enough to storage without using grid in nice days. It looks good, was charging straight away too, and it was very overcast.
Too early to provide any feedback on battery performance as it's only been a week but it seems to doing OK so far.
It’s only been in for 24 hours so don’t really have any feedback
I am happy with battery and unit. It was supplied by company
I dont know how good the battery is. It was only installed a few days ago
I didn’t choose the brand, just trusted you!!!
Highly recommend to me this brand has a good reputation still only early days of installation but all good at the moment
The guys made sure I had the correct battery for our needs & that we had the associated app up & running & were able to view the information easily.
Review left 4 years after system installed
Working well since installation with no issues.
Hard to say. Poor access to diagnostics and management of system. Not sure if it is functioning properly.
Battery seems to be operating well and easy to monitor operations.
Battery brand was recommended by Solar Battery Group
Have had no issues to date with the batteries. Has certainly reduced my power bills.
We don't know how well the battery is performing - we have no way to tell. We chose the brand because we chose you and you provided the battery - we had a friend who was very pleased with your work.
Performance of batteries is faultless and monitoring the whole installation is easy as long as some everyday electricians do not disturb the CT clamps all is well.
