Alpha Ess, a prominent energy storage systems manufacturer based in China, derives its name from “ESS,” representing Energy Storage Systems. The company’s inception dates back to 2012 when a dedicated team of skilled engineers and visionary entrepreneurs, led by Mr. Thomas Yuan, established it.
Their shared passion lies in pioneering cutting-edge solutions for energy storage. Initially, Alpha Ess concentrated on advancing lithium-ion battery technology for electric vehicles.
However, they soon recognised a growing need for energy storage systems within the renewable energy sector, particularly for residential and commercial purposes. In 2014, Alpha Ess unveiled its inaugural residential energy storage system, known as the SMILE5, which swiftly gained popularity within the Chinese market.
Subsequently, the company expanded its product range, introducing larger-scale energy storage solutions tailored for commercial and industrial applications. Presently, they operate through more than 15 subsidiaries, offering localised support, with over 90,000 systems actively operational across 90 countries.
In 2017, Alpha Ess initiated a collaborative venture with the renowned German energy storage firm, Sonnen. This strategic partnership significantly bolstered the company’s global reach and facilitated access to new markets in Europe and North America.
Today, Alpha Ess stands as a global leader in the energy storage industry, offering an extensive array of products and solutions tailored for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The company is steadfast in its commitment to fostering innovative and sustainable energy storage solutions that actively contribute to lowering carbon emissions and advancing a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Alpha Ess operates multiple manufacturing facilities in China, situated in key cities such as:
- Guangzhou
- Shenzhen
- Jiangsu
These cutting-edge facilities are equipped with advanced production lines and testing equipment and are staffed by a highly skilled team of engineers and technicians. In terms of production capacity, Alpha Ess’s Chinese facilities boast an impressive annual output of over 1 GWh (gigawatt-hour) of energy storage systems.
This encompasses a range of solutions, including residential and commercial/industrial systems, as well as battery cells and modules. In addition to its Chinese manufacturing sites, Alpha Ess also maintains a research and development centre in Germany, with a strong focus on innovating new technologies and products tailored for the European market.
Committed to upholding the highest standards of quality and safety throughout its manufacturing processes, Alpha Ess has secured various certifications, including:
- ISO 9001
- ISO 14001
- OHSAS 18001
These certifications underscore the company’s dedication to quality management, environmental conservation, and occupational health and safety. Overall, Alpha Ess attributes a significant part of its success to its manufacturing facilities, enabling the production of top-tier, dependable energy storage systems that cater to the diverse needs of customers worldwide.
The company has also received numerous accolades over the years, including the following:
- 2015: Finalist for the Intersolar Europe EES Award.
- 2018: Recipient of the iF Design Award and Reddot Design Award.
- 2019: Achieved the status of No.1 in the AU residential market share and ranked among the Global Top 10 Residential Brands by IHS Markit.
- 2020: Received The Smarter E Award, recognised as a TOP 5 supplier of global residential storage systems, and ranked among the TOP 4 for overseas shipments.
- 2021: Earned the title of Top Brand PV (Storage) in Australia, South Africa, and Belgium by EuPD Research, and ranked among the Top 5 Residential ESS Providers in Germany. Also, placed among the Top 3 Overseas Shipment companies by CNESA and the Top 6 Suppliers of Global Residential ESS by IHS Markit in the same year.
These achievements reflect Alpha Ess’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the energy storage industry.
Alpha ESS Australia Pty. Ltd.
Adelaide Office
19 Heath Street
Lonsdale, SA 5160
Sydney Office
8/15-21 Gibbes Street
Chatswood, NSW 2067
Tel : +61 (02) 9000 7676
Email : Australia@alpha-ess.com
Single Phase Solution
SMILE 5 – 5 kW Inverter
If you have a single phase grid connection, then Alpha ESS offer the Smile 5, this is their best selling inverter, which is VPP Ready, has Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Ability, with a classic design which is highly compatible with several different battery sizes available, 2.9 kWh, 5.7 kWh, 10.1 kWh and 13.3 kWh.
Smile 5 is a 5 kW Single phase hybrid inverter, which comes with 24/7 online monitoring. The inverter comes with a 5 year product warranty and a 10 year battery performance warranty, and the inverter weighs 30 kg with a depth of discharge of 96%, which is right up there.
The batteries are lithium iron phosphate batteries, meaning the cathode material is lithium iron phosphate, and the anode is a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing. This means they have a lower cost, highly safe, toxicity is low (no cobalt) and a long life cycle. These type of batteries are used extensively within the EV market.
Battery M4856-P – 2.9 kWh Modular
This is the smallest battery size available from Alpha ESS, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 39 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel.
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 2.9 | 5.8 | 8.6 | 11.5 | 14.4 | 17.2 |
| Usable Capacity | 2.8 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 16.5 |
Battery SMILE5-BAT- 5.7 kWh Modular
This is the second smallest battery size available from Alpha ESS, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 73 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel.
