Alpha-ESS review

Alpha-ESS - Battery Reviews

4.3

Based on 235 ratings

Finn's Alpha-ESS Batteries Review & Verdict

Finn Peacock has been a Chartered Electrical Engineer since 1998, and is ex-CSIRO

Alpha ESS make some of the cheapest battery systems approved for grid connection in Australia. If price is your only criteria when buying a battery system, then they are an option. But in my opinion, a low, low price should never be your only criteria when buying a home battery.

Feedback on Alpha ESS batteries from customers generally falls into two camps: 1) The battery is installed and working and they are happy with how little it cost. 2) They have had problems and are rather frustrated.

If I was looking for a cheaper battery, I'd personally choose to pay a bit more and get a Sungrow.

Alpha-ESS Batteries: Pros & Cons

  • The low price point.
  • A nice looking battery. Everything is behind a unified façade which comes away easily to make for neat installation and easier servicing.
  • The cover arrangement lets you remove a whole brick from the wall and so feasibly run cables in a wall cavity.
  • Models available for DC coupled solar, with blackout protection and "black start" if you run the battery flat overnight.
  • Popularity means they're likely supported by (Virtual Power Plants) VPPs or power-sharing software.
  • Warranty support is proven and acknowledged to be embarrassingly lacklustre.
  • Some AlphaESS models have dismal surge capacity during a blackout.
  • Some models don't offer blackout protection.
  • "Some models" means there's a lot of different options to be confused with.
  • Technical support is poor in our experience.
  • Proper monitoring requires two consumption meters in many cases.
  • Review ratings are in the low four-stars (but trending better).
  • At the bottom end of the market in terms of price, they are more likely to be sold by shonks who don't offer decent after-sales support. Choose your installer wisely!

About Alpha-ESS

Energy storage manufacturer Alpha ESS was established in 2012. A Chinese company, it has offices in Australia, the UK, Germany and Italy.

In Australia, the main Alpha-ESS product line is the Storion SMILE5. This is an all-in-one unit, meaning the system includes batteries, a battery management system (BMS) and an inverter.

The battery modules used in the Storion SMILE5 are lithium iron phosphate chemistry; widely considered the safest type of lithium ion battery technology.  As far as we're aware, Alpha-ESS still sources battery modules from another Chinese company, EVE, which has been in the battery business since 2001. 

The Storion SMILE5 range is available in various capacities and AC/DC/Hybrid coupling options are available. As for power output, the SMILE5 series offers 5kW. This unit does have blackout protection capabilities.

Alpha ESS Warranty

In the past, Alpha ESS SMILE battery systems had a 10 year warranty on their batteries, but the rest of the system -- including all the electronics required to operate the batteries -- only had a 5 year warranty.

The good news news is, Alpha ESS has improved their warranty. Their SMILE battery systems installed from the 1st of November 2024 now have a warranty that covers the entire unit for 10 years or until 3,120kWh of stored energy is discharged for each kWh of battery storage the unit has. If the battery system is fully cycled once per day then the warranty will last 8.5 years. 

The warranty promises the batteries will retain a minimum of 70% of their original capacity while under warranty.

As for how strong the warranty backing is, we're aware of a situation where an Australian customer battled for months with Alpha ESS over a Storion OF5 warranty claim; which resulted in the owner sending a letter of complaint to the ACCC and Office of Fair Trading. 

If you're an Alpha-ESS battery owner, we'd really appreciate you adding your review by clicking the button towards the top of this page.

Alpha-ESS has 5 solar batteries in our database

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Battery Type 
Usable Storage 
Power 
All-In-One unit 
Off-grid capable 
Product Name
Approx Price
Battery Type
Usable Storage Capacity
Power
All-In-One unit
Off-grid capable
Alpha-ESS SMILE-B3-PLUS
$4,000
Lithium-ion (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
4.79 kWh
3 kW
Yes
No
+ More details
Alpha-ESS SMILE5 10.1 kWh
$7,458
Lithium-ion (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
9.07 kWh
5 kW
Yes
Yes (back-up built in)
+ More details
Alpha-ESS SMILE5 13.3 kWh
$9,372
Lithium-ion (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
13.3 kWh
5 kW
Yes
Yes (back-up built in)
+ More details
Alpha-ESS G3 10.1 kWh
$8,500
Lithium-ion (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
9.6 kWh
5 kW
Yes
Yes (back-up built in), Can communicate with Generator
+ More details
Alpha-ESS T10
$10,692
Lithium-ion (Lithium Iron Phosphate)
7.8 kWh
10 kW
Yes
Yes (back-up built in)
+ More details

