The sonnen Story

It all started with the simple thought of why we don’t store solar energy that we generate from a photovoltaic system. The sonnenBatterie is an energy storage system in a household that generates 75% of their annual energy use and by 2011 the first sonnenBatterie was available.

One year later the sonnenBatterie was improved and had smart-home features. Features included the ability to control electrical appliances and analyse weather and personal energy data, thus allowing customers to control and communicate important data with the sonnenBatterie. In addition to the display you have the sonnenBatterie-Portal, the sonnen-App and the newest addition is Alexa, Amazon’s voice control assistant.

In 2014 an important year with the release of the sonnenBatterie eco. The current eco model is available with new and improved technology and is the most sold battery at sonnen.

The introduction of the sonnenCommunity in 2015 was a brave step forward. In addition to our energy storage, sonnen became an energy supplier. The decentralised energy community, where people can generate, store and share their energy, put sonnen in a strong position moving forward. Through customer connection and exchange of energy, sonnen customers became 100% independent of traditional energy suppliers. In the same year, Tesla’s Country Director for Germany and Austria, Philipp Schröder, moved to sonnen and advanced the Sales and Marketing department.

Sonnen took a big leap forward by making energy free in 2016. With the sonnenFlat, customers have access to free energy. In exchange for free energy, sonnenBatterie owners must provide the power grid with their surplus energy. Thus, the network can be controlled during times of energy fluctuations and in return, sonnenCommunity members receive free energy.

The system benefits the general public because more renewable energy will be available in the power grid and this radically reduces the demand for conventional energy, making the world a cleaner and more environmentally friendly home.

The importance of creating a decentralized and connected community between producers, prosumers and consumers was heard by potential investors. GE Ventures became an important investor by assisting sonnen in securing a 76 million Euro financing round.

Innovation kept its pace in 2017 by introducing the sonnenFlat for apartments residents. The innovative idea was to disregard the connection between a battery and a photovoltaic system, thus allowing for a resident to access clean and renewable energy.

In May 2018 sonnen announced a cooperation with TenneT and IBM. In a pilot project with the two companies, sonnens battery pool, which is made up of thousands of sonnenBatteries, will integrate blockchain technology to improve redispatch purposes. TenneT is Germany’s largest transmission systems operator and the first to use a blockchain network to stabilize a power grid.

Today sonnen has more than 40,000 sonnenBatteries installed worldwide, making sonnen the global market leader for intelligent batteries. The sonnenCommunity is responsible for giving 75,00 people access to renewable and affordable energy. We have 350 employees located in 5 countries, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, USA and Australia. Additionally, sonnen has received numerous awards for its innovation and rapid growth, including the coveted 1.5 million-dollar Zayed Future Energy Prize for renewable energy. In 2016, sonnen was voted as the worlds most innovative company by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.