The new SMA Sunny Boy Storage battery inverter has been designed especially for high-voltage batteries like the Tesla Powerwall, states the company. The combined package of the battery and Sunny Boy Storage is intended to make it possible to store electricity at costs that, according to Urbon, are comparable to German household electricity rates.
Volker Wachenfeld, Head of the Off-Grid and Storage business unit at SMA says, “SMA is the only provider that can currently offer an AC-coupled system for high-voltage batteries. This means the storage system operates in parallel with the PV system, making it possible to easily and cost-effectively integrate battery storage systems into existing PV installations, while also flexibly enhancing the storage system. The reason for this is that with an AC-coupled storage solution it is not necessary to touch the PV system. With our solution, we can thus also tap into the major market of existing PV installations. In Germany alone, we are talking about nearly 900,000 installed PV systems with a capacity of less than 10kWp, where subsidies will gradually end.”
According to Wachenfeld, the system concept also enables integration into any system configuration, even in new installations. Thanks to AC coupling of the storage system and standardized interfaces, the system can be expanded and adapted to individual needs brought about by changes in living circumstances, such as the integration of an electric vehicle or changed energy demands, even after installation.
In addition, the online portal Sunny Places gives users of the storage solution an overview of their home, while an app enables them to view energy flows and access potential savings. And with the Sunny Home Manager, the system can be integrated into a comprehensive energy management system, if needed.
In the medium term, SMA anticipates global annual demand of approximately €0.5 billion to €1.2 billion for all storage applications. “To a great extent, demand will depend on the decline in prices of stationary storage systems, which currently make up more than 75% of investment costs for the storage solution,” explained Urbon regarding the market potential of electrical storage systems.