Battery brands and comparisons

Home batteries compared: Sigenergy, Sungrow, GoodWe, Fox ESS, Alpha ESS, Anker and Tesla (2026)

Guides · Homerise team · Reviewed by Joern Haake · Published 15 October 2026 · Rebate figures verified 26 September 2026 · How we write guides

The short answer

There's no single best home battery: the right one depends on your phases, whether you already have solar, the backup you want and the VPP you might join. This page puts seven popular batteries side by side from their Australian datasheets and warranties, and each VPP's own list (checked 15 October 2026). All seven are on the approved list for the federal battery rebate, which is the same for the same usable size.

Side by side

Seven home batteries (manufacturers' Australian datasheets and warranties, checked 15 October 2026)
Battery	Sizes	Phases	Warranty	VPPs (of 5)
Sigenergy SigenStor	6 kWh and 9 kWh usable modules (earlier 5.2 and 7.8 kWh), 1 to 6 per controller; the approved list runs up to 54 kWh usable.	Single-phase controllers 5 to 12 kW; three-phase 5 to 30 kW.	10 years on the battery and the Energy Controller; 70% of usable capacity at 10 years or a throughput limit, whichever comes first.	5
Sungrow SBH and SBR batteries	SBH: 15 to 40 kWh in 5 kWh modules (SBH150 to SBH400), up to 4 stacks in parallel. SBR: 6.4 to 25.6 kWh in 3.2 kWh modules.	Single-phase (SH5.0/6.0RS, SH8.0/10RS) and three-phase (SH5–10T, SH15–25T) hybrid inverters.	10 years; at least 70% of capacity at 10 years, with unlimited cycles for daily self-consumption and backup.	4
GoodWe ESA and Lynx Home batteries	ESA: modules of 5, 5.9, 8 and 8.85 kWh usable, 5 to 108 kWh in total (up to 12 modules, 6 per stack). Lynx Home F G2: 6.4 to 28.8 kWh in 3.2 kWh modules.	ESA single-phase 3 to 10 kW (with solar inputs, or an AC-coupled version), three-phase 5 to 30 kW.	10 years on the ESA battery modules and inverter; 70% of usable energy at 10 years or a throughput limit, whichever comes first.	3
Fox ESS EQ and EP batteries, and the Power Cube	EQ4800: 9.3 to 41.9 kWh in 4.66 kWh modules. EQ5500: 10.9 to 49.1 kWh in 5.46 kWh modules. EP11 and EP12 Plus: 10.4 and 11.5 kWh units, up to 4 in parallel.	Single-phase H1 G2 (3–6 kW) and KH (7–10.5 kW); three-phase H3 Smart (5–15 kW) and H3 Pro (15–29.9 kW). Power Cube PQ1 single-phase (5–12 kW) and PQ3 three-phase (5–15 kW).	10 years; at least 70% of capacity at 10 years or a throughput limit, whichever comes first.	4
Alpha ESS SMILE batteries	SMILE-G3: 9.3 kWh modules, 9.3 to 37.2 kWh single-phase and up to 55.8 kWh three-phase. SMILE-M5/M10: 13.99 kWh modules, 14 to 28 kWh. SMILE5: modules of 13.3 or 15 kWh, up to about 75 to 80 kWh.	Single-phase 5 kW (G3-S5, M5, SMILE5) and 8–10 kW (M10); three-phase G3-T5 to T20.	10 years; at least 70% of usable capacity over 120 months, with a throughput limit of about 3.12 MWh per kWh.	5
Anker SOLIX X1	5 to 30 kWh per unit in 5 kWh modules; three-phase hybrids run up to 6 units in parallel.	AC-coupled single-phase; hybrid single-phase (3.68 to 6 kW) and three-phase (5 to 12 kW).	10 years on the power module and the battery modules; 70% capacity over 120 months, with a throughput limit.	4
Tesla Powerwall 3	13.5 kWh usable; up to 3 expansion units of 13.5 kWh (54 kWh per Powerwall 3).	Single-phase.	10 years; 70% of 13.5 kWh at 10 years, with unlimited cycles for solar self-consumption, time-of-use and backup (37.8 MWh for other uses).	4

Which battery suits which home?

