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Continuing the 2026 Installer’s Choice Awards, we asked Australia’s solar installers a simple question:
“Which home battery would you choose for your own home?”
These are the people designing, installing and servicing battery systems every day, so they have a front-row seat to what works well in the real world. And Australian Consumer Law holds the installer liable for the units’ warranty and performance for 10 years plus. So I reckon their opinion is what counts.
Sigenergy topped this year’s survey with 26% of installer votes, ahead of Sungrow on 21%. The surprise result came from iStore, which secured third place with 11% of the vote after failing to make the top ten last year.
The result is based on the votes of 125 SolarQuotes-vetted installers who found time to respond.
Sigenergy Sigenstor battery installed by Brightworks Solar.
Although Sigenergy has been in the Australian market for less than 3 years, it has built a loyal following among installers.
Founded by former Huawei solar executive Tony Xu, Sigenergy has pioneered the concept of an integrated, stackable system combining battery storage, a hybrid inverter and optional DC EV charging.
The stack is straightforward to install, scales easily as energy needs grow and avoids the headaches that come with combining products from multiple manufacturers.
Features such as no-interruption backup power, including on three-phase, have helped Sigenergy stand out in a crowded market. Adding the bidirectional DC EV charger and a well-designed monitoring app has helped Sigenergy stand out in a market where most inverter manufacturers’ apps are crap, and most EV chargers are discrete, unidirectional and AC.
But the market is catching up with Sig. Newcomers like Anker and Ecoflow are hot on Sigenergy’s heels with sleek integrated stacks and arguably even better apps, while the old guard like Sungrow, Enphase and SolarEdge are all promising to release their own integrated inverter and battery stacks in 2027.
The road to the top of the podium hasn’t been smooth for Sigenergy this year. Some single-phase units were affected by overheating issues that ultimately resulted in a national recall campaign. SolarQuotes has removed Sigenergy from our recommended brands chart as we monitor the response to this.
Despite this setback occurring just before we surveyed installers late last year and early this year, they still voted Sigenergy into top spot – a positive sign that the brand continues to have plenty to offer.
Sungrow SBH battery installed by Clean Earth Solar.
Sungrow finishing second with 21% of the vote is no small achievement.
When the Sungrow battery first arrived, many installers considered it a budget choice. Later, as the product matured, it became widely regarded as a solid mid-range option. But as a growing number of budget battery brands have entered the Australian market, perceptions have shifted yet again.
Today, Sungrow feels much closer to the premium end of the market than it once did. Its strong showing in this year’s survey suggests installers continue to have confidence in the brand, even as competition in the battery sector intensifies.
I’ve owned a 16 kWh Sungrow battery for many years now, and it’s never missed a beat. My only criticism is that the app shows its age and, in my opinion, needs a complete rewrite to meet modern user-friendly standards.
iStore home battery installed by Positive Energy Solutions.
The biggest surprise in this year’s results is iStore.
After failing to make the top ten last year, the brand jumped all the way to third place with 11% of installer votes.
iStore batteries are essentially Huawei technology sold under a different badge, using Australian servers, and their appearance on the podium highlights how a brand that barely featured in installer discussions a year ago is now one of the most preferred battery choices in the country. I have an iStore powering my big shed, and I agree the hardware is solid, but be aware it is not compatible with many VPPs or third-party controllers.
Hopefully that changes as iStore becomes more entrenched – but for now, ensure you have a good installer who is happy to configure it for you locally to take advantage of ‘3 free’ energy plans and premium evening Feed In Tariffs.
While Sigenergy takes home the 2026 Installer’s Choice Award for home batteries, one theme continues to emerge across every category in this year’s survey – the best equipment still depends on good installation.
A quality battery installed poorly will eventually become a source of frustration, while a well-designed system installed by an experienced professional will deliver reliable performance for years to come.
If you’re comparing battery options for your own home, SolarQuotes’ battery storage guide includes detailed information on battery sizing, costs, installation and payback, along with a comparison table covering dozens of battery models available in Australia.
Stay tuned as we reveal the winners of the remaining Installer’s Choice categories. We’ve already revealed the winners of the best solar panel and best inverter categories.
Or if you’re ready to add battery storage to your home, SolarQuotes can help you compare up to three quotes from trusted, vetted installers who know how to get the important details right.
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I’m a Chartered Electrical Engineer, Solar and Energy Efficiency nut, dad, and the founder of SolarQuotes.com.au. I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it’s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last “real job” was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I’ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.
That’s the question I asked when my installer talked about adding on extra power and…getting the battery rebate. He had installed Fox-ess and I got that too. Very happy so far! The extra 30 Kwh means we don’t have to suffer cold or heat.
