Sonnen Australia

What Sonnen Australia does

Sonnen Australia Pty Ltd is the Australian and New Zealand operating subsidiary of German-headquartered sonnen GmbH, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc since February 2019. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes residential lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) solar battery storage systems — principally the sonnenBatterie Evo (10kWh, IP56 outdoor-rated) and the expandable sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 (up to 15kWh, 98% efficiency) — alongside intelligent energy management software, a customer-facing sonnenApp, and a virtual power plant (sonnenVPP) and energy-sharing platform (sonnenCommunity). All products use cobalt-free LFP chemistry rated for 10,000+ cycles while retaining 80% capacity and carry a 10-year warranty.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining a nationwide network of accredited certified installers (who must hold unrestricted electrical licences and complete sonnen training) with direct-to-consumer touchpoints via sonnen.com.au for quote requests and a savings calculator. Hardware sales through installer quotes form the primary revenue stream, supplemented by recurring sonnenFlat energy plan subscriptions (where available), sonnenProtect backup accessories, and VPP grid services revenue aggregated across the global installed base. Australian manufacturing is conducted at a converted former Holden factory in Elizabeth, South Australia (operational since November 2018), with regional headquarters in Mawson Lakes, South Australia and exclusive New Zealand distribution via Taspac Energy.

Sonnen's customer base is overwhelmingly residential — homeowners with rooftop solar seeking self-consumption optimization, blackout protection, and energy independence — alongside secondary segments including property developers building zero-emission housing, bushfire-prone-area residents requiring backup power, and EV owners. Following Shell's 100% acquisition, sonnen retains operational independence and continues to expand into adjacent propositions such as integrated energy services, EV charging, and grid balancing through tiko Energy Solutions and TenneT pre-qualification in Europe, with Australian operations positioned as both a domestic market and Asia Pacific export hub.

Name

Sonnen Australia

Legal name

sonnen Australia Pty Limited

Website

https://sonnen.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sonnen Australia provides residential lithium-iron-phosphate solar battery storage systems, intelligent energy management software, and virtual power plant services to Australian and New Zealand homeowners through a certified installer network, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell since 2019.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Energy Storage / Home Battery Storage

NAICS

Battery Manufacturing (33591)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential & Multi-Family BTM Storage (Home Batteries, Apartment Systems) (EUAFAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential / Behind-the-Meter Storage Installation & Integration (EUAEAEAC), Battery Pack Manufacturing & Module Assembly (EUAFABAI)

Keywords

• Residential solar batteries
• Home energy storage
• Virtual power plant
• Energy management software
• Lithium battery storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Elizabeth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - sonnenBatterie: Sale of solar battery storage systems including sonnenBatterie Evo and sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53. Batteries come with 10-year warranty. Pricing provided as quotes from installers. Australian Made certified products manufactured in Adelaide.
2. sonnenFlat Subscription: Monthly subscription service that provides energy plan rewards to sonnenBatterie owners. Allows customers to achieve energy independence while continuing to use their energy retailer. Includes annual profit share in some markets through sonnenCommunity participation.
3. sonnenNow Package: Monthly rental package for photovoltaic system and sonnenBatterie rather than outright purchase. Available in Germany - customers rent equipment for monthly fee.
4. Virtual Power Plant Grid Services: Revenue from providing grid services including primary balancing power to transmission system operators. sonnen's network of residential batteries aggregated into virtual battery providing up to 300 MWh capacity for grid stabilization.
5. sonnenDrive EV Subscription: Electric vehicle subscription service in partnership with Carbar. Weekly subscription covering vehicle, registration, insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance. Exclusive to sonnen customers. No longer available.
6. Accessories - sonnenProtect: Add-on blackout protection device for sonnenBatterie hybrid providing emergency backup power to dedicated circuits during grid failures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sonnen Australia designs, manufactures (at its Elizabeth, South Australia facility) and sells residential solar battery storage systems (sonnenBatterie Evo 10kWh and sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 expandable to 15kWh) using Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry with integrated inverters, proprietary Battery Management System and self-learning energy management software. It also delivers Virtual Power Plant grid services through the sonnenCommunity platform and the my sonnen App for customer energy monitoring. Distribution is primarily through a nationwide network of sonnen-accredited installers, with the company providing training, accreditation, and Australian-based technical support.

