Sungrow’s SBR Battery Joins New Zealand’s Sparse 3-Phase Club
By Aniket Bhor on in Solar Battery Information
Early this year, Sungrow launched its high-voltage SBR battery in New Zealand. It is now one of the very few solar batteries that are compatible with three-phase inverters. Plus, this is not the only strong feature of the SBR – it ticks most, if not all, the boxes of being a solid home ESS choice. Here’s a look at the battery’s specs, features, design, and pricing.
Specifications
Storage Capacity
The Sungrow SBR boasts a storage capacity of 6.4-25.6 kWh per unit or stack. A unit is made up of multiple modules of 3.2 kWh each, and each unit can have a minimum of two modules (equalling 6.4 kWh) and a maximum of eight modules (equalling 25.6 kWh).
And if 25.6 kWh isn’t enough for you, you can connect up to four such units in parallel to get a whopping 102.4 kWh, though your guests may be a little baffled if they see four big stacks of batteries towering on your garage wall.
In most cases, a stack with 3-4 modules is sufficient, giving you 9.6-12.8 kWh of storage.
Power Output
Instead of giving a single number signifying the maximum power output in kW, Sungrow specifies the maximum charging and discharging current for the battery, which is 30 A. To find out the max. power output, we need to multiply this by the max. current (30 A) with the nominal voltage (V), which will vary based on the number of modules.
So here’s a table showing the max output based on the number of battery modules installed:
Battery Chemistry
Sungrow uses the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry for the SBR, which is safer, more durable, and also more sustainable than the more traditional nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry. However, Sungrow is far from the first brand to do this, as LFP is slowly becoming the norm in solar batteries.
Warranty
The Sungrow SBR comes with an industry-standard warranty of 10 years. It promises a minimum of 70% of the rated capacity after 10 years of usage, which is similar to most other battery options available today. Theoretically, your battery will last significantly longer than 10 years, albeit with reduced capacity and efficiency.
Efficiency and Depth of Discharge
The battery offers a round-trip efficiency of over 95%, which means there are barely any energy losses. Most modern LFP batteries now offer efficiencies that are well over 90%, unlike older models that promised just around 80%.
The SBR comes with a depth of discharge (DoD) of 100%, which means the entire capacity of the battery is usable. For example, a 12.8 kWh stack will offer the full 12.8 kWh for storage, unlike older batteries, where the actual, usable capacity was slightly lower.
Features
Three-phase Capability
While the vast majority of Kiwi homes operate on single-phase, a lot of small businesses with heavier loads (such as workshops) are connected directly to 3-phase power. Of the dozens of solar batteries available in New Zealand today, only a handful are compatible with 3-phase inverters. One example is Sigenergy’s Sigenstor.
Given that most other specs and features of the SBR are available with most other renowned battery options, its 3-phase compatibility holds the potential to become its biggest selling point.
The only catch with choosing the SBR may be its limited compatibility. You can only use it with Sungrow’s SH-RS and SH-RT series of inverters. For 3-phase options, it would be the Sungrow SH5.0/6.0/8.0/10RT and the newer SH15/20/25T series.
Safety
The Sungrow SBR is one of the safest batteries on the market today. Besides its LFP chemistry, it has a host of safety features that protect it from unexpected issues. Specifically, it offers over- and under-voltage protection, overcurrent protection, and over- and under-temperature protection.
But its most noteworthy safety feature is the multi-stage BMS (battery management system) protection. Unlike more traditional batteries, the SBR has safety mechanisms in place at the cell, module, and battery levels. The only other brands currently offering multi-stage safety are Huawei, Sigenstor, Enphase, and FranklinWh.
Here's a quick safety overview:
Cell Level
Sungrow puts a ceramic-coated separator between adjacent cells, which acts as a heat shield. If a cell overheats or overpressurizes, the separator stops the reaction from spreading to other cells.
Module Level
Every 3.2 kWh module in your battery stack comes with its own management circuitry. If a single module is failing, the BMS isolates the module and keeps the battery operational using all the other modules for charging and discharging.
Battery Level
At the battery level, Sungrow uses physical contactors instead of simply relying on software. The contactors physically isolate the battery from the inverter to avoid harm to the equipment.
Design
I imagine that in a meeting addressing the battery's design team, the management said something along the lines of ‘we're going to focus more on functionality and less on the styling,’ and so was born a battery that looks like an office filing cabinet from the 80’s. Compare it with the likes of Anker Solix, and the SBR looks quite uninspiring.
That said, I agree that for most people, the aesthetics of a solar battery aren't as important as those of, say, their car.
However, Sungrow scores full marks on the non-aesthetic areas of design. The battery modules have a simple, cable-free modular design. You can connect modules to one another like joining gigantic Lego pieces.
Sungrow says it has created a compact and light, single-person design. But ‘light’ is a subjective word, especially with heavy things like batteries, and at 32 kg per module, the SBR is not particularly lighter than its competitors.
Pricing
The cost of a Sungrow SBR battery will depend mainly on the number of modules. The final cost can range anywhere between $10,000 and $30,000. If you’re choosing the 12.8 kWh configuration, you can expect to spend about $13,000-$14,000 before installation. On top of that, you might need about $2,000 in installation and additional hardware costs (not including the Sungrow inverter).
Overall, this pricing is quite attractive, since it is slightly lower than the country’s average pricing for premium batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall 3 or Fronius Reserva.
Final Thoughts
The world of solar batteries has witnessed a massive transformation over the past decade. Batteries have become smarter and lighter, and they don’t explode anymore. The battery market, on the other hand, has certainly exploded, with many new models being launched every year. As such, offering a unique product has become increasingly difficult.
Here in New Zealand, Sungrow achieves this by launching a battery that works with 3-phase inverters. Aside from that, the SBR also has an impressive multi-stage safety design. Combine this with its decent price range, and you have a compelling product.
A major limitation of the battery is its ability to only work with Sungrow inverters, which is a letdown for customers with existing inverters from different brands. Nevertheless, for new systems or for systems with compatible Sungrow inverters, this battery is going to be hard to ignore.
If you’re interested in knowing if the Sungrow SBR is a good fit for you, or exploring other battery options, we recommend getting three free quotes from our roster of vetted installers.