Important Note: Solar Choice has no affiliation with Sonnen or any other battery manufacturer, so these reviews are unbiased.
At a Glance: Sonnen Batteries score 3.4 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 Sonnen’s sonnenBatterie hybrid and modular systems.
$$$ Price: Based on data from Solar Choice’s network of solar installers, the average price for an installed Sonnen battery is $1,119 per usable kWh. This positions Sonnen as a higher-cost solution.
- Company Backing and Trustworthiness (4 out of 5): Sonnen has operated in Australia since 2016 and employs a substantial amount of local staff, with additional backing via its parent company Shell. While globally recognised, its modest local footprint limits its trust score slightly.
- Warranty Offer (4.5 out of 5): Sonnen offers a throughput warranty of 10 MWh per usable kWh (based on 10,000 cycles), paired with a 10-year product warranty, and a minimum capacity rating of 70% at the end of the warranty period. This is among the strongest warranty offerings available.
- Customer Reviews (4 out of 5): Sonnen batteries have received positive feedback, with an average rating of 4.40 from 10 verified reviews on Solar Choice’s independent platform. According to our review framework, this earns a score of 4 out of 5.
- Functionality (1 out of 5): Sonnen batteries are IP56 rated for outdoor installation and AC-coupled. However, they lack built-in fire suppression, do not support modular battery balancing, and cannot be expanded without technical limitations, which reduces flexibility and future-proofing.
Background on Sonnen – Company History
Sonnen Battery Model Range
sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53
sonnenBatterie Evo
How Much Do Sonnen Batteries Cost?
The sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 isn’t able to be bought directly from sonnen. However, it is available to purchase through accredited installers across Australia. As the sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 is the premium battery on the market, it comes at a premium price. The below pricing is taken from Solar Choice’s database of installers and is an indicative final price for a basic installation.
| sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 indicative costs | ||
| System Size | 7.5kWh | 10kWh |
| Sonnen Battery Price | $12,000 | $14,000 |
Compare quotes from up to 7 installers in your area now.
Sonnen Battery – Key Features
Blackout Protection
Sonnen’s mobile App
Sonnen provides a mobile app which is available for android and iPhone. The app enables the user to check their system status, history, forecast and control white goods if utilising radio controlled sonnenSmart-Plugs.
At the time of writing, on Google Play the Sonnen app is rated 3.3 from 1,096 reviews.
Australian Warranty Terms for Sonnen Batteries
The Pros and Cons of Sonnen Batteries
Pros
- German made batteries supported by a tier 1 global company (Shell)
- Have local office in Australia
- Sonnen have one of the most robust warranty offers on the market
Cons
- Sonnen’s batteries are larger and bulkier solutions meaning more than one installer is required
- Priced at a premium to most battery options on the market
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 Sonnen Batteries
Review left 5 years after system installed
We chose the Sonnen unit because the chemistry is based upon Lithium Iron Phosphate technology, which we believed to be the safest and least environmentally impactful of the currently available alternatives. In addition, the flexibility of the hybrid design leant itself to having our existing solar panels and inverter interfaced with the new system. We were also impressed that Sonnen had established an Australian support and manufacturing facility in Adelaide. While we had a couple of issues at the beginning, Sonnen provided proactive and effective support. While the higher price of the Sonnen system was definitely a consideration for us, we felt the benefits to both us and the environment warranted the additional outlay.
Have had the battery installed for a couple of days and even though we are experiencing thunderstorms and a lot of cloud cover I can still notice a difference. Am looking forward to seeing what this system can now do once the sun comes out again :)
The APP makes managing the battery so simple.
The Sonnen battery seems to be very efficient. Is not too big and can be inside your single garage and still have room for a car. The Sonnen App is excellent and you can monitor exactly what the battery is doing such as current flow from your panels to your battery or to your home. Charge lasts all day and powers our home until at least midnight, with nothing from the Grid. Can't wait to see our next Elec Invoice from our Retailer.
Review left 3 years after system installed
Inverter failed after 12 months. It has been down for three years and Sonnen are refusing to support the Warranty. Sonnen claim their installer installed the system incorrectly. They only made this statement after 3 years of failing to fix the system. Now the installation company has ceased trading and Sonnen have wiped their hands of the problem. They won’t even respond to emails or phone calls now. I have reported them to the ACCC, and started proceedings through Fair Trade.
Monitoring app for the battery is very good
Review left 4 years after system installed
The only drawback with Sonnen is the power transfer limit of 2.5 kwh. Quality of product and service is very good.
Happy with the battery, only comment would be Sonnen were a bit slow at getting back to my installer with an issue we had.
Interesting that Terry’s inverter failed after 12 months. Mine failed in September 2024 four years after installation. I only found out when my local electrician, doing a routine check on my solar panels asked me why the battery isolator was off. My local electrician advised Sonnen, who then advised me by email that the replacement part had been ordered. It took until January 2025 for Sonnen to finally come and replace the Inverter. Now that I can access the history of my battery on their app., it is obvious that my battery had not been working for over three months, and I have just started the tedious effort of trying to get some kind of compensation from Sonnen. I had not been contacted by Sonnen to tell me that my battery wasn’t working, and I would have thought their system would have flagged an inoperative battery. Very poor service, very difficult to find out any details of where their Australian Head Office is, I can see I will probably be following Terry to the ACCC.