Fox ESS Battery Review: An Independent Assessment by Solar Choice

Note: Solar Choice is not affiliated with Fox ESS or any other battery manufacturer. Our reviews are independently written using technical documentation and industry analysis.

At a Glance: Fox ESS Batteries score 2.1 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 Fox ESS’s residential battery systems including the EQ and EP series.

$ Price: Based on data from Solar Choice’s network of solar installers, the average price for an installed Fox ESS battery is $832 per usable kWh. This makes it one of the lowest-cost options available.

  • Company Backing and Trustworthiness (2 out of 5): Fox ESS entered the Australian market around 2020 and launched their first battery in 2022. The company has established an office in Victoria with a small local support team.
  • Warranty Offer (3.5 out of 5): Fox ESS batteries come with a throughput warranty of 3.7MWh to 4.1MWh per usable kWh, a 10-year product warranty, and a minimum capacity rating of 70% at the end of the warranty period. The throughput warranty offered is above average.
  • Customer Reviews (1 out of 5): Based on verified customer reviews, Fox ESS holds an average rating of 3.38 from 8 reviews on Solar Choice’s independent platform. This mixed feedback results in a low score.
  • Functionality (2 out of 5): Fox ESS batteries are IP65 rated for outdoor use and support modular stacking. However, they lack AC coupling without buying an additional hybrid inverter, built-in fire suppression, and independent module-level balancing, meaning new batteries may be impacted by older ones in an expanded system. These limitations reduce long-term flexibility and safety features.

Please note that this score and review reflects our opinion only and we encourage readers to do their own research.

Overview of Fox ESS – Company History

Fox ESS is a Chinese energy technology manufacturer specialising in solar inverters, energy storage systems, and EV charging solutions. The company is a subsidiary of Tsingshan Group, one of the largest stainless steel manufacturers globally, which has helped Fox ESS scale its operations across Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

Fox ESS first launched an Australian subsidiary in 2020, initially selling their solar inverter products. Their first battery was approved by the Clean Energy Council in 2022, meaning they are a relatively new-entrant to the solar and battery market. Fox ESS have now listed there local office in Springvale, Melbourne on their Australian website.

Fox ESS Battery Range and Options

Fox ESS provides a range of high-voltage, stackable lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery systems under the EQ and EP series which are both approved by the Clean Energy Council. These batteries are typically designed to integrate with Fox hybrid inverters, although some limited compatibility with third-party systems exists.

EQ Series (DC-Coupled, Stackable System)

Fox ESS ECS stackable Battery image

The EQ series is Fox’s main high-voltage modular battery platform. Each system consists of a CM (control module) and between 2–9 battery modules, each with a capacity of 4.66kWh. That means the solution can scale to just under 42kWh in one stack.

  • DC-Coupled: Must be paired with a compatible Fox ESS hybrid inverter
  • Depth of discharge: 100%
  • Ingress protection: IP65, suitable for indoor/outdoor installations
  • Cooling: Natural convection (fan-free)

Expansion is possible, but the warranty requires new modules to be within 0.5V of existing modules and recharged within the past 5 months, making post-installation upgrades technically feasible but logistically complex.

The batteries must be paired with a compatible Fox-ESS inverter and they have recently broadened their range of hybrid inverters up to 10kWh single-phase and 15kW three-phase.

EP Series (DC-coupled, Fixed Units)

Fox ESS EP5 Battery image

The EP series includes fixed-capacity wall-mounted batteries that combine battery modules and the battery management system (BMS) in a single enclosure.

  • Key models: EP11 (10.36kWh) usable capacity
  • DC-coupled: Must be paired with a compatible Fox ESS hybrid inverter
  • DOD: 100%
  • Operating range: -10°C to +55°C

The EP series may appeal to installers seeking simpler, space-saving systems. The EP Series is expandable by adding additional units in parallel which will require an additional junction box. This is a most costly and space-consuming approach than the stackable EQ series.

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How Much Does a Fox ESS Battery Cost?

Fox ESS batteries are among the most affordable on the Australian market. Based on data from Solar Choice’s installer network, the average installed cost is $832 per usable kWh, excluding rebates.

For example:

  • A 10.4kWh EP11 system may cost $8,650–$9,200 installed
  • A 18.64kWh EQ4800 stack with 4 battery modules might cost $15,000–$16,000 installed

As Fox ESS batteries are DC-coupled, homeowners would also need to buy a compatible Fox ESS hybrid inverter to connect the system. Fox ESS batteries are most likely to be used when installing solar and batteries for the first time to avoid duplicating the inverter.

Fox ESS systems are eligible for the federal battery rebate, which could reduce the net cost by up to 30%, depending on your state and VPP eligibility.

Fox ESS’s Warranty Offer For Australian Customers

Fox ESS offers a 10-year product and performance warranty for its ECS and EP series batteries. The performance warranty guarantees that the battery will have a minimum of 70% of its original usable capacity after 10 years, or will have throughput a minimum amount as laid out in the below table:

ProductNominal Energy (kWh)Usable Energy (kWh)Minimum Throughput (MWh)Throughput per usable kWh
EP1110.3610.3638.43.71 MWh
EQ4800 (4 x battery modules)18.6418.6478.644.21 MWh

Fox ESS’s warranty terms include typical exclusions like improper installation and use. Fox ESS now have a listed office in Australia to support local customers with technical issues and warranty claims.

See attached full warranty policy for Fox ESS batteries.

