Michael's SolarWatt Batteries Review & Verdict
Michael Bloch covers the latest developments in home electrification for SolarQuotes.
We've had reports of poor warranty and product support from Solarwatt for its batteries since the company exited the local market a few years ago. For a firm that trades on manufacturing premium products — with a price tag to match — this has been very disappointing.
It goes to show that just because something is manufactured in Germany, it doesn't mean it's the bees knees.
SolarWatt Batteries: Pros & Cons
- No longer available in Australia.
- Reportedly poor ongoing support for Australian customers.
About SolarWatt
Germany's Solarwatt is another solar panel manufacturer that expanded into the energy storage arena. First launched in 2017, Solarwatt is still producing battery systems today.
Company Contact Info
Address: Maria-Reiche-Str. 2a 01109 Dresden, Germany
Phone: +49-351-8895-444
Email: [email protected]
Website
Company Details
Solarwatt was founded in 1993, so it's been at this solar game for more than 30 years now and had built a pretty solid reputation; including here in Australia where the firm established a subsidiary.
But it appears Solarwatt quietly exited the Australian scene in 2022 and its local subsidiary Solarwatt Technology Australia Pty. Ltd. went into liquidation in February 2023. We've heard and read about issues with battery support since.
In 2024, the company reportedly said it will be ending German production of batteries and shifting manufacturing to Asia; just as it's doing with its solar panels.
Solarwatt MyReserve Home Battery
Solarwatt's first home battery product in Australia was called MyReserve, a modular energy storage device that consisted of the MyReserve Pack battery module and MyReserve Command containing all the power electronics - so this was a "kind-of-all-in-one" system.
It's certainly a teeny-tiny battery system - around the size of two large shoe boxes including the Command module, and one Command module can be used with up to 4 battery modules.
The MyReserve system could be expanded in 2.4kWh increments and Solarwatt said it was compatible with all common types of inverters compatible with MyReserve Command technical design parameters, (without stating what those inverters were).
Depending on the number of battery modules, MyReserve offered peak power of up to 4 kW (800W peak per MyReserve unit).
MyReserve is not off-grid capable, so if you're in a blackout you'll be in the same boat as your neighbours - in the dark. It also had an IP31 rating, so it couldn't be installed outside.
The MyReserve is no longer produced.
Solarwatt Flex
The company's newest/current battery system is the Flex, another modular system that uses BMW lithium-ion battery modules. Expandable to 19.2 kWh, it requires the Flex Base battery inverter; enabling compatibility with a solar system's existing inverter.
Whether the Flex has been available in Australia isn't clear.
Warranty Information.
SolarWatt said the lifetime of the MyReserve system is around 15 years, and guaranteed an output of at least 80% of the battery module’s capacity for 10 years. However, the product warranty was five years. The Flex is accompanied by a 10-year warranty. While this warranty is product as well as performance, if control module fails in years 5 to 10, a "remaining value" refund will be offered.
It would be really good if manufacturers made their warranties last as long as they claim their products will. And this product vs. performance warranty duration thing so popular with solar manufacturers has always been a bit of a bugbear with us, as are little gotchas.
Australian owners of MyReserve - leave your rating and review of the system. To check out approximate pricing and specifications of other home energy storage systems, see our home battery comparison page.
SolarWatt has no solar batteries in our database
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SolarWatt Reviews (3)
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12 August 2020
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17 November 2021
23 January 2024
In 2022 they pulled out of Australia and bricked all of their devices via an over the air update. If you call for support you're told they will come remove the batteries and refund you a portion of the original purchase price (price new - minus a percentage for each year installed). After back and forth and threatening legal action they eventually agreed to refund me in full however the process took 10 months from when they stopped working to when the refund came through.
Overall I would avoid this company like the plague if they ever return to Australia.