Sigenergy SigenStor explained, piece by piece

Sigenergy's SigenStor is a stacked home energy system: the inverter, battery and even an electric car charger can all live in one tidy column. It looks simple from the outside, but there are several separate parts inside, each with its own job and its own warranty. Here is what each piece does.

Who Sigenergy is

Sigenergy Technology is a Chinese company that makes inverters, batteries and EV charging gear. Its Australian warranty names Sigenergy Australia Pty Ltd, with an office in Sydney, as the local importer. The warranty is written for Australia and New Zealand and includes the Australian Consumer Law statement, so your consumer rights sit alongside the manufacturer's promise rather than being replaced by it.

The pieces of a SigenStor stack

The energy controller

This is the brains and the inverter in one. It takes power from your panels, runs your home, charges and discharges the batteries, and talks to the grid. Sigenergy's Australian warranty covers single phase energy controllers and hybrid inverters from 5 kW up to 12 kW, and three phase hybrid models from 5 kW to 30 kW. Which one suits you depends on whether your home is single or three phase and how much solar you plan to install.

The battery modules

The batteries are modules that stack on top of one another. Sigenergy's current Australian warranty lists four sizes: BAT 5.0, BAT 6.0, BAT 8.0 and BAT 10.0. The name is a size class rather than an exact figure, and the warranty sets out the usable energy for each module, which is a little different from the name on the badge. When you compare quotes, ask for the total usable kWh, not just the number of modules.

The appeal of stacking is that you can start with a smaller battery and add modules later. Whether that suits you depends on what is approved and in stock at the time, so it is worth asking your installer how much room the stack has to grow.

The EV DC charging module

This is the part that sets SigenStor apart. Instead of a separate wall charger, a DC charging module can be added to the stack. Sigenergy's spec sheet lists it at 12.5 kW or 25 kW, with a CCS2 plug, which is the standard fast charge plug on most new electric cars sold in Australia. Because it charges in DC straight from the battery and solar, it can charge a car faster than a typical home AC charger.

The same spec sheet lists a discharge rating as well as a charge rating, so the module is designed for two-way power with cars that support it. Whether you can actually use your car to run the house depends on the car, the rules in your network area and approvals, so treat it as a future option rather than a feature you can count on today.

The gateway

The Sigen Gateway sits between the system and your switchboard and handles backup. When the grid drops out, it separates your home from the grid and lets the battery keep the lights on. There are single phase and three phase versions, including models Sigenergy names Gateway Home. Which circuits stay on in a blackout depends on how the gateway is wired into your board, so it is worth asking what will and will not run.

The mySigen app

Everything is monitored through the mySigen app. You can watch solar, battery and grid flows, check the car charging and change how the battery behaves. Your installer can also see the system remotely, which makes fault finding much quicker.

What the warranty covers

Sigenergy's Australian factory warranty for SigenStor lists:

• 10 years on the battery modules.
• 10 years on the energy controller.
• 3 years on the EV DC charging module.
• 2 years on wear parts inside the gateway, such as breakers, contactors and indicator lights.

For the battery, Sigenergy promises it will keep at least 70% of its usable energy for 10 years, or deliver a set total amount of energy, whichever comes first.

Sigenergy also sells a factory extended warranty that adds 5 years to the battery, energy controller, hybrid inverter and gateway. It has to be bought and activated within 12 months of the system being installed and registered.

The one condition every owner should know

Sigenergy's warranty requires the system to stay connected to the internet for firmware updates. The warranty says that if it is offline for more than 90 days, the system goes into a safe operating mode, and if it is offline for more than a year, the 10-year warranty drops to 5 years from the original activation date.

In practice that means a reliable Wi-Fi connection where the system is installed. If your switchboard is in a garage or shed far from the router, a Wi-Fi extender or a wired connection is worth sorting out at installation time rather than later.

Is SigenStor a good fit for you?

SigenStor suits homes that want a tidy, single unit and especially those that already have, or are planning, an electric car and want fast charging from home solar. Homes that only need a modest battery and already have a car charger may find a simpler system does the job.

To see how a SigenStor system would sit with the panels on your roof, you can build your design on an aerial photo of your home and get an installed price on the spot.