Alpha ESS joins SA Home Battery Scheme

Australia’s biggest battery subsidy scheme that will help pay the installation of a home battery system in South Australia has welcomed another big energy storage provider that will manufacture battery systems locally.

Global energy storage company Alpha-ESS has inked an agreement with the South Australian government that will see the company begin battery manufacturing in Adelaide – creating more than 100 new local jobs.

The company plans to initially manufacture battery storage systems in partnership with disability service provider Minda Incorporated, and later move to a dedicated facility.

“This is a perfect fit with our commitment to world’s best social and environmental outcomes,” said Alph-ESS Managing Director Dr Dong Lin.

“Minda Commercial Enterprises will also handle recycling of packaging as well as electronics and batteries at end of life and we will use Minda Commercial Enterprises’ extensive warehousing, logistics and dispatch services”.

By 2020, Alpha-ESS expects to manufacture more than 8,000 of their SMILE 5 batteries per year.

The positive news follows the announcement in September that battery company sonnen would be establishing a manufacturing facility in Elizabeth.

sonnen aims to produce 10,000 batteries a year to meet demand from Australian households, as well as for export to the Asia Pacific region, and forecasts to create more than 430 jobs across its operations.

The German storage provider expects to produce the first batteries from its production line at the former Holden site in Elizabeth this month.

Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the Alpha-ESS announcement was good news for energy consumers and job seekers.

“Following the establishment of the State Government’s $200 million home battery grant and loan scheme, two companies have moved to set up manufacturing operations in our state,” said Minister van Holst Pellekaan.

“This is great news for South Australians who want to install a home battery to store their renewable energy and will help drive down costs for all consumers.”

Under the Home Battery Scheme, the subsidies of up to $6,000 will be available to 40,000 South Australian households and scaled in line with the size of the system being installed.

Through their agreement with the State Government, Alpha-ESS will have access to the scheme’s priority period given to locally made battery systems which lasts until the end of the year.

Alpha-ESS has shown great commitment to the Australian market when it comes to providing solutions, but also setting industry standards.

Last year, it offered its support for the establishment of the the Smart Energy Training Centre in Adelaide, which was launched by the Solar Council and Energy Storage Council and designed to deliver nationally accredited and non-accredited training in solar, battery storage and smart energy management.

“Although we have been in Australia since early 2015, and have installed thousands of units rights across the country, we knew we needed to have a manufacturing base in SA,” Lin said.

Overall, Alpha-ESS has been manufacturing all-in-one battery systems, with its own inverter and batteries, covered by a single product warranty. The company says it has installed over 10,000 systems in over 30 countries worldwide since 2012.

From its offices in in Germany, Italy, Australia and China, Alpha-ESS offers batteries ranging in size from 3 kWh to 35 kWh, and accredited by IEC, TUV, CEC and many other international standards.