Tesla Powerwall-Compatible Storage Inverter Unveiled By SMA

SMA, the maker of Sunny Boy inverters, has unveiled another inverter product in the same line – the Sunny Boy Storage 2.5, which is compatible with the Tesla Powerwall. The new storage inverter does not contain the same components as the Sunny Island inverters, so it is expected to cost half as much. PV Magazine estimated that in US dollars the price might be around $1,100. It has a maximum discharge power of 2.5 kilowatts and can be connected in parallel. The tech specs sheet is here, if you would like to see it. (PDF)

The device will be available in Germany in May, and SMA will sell it in combination with the Powerwall. SMA also expects that the Sunny Boy Storage 2.5 inverter will be packaged with other battery solutions this year as well.

The new storage inverter works with Sunny Portal/Sunny Places for efficient energy data management,  and is compatible with clean energy sources like solar and wind power.

Reductions in inverter costs have been noted to play a role in the decreasing cost of solar power, as “Component cost reduction, next generation improvements, and incremental production efficiencies will drive savings on the manufacturing side, while new entrants and ongoing price competition will keep margins competitive.”

This product is not a solar inverter, but a lower-cost energy storage inverter can make electricity storage more attractive, and the new battery storage systems that are coming out are the much-needed complement to solar and wind power.

Some early adopters of solar power, battery storage systems, and EVs will be making their own electricity, storing it and powering their own vehicles, with little to no need to use electricity from utilities, and they may use no fossil fuels at all.

In fact, on the Sunny Boy Storage product page, SMA writes, “It helps make your home less dependent on electric utility companies and right away allows you to use your self-generated electricity at rates comparable to standard household electricity rates.“

Image Credit: SMA