Sofar solar batteries reviews

Founded in 2013, China's Sofar Solar is a subsidiary of Sofar Group. The company has had a presence in Australia since 2016.

Australian Contact Details

Address: Suite 1903, 109 Pitt Street, Sydney 2000
Telephone: 1300 176 327
Email: [email protected]
Website

Company Info

Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Sofar originally started out manufacturing inverters and later moved into energy storage. The firm offers energy management solutions for residential, commercial & industrial, and utility-scale applications.

Sofar PowerAll

In 2022, Sofar Solar launched its all-in-one residential energy storage system solution called PowerAll, which is almost, but not quite, the same as the name of a well-known home battery system from America.

It's an all-in-one battery system, which means it has a built-in hybrid inverter that solar panels can be connected to.  It's compatible with high-voltage panels and has 2 Maximum Power Point Trackers (MPPTs).  The PowerAll is also modular, with each battery module having 4.75kWh of usable capacity when new.  From 1 to 6 modules can be placed in a stack, allowing from 4.75 to 28.5kWh of storage.  If you need more than that, which is unlikely for a household, extra stacks can be connected in parallel.

Because a single battery module can only supply around 2.5kW of power, the PowerAll is normally installed with two or more modules.  With two battery modules and a 5kW built-in hybrid inverter, it can supply 5kW of continuous battery power. 

The PowerAll can be installed outside, but shouldn't be placed in direct sunlight.  Its operating temperature is from -10° to 50°, which is a suitable range for Australia.  But note that, like every lithium battery I know, it will derate and reduce its maximum power output as it approaches its maximum operating temperature.

It can provide backup power, and Sofar says its switchover time when the grid fails is under 10 milliseconds. 

Sofar BTS E5~E20-DS5

Another Sofar battery is the BTS E5~E20-DS5.  Rather than being an all-in-one system with a built hybrid inverter, it's a DC-coupled battery, and this means it requires a separate Sofar hybrid inverter.

It uses the same battery modules as the PowerAll with 4.75kWh of usable storage.  Up to four modules can be stacked, giving 4.75-19kWh of storage.  Additional stacks can be connected in parallel if you want more than that.

The BTS battery has been designed for use with Sofar ME/HYD 5K~20KTL-3PH three-phase inverters, and can output 2.5kW to 10kW depending on the number of battery modules.

Like the PowerAll, it's suitable for outdoor installation and, as it uses the same battery modules, it has the same operating temperature -10°C to +50°C.

Warranty Details

The PowerAll and BTS battery systems have warranty that lasts for 10 years or until a battery module has supplied 13,100kWh of stored energy.  This means its warranty could potentially end well short of 10 years.  If its full usable capacity when new of 4.75kWh was discharged everyday, the battery warranty would last for 7.6 years.  But most home batteries are used at a lower capacity factor than that.  

The warranty promises the PowerAll and BTS will both retain a minimum of 70% of their original capacity while it's under warranty.

Note that in addition to Sofar warranty terms, you are also protected by Australian Consumer Guarantees that always apply regardless of what the warranty says.

If you're using a Sofar Solar home battery, what are your thoughts? Leave a review and rating. Thinking solar batteries? Read our comprehensive home battery guide.