Which battery suits your home depends on what you need it to do:

Adding a battery to solar you already have: look at AC-coupled options: the GoodWe ESA AC-coupled version, Alpha ESS SMILE-G3-B5 and M5-B, the Anker SOLIX X1 AC-coupled, Fox ESS's AC1 inverter with its batteries, and Tesla's Powerwall 3 AC. See adding a battery to existing solar.
Whole-home backup: Sigenergy with its Gateway, the GoodWe ESA's 63 A bypass, Sungrow's SH8.0/10RS and SH T inverters, the Fox ESS Power Cube, and Anker's Power Dock Pro. Your switchboard decides what's possible.
Three-phase homes: Sigenergy (to 30 kW), Sungrow SH T, Fox ESS H3, Alpha ESS SMILE-G3 three-phase, the GoodWe ESA three-phase and Anker's three-phase X1. Tesla Powerwall 3 is single-phase.
Joining a VPP: Sigenergy and Alpha ESS were on all five lists we checked. See the table below.
Western Australia: the WA battery scheme requires joining a VPP, and Synergy's list showed Alpha ESS and Anker as ready for its VPP on 1 October 2026, with several other brands provisional.
Heavy daily cycling: the Sungrow and Tesla warranties don't cap cycles for daily self-consumption; most others have a throughput limit.
Sizing to the rebate tiers: Alpha ESS's M series uses 13.99 kWh modules that match the 14 and 28 kWh steps in the rebate.
An electric car: Sigenergy offers an optional DC charging module in the same system.

Which VPPs list each battery?

Each VPP keeps its own list of the batteries it takes; the table shows where each brand stands.

Batteries on each VPP's own compatibility list (checked 15 October 2026)
Battery	Amber SmartShift	AGL VPP	Origin (Loop)	ENGIE VPP	GloBird ZEROHERO VPP
Sigenergy SigenStor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sungrow SBH and SBR batteries	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not listed	Yes
GoodWe ESA and Lynx Home batteries	Beta	Not listed	Yes	Yes	Not listed
Fox ESS EQ and EP batteries, and the Power Cube	Beta	Not listed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Alpha ESS SMILE batteries	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Anker SOLIX X1	Beta	Not listed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tesla Powerwall 3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not listed

“Beta” means the provider supports it in a beta program. Lists change often; check with the provider before you choose.

How much do these batteries cost after the rebate?

Home battery prices depend on the size, the inverter and your home more than the brand: most homes pay about $700 to $850 per kWh installed after the federal rebate (October 2026). The rebate is the same for every approved brand of the same usable size: about $3,663 on 15 kWh if installed now. See solar battery cost.

Recalls to know about

Sigenergy: In November 2025 Sigenergy recalled some single-phase SigenStor Energy Controllers (EC 8.0, 10.0 and 12.0 kW SP AU, sold 4 March to 18 November 2025) because the AC plug could overheat. The remedy is a firmware update and a free replacement plug, plus 2 extra years of warranty. The battery modules weren't part of the recall.
GoodWe: In September 2025 GoodWe recalled some EHB hybrid inverters (GW5K, 8.6K and 9.99K-EHB-AU-G11) because using the bypass switch in backup mode could cause an electric shock; the fix is a firmware update. GoodWe batteries weren't part of it.

Questions people ask

What is the best home battery in Australia?

There isn't one best battery for every home. Compare on your phases, whether you already have solar, the backup you want, the warranty's conditions and the VPP you might join. All seven batteries on this page are on the approved list for the federal rebate.

Which home batteries work with VPPs?

On the five VPP lists we checked (15 October 2026), Sigenergy and Alpha ESS were on all five; Sungrow and Tesla on four; GoodWe, Fox ESS and Anker on three or four, some in beta.

Which batteries can I add to existing solar?

AC-coupled batteries: the GoodWe ESA AC-coupled, Alpha ESS SMILE-G3-B5 and M5-B, Anker SOLIX X1 AC-coupled, Fox ESS with its AC1 inverter, and Tesla Powerwall 3 AC.

Is the battery rebate different for each brand?

No. It depends on the usable size and the installation date: about $3,663 on 15 kWh if installed now, for any approved battery.

Sources

General information, not financial advice. Rebate rules change: figures on this page come from our rules table, last verified 26 September 2026. How we're paid: installers pay Homerise for introducing you. No brand or installer pays to be mentioned in a guide.