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Alpha-ESS Reviews (235)

Show Most Relevant reviews from All time

  • 5 star 160
  • 4 star 35
  • 3 star 12
  • 2 star 7
  • 1 star 21

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The 5.04kWh Alpha ESS B3-Smile battery has performed well so far and has resulted in 89% self-sufficiency. The Alpha monitoring app is basic but functional. The monitoring dropped out but after re-configuring the WiFi settings is was re-instated and is now stable.

Installed By

Smart Energy Answers Melbourne Metro West

Installed By

Brightworks Solar Pty Ltd
We should have added the battery when we did the solar panel installation last year.

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential VIC

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW
Before the battery we were using $3:50 to $4.00 of electricity from the grid each day. Since installation we use any where from 0.55 cents to $1.10 a day depending on the weather I haven’t received my first electricity bill yet but know it’s going to be a lot less that last year

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW
Early days yet but so far I am now 98% self sufficient and have accumulated more than $20 in credit with my electricity provider. It is also changing my power us habits - I am now mindfully thinking of what I switchon and when, I am now staggering my use of large power items such as A/C, wash machine/dryer, dishwasher etc in order to minimise going over my solar capacity and drawing from the grid.

Installed By

Smart Energy Answers Sydney Eastern Suburbs

Installed By

Adelaide SolarSafe

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Apollo Energy Solutions Pty Ltd

Installed By

Harris Electrical and Solar Pty Ltd

Installed By

Brightworks Solar Pty Ltd
Set up as a VPP rather than dealing through an electricity retailer

Installed By

Captain Green Solar NSW
Slim fit around the side of the house
No noise and no bills

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW
Stopped needing to feed in from the grid.

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW
Go the biggest battery you can up to 30kw for a 3 bedroom house

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Green.com.au QLD

Installed By

Best Solar and Batteries

An incentive was offered by Green for this review. Learn more here.

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

1KOMMA5 AU Adelaide
Just love seeing the impact it has on our energy bills.

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW
Very efficient and quiet system! Easy to monitor?

Installed By

Green Solar

Installed By

All Green Environmental Solutions

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential VIC

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential VIC

An incentive was offered by Smart Energy Group for this review. Learn more here.

Even though initially it’s expensive

The value of this wonderful product will enhance my life & also for maybe future residents of this house

But right now I’m not going anywhere

Installed By

Smart Energy Group
We have only had the battery for the last 6 months or so, which was purchased and installed by Solar Battery Group but it has had a good effect on our bills as well, lowering them further by allowing us to use the solar energy generated during the day to get us through the peak period between 5pm and 7pm

Installed By

Steve Torpy Electrical and Security and Coastal Solar Solutions

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential NSW

Installed By

Smart Energy Group
We installed an alpha ess smile 5 inverter and 13.3kwh battery in September 2022. It has consistently delivered returns, with no issues. This installation added two more 13.3 batteries.

Installed By

AR Energy Consulting SA

Installed By

Smart Energy Group

Installed By

Smart Energy Group

Installed By

Smart Energy Group
I’m impressed with the battery and the app system but it’s too early to say much yet!

Installed By

MLEC Solar Perth
We are really pleased with the system that Nepean Solar installed

Installed By

Nepean Solar Solutions

Installed By

Direct Solar Wholesaler Energy Group

Installed By

1KOMMA5 AU Adelaide

Installed By

Skylight Energy

Installed By

Green.com.au Residential VIC
So very impressed with the installer and the follow up.
I love I can see how much charge it has and how any excess is fed back to the grid, that my house is using stored energy through the night. love it.

Installed By

Ryde Energy
Excellent awesome

Installed By

Open Electrical Pty Ltd

This 3 star review was removed at the request of the reviewer

Learn More

Installed By

Smart Energy Answers Sydney O

Installed By

PSW Energy Perth Solar Warehouse

This 1 star review was removed at the request of the reviewer

Learn More

Installed By

1KOMMA5 AU Adelaide
Once another company checked and rectified poor workmanship, the battery did a good job but i found the need to increase kw panels to 10kw from 5kw to make full use of battery, now almost totally grid free.

Installed By

Solar Secure
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