Product overview

Sonnen Australia offers a modular solar battery storage ecosystem centered on the sonnenBatterie product family. The core products are the sonnenBatterie Evo (outdoor-rated IP56, 10kWh) and sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 (expandable up to 15kWh, 98% efficiency), both using lithium-iron phosphate battery chemistry. These are complemented by sonnenProtect for blackout protection, the my sonnen App for monitoring, and the sonnenCommunity/VPP platform for energy sharing and grid services. The sonnenFlat service provides energy plan integration. The company was acquired by Shell in 2019 and manufactures in Germany and South Australia (former Holden factory).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• sonnenBatterie: Smart solar battery storage system with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) technology. Includes sonnenBatterie Evo (outdoor-rated, 10kWh) and sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 (expandable up to 15kWh).
• sonnenCommunity
• sonnenDrive
• sonnenProtect
• sonnenFlat
• sonnen App

Products and services

• sonnenBatterie Evo Fully integrated AC-coupled solar battery storage system with IP56 outdoor rating, 10 kWh usable capacity (2x 5.0 kWh modules), proprietary intelligent Battery Management System and integrated sonnenInverter; provides 5 kW continuous and 7 kW surge backup power, Black Start function, 10-year warranty, designed for indoor and outdoor installation; for Australian and New Zealand homeowners with rooftop solar.
• sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 Single-phase solar battery designed and engineered in Germany using lithium-iron phosphate cells, with modular capacity expandable up to 15 kWh, 98% battery efficiency, intelligent energy management software, Australian Made certification, 10-year/10,000-cycle warranty; up to 80% of household's annual energy requirements can be covered when paired with rooftop solar. Pairs with sonnenProtect accessory for blackout backup. For Australian/NZ homeowners with rooftop solar.
• sonnenProtect Blackout protection add-on/accessory for sonnenBatterie hybrid 9.53 providing emergency backup power to dedicated circuits during grid failures, including Black Start function that enables the battery to recharge from solar during an outage without grid connection; for homeowners seeking energy security against grid outages.
• my sonnen App Mobile (iOS/Android) and web application for monitoring and managing a sonnen energy system, providing real-time visualisation of energy production and consumption, customisable battery settings, backup-power configuration, and access to sonnenCommunity features. Self-learning algorithm adapts to consumption patterns for highest self-consumption and energy savings; for existing sonnenBatterie owners.
• sonnenCommunity Energy-sharing community platform connecting sonnenBatterie owners who can produce, store and share clean energy with others, participate in the sonnenVPP, contribute to grid services, and receive financial benefits such as annual profit share; for existing sonnenBatterie owners wanting to maximise returns and contribute to grid stability.
• sonnenVPP (Virtual Power Plant) Virtual power plant aggregating thousands of sonnenBatterie residential units into blocks starting at 1 MW (up to 300 MWh aggregate capacity in Europe across 30,000+ systems) to provide primary balancing power, ancillary services and demand response to transmission system operators across six countries on three continents; monetised through grid services revenue.
• sonnenFlat Monthly subscription energy plan/energy tariff that rewards sonnenBatterie owners with solar battery capacity of 4 kWh or more, enabling households to achieve energy independence with no bill shocks while continuing to use their existing energy retailer; combined with sonnenCommunity participation provides annual profit share in certain markets.
• Home Battery Schemes & Rebates facilitation Sonnen provides information, eligibility guidance and integrator support for government home battery incentive programs including Solar Victoria Interest-Free Battery Loan, Tasmania Energy Saver Loan, Queensland Battery Booster (up to $4,000), South Australia Home Battery Scheme ($100m program) and Northern Territory Home and Business Battery Scheme, helping customers reduce up-front cost of a sonnenBatterie.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80% of household's annual energy requirements can be covered with sonnenBatterie combined with rooftop solar
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• CarbarstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2021Partnership with Australia's leading car subscription service to launch sonnenDrive EV subscription in Australia. Carbar handles administration, delivery, maintenance and servicing of all vehicles. sonnenDrive allowed sonnen customers to access EV subscriptions powered by clean energy from their sonnenBatterie. Service is no longer available.
• Taspac EnergystrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 May 2019Exclusive distribution partner for sonnenBatterie in New Zealand. Available exclusively through Taspac Energy. Partnership includes training programs across NZ to provide installers with technical knowledge for home battery market growth.
• tiko Energy SolutionsstrategicTechnology or Integration · 5 December 2018Technology partner for sonnen's virtual battery operations in Germany. Together with tiko, sonnen obtained pre-qualification from transmission system operator TenneT to provide primary balancing power using residential battery storage network. tiko enables the technical orchestration of distributed storage assets for grid services.
• Shell New Energies DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2018Strategic cooperation agreement between sonnen and Shell's New Energies division. Areas include integrated energy propositions combining Shell's power business with sonnen's products, enhanced EV charging solutions, and grid services provision. Partnership accelerates ability to offer innovative integrated energy services to customers.
• Natural SolarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSolar installer partner who helped Emanuel Rey with installation of rooftop solar and sonnenBatterie. Offered interest-free loan for solar + battery package.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Huawei Digital Power: Huawei's Smart PV solution includes residential battery storage (LUNA2000) that competes with sonnenBatterie in Australia and globally. As a broader incumbent in solar inverters and energy management, Huawei offers a more complete portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and utility-scale.
• Sungrow: Sungrow offers residential battery storage products (SBR series) and is a major inverter supplier in Australia, competing with sonnenBatterie through solar channel partners. As a broader incumbent in solar inverters and storage across residential, commercial, and utility segments, Sungrow competes on price and scale.
• Panasonic (Evervolt): Panasonic's Evervolt residential battery system competes with sonnenBatterie in select markets. As a broader incumbent in solar manufacturing and energy storage, Panasonic offers integrated solutions but with less specialization in the software/VPP layer that sonnen emphasizes.