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5.7 | 11.5 | 17.2 | 22.9 | 28.7 | 34.4 |
| Usable Capacity | 5.5 | 11.0 | 16.5 | 22.0 | 27.5 | 33.0 |
Battery SMILE5-BAT-10.1P – 10.1 kWh Modular
This is the second largest battery size available from Alpha ESS, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 95 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel.
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 10.2 | 20.2 | 30.2 | 40.3 | 50.4 | 60.5 |
| Usable Capacity | 9.7 | 19.4 | 29.0 | 38.7 | 48.4 | 58.1 |
Battery SMILE5-BAT-13.3P – 13.3 kWh Modular
This is the largest battery size available from Alpha ESS, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 121 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel. unlike the other batteries, these have 100% depth of discharge.
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 13.34 | 26.68 | 40.02 | 53.36 | 66.70 | 80.04 |
| Usable Capacity | 13.34 | 26.68 | 40.02 | 53.36 | 66.70 | 80.04 |
SMILE-S6-HV – 6 kW Inverter
If you have a single phase grid connection, but would like a slightly higher demand than 5kw (NOT IN Western Australia), then Alpha ESS offer the Smile-S6-HV – this is a 6kw hybrid inverter, that couples with high voltage batteries. This has Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Ability, with a modular design, that comes with 24/7 online monitoring and is diesel generator compatible.
The inverter comes with a 5 year product warranty and a 10 year battery performance warranty, and the inverter weighs 25 kg with a depth of discharge of 95%. The inverter is compatible with two batteries, a 5 kWh and a 8.2 kWh.
The batteries are lithium iron phosphate batteries, meaning the cathode material is lithium iron phosphate, and the anode is a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing. This means they have a lower cost, highly safe, toxicity is low (no cobalt) and a long life cycle. These type of batteries are used extensively within the EV market.
Battery SMILE-BAT-5PH – 5.0 kWh Modular
This is the smallest battery size available from Alpha ESS that’s compatible with the Alpha Smile S6 inverter, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 50 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel.
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 20.0 | 25.0 | 30.0 |
| Usable Capacity | 4.8 | 9.5 | 14.3 | 19.0 | 23.8 | 28.5 |
Battery SMILE-BAT-8.2PH – 8.2 kWh Modular
This is the largest battery size available from Alpha ESS that’s compatible with the Alpha Smile S6 inverter, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 75 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel. This battery option also comes as an indoor and outdoor version
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8.2 | 16.4 | 24.6 | 32.8 | 41.0 | 49.2 |
| Usable Capacity | 7.8 | 15.6 | 23.3 | 31.1 | 38.9 | 46.7 |
Three Phase Solution
SMILE T10-HV – 10 kW Inverter
If you have a three phase grid connection, then Alpha ESS offer the Smile-T10-HV – this is a 10kw hybrid inverter, that couples with high voltage batteries. This has Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Ability, with a modular design, that comes with 24/7 online monitoring and has 160% PV input, meaning you can add 16 kW of solar panels to this inverter, allowing you to charge your battery up even in the depths of winter.
The inverter comes with a 5 year product warranty and a 10 year battery performance warranty, and the inverter weighs 30 kg with a depth of discharge of 95%. The inverter is compatible with one batteries, the SMILE-Bat-8.2PH.
This battery is a lithium iron phosphate battery, meaning the cathode material is lithium iron phosphate, and the anode is a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing. This means they have a lower cost, highly safe, toxicity is low (no cobalt) and a long life cycle. These type of batteries are used extensively within the EV market.
Battery SMILE-BAT-8.2PH – 8.2 kWh Modular
This is the largest battery size available from Alpha ESS that’s compatible with the Alpha Smile S6 inverter, and comes with a 5 year product warranty and 10 year performance warranty. Each battery weighs 75 kg, and you can add between 1 and 6 batteries in parallel. This battery option also comes as an indoor and outdoor version
| Battery | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8.2 | 16.4 | 24.6 | 32.8 | 41.0 | 49.2 |
| Usable Capacity | 7.8 | 15.6 | 23.3 | 31.1 | 38.9 | 46.7 |
Pros
PRO – Large Chinese company
PRO -Australian Office
PRO – When it comes to pricing, definitely on the cheaper end of the scale.
PRO – Looks really nice
PRO – Easily expandable in the future, so you can start with 1-2 batteries and add more as funds allow for it.
Cons
CON – We’ve heard of some issues with the technical and warranty support, so this needs to be improved.
Our Thoughts
A quality product, manufactured by a massive company with a strong trading history. Quickly becoming a major player in the energy storage space.
The Australian office allows for warranty issues to be catered for, even if your installation company disappears.
They will be a good choice by anyone if price is a serious factor and you’re looking for the cheapest way to install a hybrid system with a battery.
So far our experience has only been positive with them.
We would install them on our own house or business if we’re trying to get the best price for solar system and a battery.