This Sigenergy battery review was completed independently by Solar Choice who has no affiliation with Sigenergy or other battery manufacturers.
Overview of Sigenergy– Company History
Sigenergy was founded by Tony Xu in Shangai, China during 2022. This makes them a newcomer to the solar battery market. They have rapidly set up offices in 7 countries and have grown to a team of over 600 employees.
Although best known for their battery solution, Sigenergy also manufacture solar inverters and electric vehicle chargers which can work harmoniously together.
Sigenergy have local staff in Australia but their listed local office is Suite 02, Level 7, 191 Clarence Street, Sydney which appears to be the same address as AGC Advisory. They launched their SigenStor battery in Australia towards the latter stages of 2023 at the All Energy conference in Melbourne.
Sigenergy Battery Options
Although a number of battery models have been approved by the Clean Energy Council, Sigenergy have one main flagship battery offer to Australians – the SigenStor.
SigenStor
The battery is marketed as a 5-in-1 system as it combines a PV inverter, battery pack, EV charger, Energy Management System (EMS), and Battery Power Conversion System (PCS) in one unit. Most batteries have some form of EMS and PCS functionality and several batteries (including the Tesla Powerwall 3) include a PV inverter, so the main thing that stands out as point of difference is the EV charger.
In terms of the battery itself, it features either 5kWh or 8kWh individual modules. Up to 6 modules can be stacked together to reach a maximum capacity of 48kWh. The battery cells use the popular Lithium Iron Phospate (LiFePO4) chemistry which is known for its stability. The batteries units are stackable and modular with no hand-wiring required, which can save costs on installation.
The Sigenstor offer 0ms disruption during an event such as a power outage so the battery can technically operate as a true uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Most batteries will experience some downtime (up to a few seconds) before kicking in.
The battery modules have DC-DC optimisers which means you can add more capacity (drop a new module) to your old battery stack without losing any efficiency. Sigenergy reference some AI capability to which is built into the app. Effectively the app uses GPT4 to help solve customer queries and users can give Sigenergy control of their battery who will attempt to maximise savings through discharging and charging the battery at the right times.
The built in EV charger is bi-directional meaning it is compatible with vehicle to grid once that becomes possible in Australia. It is also a 25kW DC fast charger, which is perhaps overkill for normal charging requirements but may offer bigger benefits if that charge-speed can be utilised in vehicle to grid applications.
How much do Sigenergy batteries cost?
Sigenergy’s entry level 8kWh battery with a 5kW single-phase inverter built in will cost around $11,000. That is before any installation costs are factored in. This increases to $12,700 for the 3-phase 5kW inverter and $13,300 for the 10kW 3-phase inverter. For larger battery storage capacities the price per watt will decrease, but this puts Sigenergy towards the premium end of the market.
Check out Solar Choice’s guide on average battery costs for the top 10 brands.
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Australian Warranty Terms for Sigenergy Batteries
Sigenergy offers a comprehensive warranty for its SigenStor Energy Storage System, including the Sigen Battery, Sigen Energy Controller, and Sigen EV DC Charging Module.
| Part | Product Warranty Coverage |
| Sigenergy Battery | 10 years |
| Sigenergy Energy Controller | 10 Years |
| Sigenergy EV Charger | 3 Years |
| Other parts / accesories | 2 Years |
Most batteries come with a 10 year warranty so Sigenergy hits that expectation. The EV charger warranty of 3 years is perhaps slightly ahead of average, although some EV charger warranties go up to 4 years or 5 years.
The battery also comes with a performance warranty guarantees that the Sigen Battery retains at least 70% of its usable energy capacity or achieve a specified ‘minimum throughput’, whichever occurs first. For the 5kWh battery this minimum throughput corresponds to 15.85 MWh, and 23.77 MWh for their 8 kWh battery. This converts to 3.048 MWh per usable kWh, which is pretty good compared to the competition
The Australian subsidiary, Sigenergy Australia Pty Ltd, is responsible for processing warranty claims for local customers. Their is a local mobile number () and the below address mentioned in their warranty document, although noting that Solar Choice was unable to verify that Sigenergy holds an office at that location which brings up another company on a google search.
Address: Suite 02, Level 7, 191 Clarence Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
Read more details about Sigenergy battery warranty documentation.
Sigenergy Battery Module Specifications
| Feature | SigenStor BAT 5.0 | SigenStor BAT 8.0 |
| Nominal Capacity | 5.38 kWh | 8.06 kWh |
| Usable Capacity | 5.2 kWh | 7.8 kWh |
| Cell Capacity | 280 Ah | 280 Ah |
| Depth of Discharge | 97% | 97% |
| Built-in Solar Inverter | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Chemistry | Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4/LFP) | Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4/LFP) |
| Dimensions ( W x H x D) | 767 x 270 x 260 mm | 767 x 270 x 260 mm |
| Weight | 55 kg | 70 kg |
| Backup Gateway | Yes | Yes |
| Scalable | Yes (up to 6 packs) | Yes (up to 6 packs) |
| Mobile App integration | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 10 years | 10 years |
| Life Cycle | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Enclosure Protection Rating | IP66 | IP66 |
Pros and Cons of Sigenergy Battery
Pros:
- One of the only bi-directional DC EV chargers available on the market is built into their battery solution
- Battery technical specifications stack up well against the competition and include some innovation features
Cons:
- Having been founded in 2022 and launched in Australia in late 2023, Sigenergy lack the long-term reliability track record of more established competitors
- Sigenergy’s feature packed batteries are on the more expensive side
So, Should I Buy a Sigenergy Battery?
There are some people that will be drawn to the Sigenstor due to some of the unique functionalities it offers like the built in DC 25kW EV charger. The battery is an impressive design that largely looks to be a game-changer on the Australian battery scene.
From our perspective the battery offers a solid warranty and technically stacks up with the premium end of the market in terms of features and functionality.
The main point of caution is that Sigenergy do not have any track record in Australian or globally as such a young company.
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Example of a Sigenergy battery Project
The Sigenstor battery modules were used in a 336kWh off-grid solar solution for an estate in Melbourne. This is a large-scale project to have delivered in their short tenure in Australia.
Read more product reviews from Solar Choice
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