Direct peers

• Tesla Energy (Powerwall): Tesla's residential battery storage product is the most direct competitor to sonnenBatterie in the Australian market. Both offer lithium-ion home battery systems paired with rooftop solar, app-based monitoring, and backup power, competing for premium installer channel relationships.
• Enphase Energy: Enphase offers the IQ Battery residential storage system in Australia, directly competing with sonnenBatterie. Nathan Dunn, sonnen's current APAC MD, previously led Enphase Asia Pacific, reflecting close competitive overlap. Both target solar installers with modular AC-coupled battery systems.
• FranklinWH: FranklinWH offers the aPower residential home battery system with LFP chemistry, directly competing with sonnenBatterie in markets including Australia. Both target premium residential customers seeking whole-home backup and energy independence.
• AlphaESS: AlphaESS provides residential and commercial battery storage systems competing with sonnenBatterie in the Australian and New Zealand markets. Both offer LFP-based modular systems with app-based energy management, sold through installer networks.
• SolarEdge: SolarEdge offers residential battery storage integrated with its solar inverter and optimizer platform, competing directly with sonnenBatterie in the Australian market. Both serve the same residential solar customer and sell through certified installer channels.
• BYD: BYD's Battery-Box residential storage products are a major direct competitor in the Australian home battery market. Both offer modular lithium-based battery systems with app-based monitoring and multiple capacity options, distributed through similar installer networks.
• LG Energy Solution Home Battery: LG's residential home battery (formerly LG Chem RESU) competes directly with sonnenBatterie in Australia. Both offer lithium-ion battery storage systems with similar capacity ranges and installation profiles, sold through solar retailer and installer channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sonnenAustralia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SonnenAustralia
• Facebookfacebook.com/sonnenau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonnen-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/sonnenaustralia

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sonnen Australia