Fox ESS Battery Technical Specifications Table

FeatureEQ4800 L4 (18.64kWh)EP11 (10.4kWh)
Battery ChemistryLiFePO4LiFePO4
Usable Capacity (kWh)18.6410.36
ScalabilityModular (up to 42kWh)4 Units – Requires additional hardware
Depth of Discharge (DOD)100%100%
Max Discharge Power (kW)Depends on inverter (up to 10kW single phase)Depends on inverter (up to 10kW single phase)
Round Trip Efficiency>95%>95%
IP RatingIP65IP65
Cooling MethodNatural ConvectionNatural Convection
InstallationStackable, floor mountedWall-mounted or floor mounted
Minimum Throughput4.1MWh per usable kWh3.7MWh per usable kWh
Operating Temperature (°C)-10 to 55°C-10 to 55°C

Pros and Cons of Fox ESS Batteries

ProsCons
✓ Competitive installed pricing (<$850/kWh installed)✗ Limited public performance data or long-term Australian track record
✓ IP65 rated for outdoor/sheltered installs✗ Expansion requires SOC and voltage matching — not truly plug-and-play
✓ Modular design for ECS makes it flexible✗ Must use Fox inverters — limited third-party compatibility
✗ Low number of customer reviews with mixed feedback

Conclusion: Our Verdict On Fox ESS Batteries

Fox ESS as a new entrant to the market have an aggressive pricing strategy which they hope to win market share. Their batteries are scalable up to over 40kWh and can now be linked with their expanded range of single and three phase hybrid inverters with up to 10.5kW capacity for single-phase installations.

The warranty terms on face value look competitive or better than some of the bigger brands offering greater minimum throughput than most brands on the market.

With the short company history and low number of customer reviews, the longevity and reliability of the Fox ESS batteries largely remains to be seen.

Read more product reviews from Solar Choice

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Jeff Sykes

Reviews from Australians who have installed Fox-ESS Batteries

Rated 4.12 from 43 reviews
5 star
31
4 star
3
3 star
2
2 star
1
1 star
7

Showing 20 of 43 Reviews

14th November 2025
Neil
-
5.00

Battery performance is good, details of operating system on mobile great, performed well during blackout From checking out details and reviews came out on top

Installation Photos

11th November 2025
Will
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10-15kW system
5.00

Huge battery for a great price that should sustain us all year round, while having extra capacity for selling back to the grid.

10th November 2025
Brendan
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5.00

Working well! Been looking at the app frequently.

Installation Photos

10th November 2025
Shane
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5.00

Battery is great. Gives us the freedom to use appliances 24/7 not just when the sun is shining. The large capacity means we can go a few days of poor solar production but the battery still has us covered.

8th November 2025
Reece
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5.00

Battery has performed well so far (but only been 2 weeks). The app is adequate. I've only had to change the charging schedule which was simple.

5th November 2025
Paul
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2.00

Many issues with charging and discharging Inverter not stable was cheap - but not sure if it was right decision Knowing what I know now ...Probably we would have selected better brand and pay extra Fingers cross, hopefully it will remain safe

4th November 2025
Taso
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5.00

The battery performance is amazing & the app allows me to view in real time the usage, battery charge & feed-in grid status.

2nd November 2025
Manh
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4.00

The app is quite intuitive but the update delay of 1-6 minutes is a bit long. The app installation is limited in some parts so the settings on the app are not really useful. Hope to update soon.

Installation Photos

31st October 2025
Daniel
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5.00

Very happy with the battery brand so far!

Installation Photos

30th October 2025
Robert
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10-15kW system
5.00

Battery seems to work well without issue, they do not like to charge quickly in cold weather under 11 degrees Celsius and charging will start to slow down until they raise to 11.5c to 15 degrees Celsius. After 15 degrees they will fast charge at up to 20kw per hour no worries.

Installation Photos

29th October 2025
Boris
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5.00

Good app - great performance so far - works very well

28th October 2025
Gerry
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5.00

FoxEss manufactures Residential and Commercial Inverter and Battery Systems. I found a lot of information on-line that included videos relating to manufacture, installation, operation and testing.

Installation Photos

24th October 2025
Shannon
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5.00

So far happy with the battery brand its storing enough energy to make our home self sufficient at night!

22nd October 2025
Duy
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5.00

The batteries looks great. Too early to tell but happy with the installation and performance of the batteries so far.

19th October 2025
Taso
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5.00

Exceptional battery performance & phone app !!!

18th October 2025
Yousaf
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5.00

Best bang for your buck, no one comes close. Compared to other brands, the forums for this brand don’t show any hardware complaints which is very reassuring, though software lacks behind. Even though it’s new to the market in Australia, it’s a big player in the international market. And support in Australia has been great so far. Would recommend to anyone trying to get a realistic ROI on a battery.

Installation Photos

17th October 2025
Michael
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3.00

Seems good with easy app interface. My only concern is they aren't responding to my request to remove remote access to Arise Solar.

15th October 2025
Phil
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10-15kW system
5.00

Seems quite a large footprint, but also seems like quite a nice modular system.

2nd October 2025
Brad
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1.00

The battery appears to be functioning correctly, the inverter was immediately problematic and initially this indicated a faulty component. In the event it was actually a software and update issue as the inverter serial number on the outside, didn't match the serial number on the inside. Go figure. It only took 7 weeks and a great deal of angst to find this out.

2nd October 2025
Andrew
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10kW system
5.00

So far so good. These are really popular in the UK and look decent, have a good app support and build quality looks solid. Installer said he was very impressed with it also.

Showing 20 of 43 Reviews