Strange the biggest seller is therefore the biggest installation. That was foxess. But its not mentioned. When i was shopping for quotes I felt so many installers want to thrust a VERY costly choice on me. Often double the cost. And with no tangible reason other than fear to sell something that has a far greater installer margin. They throw in the anti chinese fear. Its a blight on tte industry that they sell like used car yards using made up tales of fear. Some quotes were just appalling and subscriptions that benefits them. No me. Origin, AGL etc all adding their hefty margin and what they make big $$$ on.
SQ is a farm for these installers peddling fear and tales that are misleading. Fires that havent occurred. Bad installation that is not. Defects that dont occur. Updates to app that wont happen…but do. Support that wont happen. Then foxess send me a safety update part. Free.
Its a turn off to SQ and i wonder how many suckers paid up for the boogeyman tales
Use the internet and find out where Sigenergy, Sungrow and iStore make their batteries and then have another think about your “anti chinese fear” statement
100% agree, foxEss is a very solid offer. The app has made very solid improvements over the recent month and is probably as functional as sigenergy.
Then you can really need out with modbus over wifi, everything is accessible. I believe I’ve got over 100 sensors switches and what not available to build whatever I like.
I will tell everybody who I know and is thinking about the half price option foxess, compared to sigenergy, so they at least know they are being ripped off.
My ROI will be way less than 5 years and that’s good enough for me.
It’s for so reasons: 1. SolarQuotes hates FoxESS, and, 2. SolarQuotes is owned by origin and they overwhelmingly favour the overpriced brands that are sold by installers that give them the best kickbacks.
It’s a blight that SQ won’t seriously represent the market and give balanced opinions or awards.
Origin has nothing to do with this award and I’m not sure why they would be against FoxESS in any case. This award is voted on by our installers. If you don’t trust their opinion, we also have a page that ranks batteries based on customer reviews – FoxESS is doing pretty well there in 6th place.
Agree Origin prob aren’t prob the issue, but installers views are not necessarily unbiased as they will prefer to sell more profitable systems. The customer reviews survey is much more interesting really.
Hi Paul,
FoxESS were effectively selling products that couldn’t be installed in a compliant fashion. After we raised the subject, they reached out to us. We told them it would be reasonable to expect they set up a web page (for mail order or wholesaler provision) to supply covers, free of charge, to any customer who wanted one.
It appears they took our advice, which I hope you’ll appreciate affirms our position as trying to improve the industry for everyone, no matter what their budget.
Thanks for confirming.
Awesome, thanks Anthony and Fox ESS deserves feedback from industry leaders like yourself because I believe they are genuinely interested in maintaining a presence here and doing the right thing by their customers.
Anthony,
Apropos my home battery on tracks, the little 1.2T electric excavator, UHI have earlier today sent snaps of a newly arrived 2.1T version, to go on their website in a day or two. Talk to Ken for same. It looks suitably gruntier.
I’m still busy using the little one, and could wait for a 2.8T unit, a beefier step up for me, on the acres. I’d ask if it’s gear or piston pump, and the charger power? Full level2, rather than the 15A x 230 Vac on the little one? (Good that the 46 kWh house battery can charge it up overnight, off-grid, without sweat.)
He says it’s quieter than the little one, which does have a bit of gearpump whine at higher revs. (So piston pump?)
Might need something for firebreaks before the Super El Niño peaks in our summer. (The IOD is neutral, but with a positive tendency. That’s negative enough for me to be buying a good air purifier for indoor smoke mitigation. My last year’s bush clean-up was a doozy. The local CFA folk are getting toey too, now.)
Sounds good Eric,
I’ll be keen to see the specification when they lob, and what it costs to land one in Adelaide.
Delivery of the 1.2T unit, Melbourne to Gippsland, was by 4WD-towed tandem trailer, subcontracted. They have an Adelaide office, but it could be a couple of months before there’s one there at their cost?
Ken’s in Melbourne, and he has the machine, so can tell you more than your local office. It’s worth getting him to send some bumpf, just to kick the tyres, I figure. Something to compare other options with – or even whether Spring is close enough to go for something now. (The weather here is not ideal, most days, for an open machine, just yet.)
It has stick & pedal track controls, so hands can stay on boom controls while working. I miss that on the little one. The battery box is significantly bigger – looks like maybe 1/4 tonne vs 156 kg. Ask him for the photos? Costs nothing.
Size 11 foot space on the 1.2T is just comfortably enough, not a lot spare. Here you’d have your boots on the foot controls. Piston pump? 7 kW charger?
If I didn’t have the little one …
What about Goodwe?!
It appears they didn’t get the votes.
I’ve just ordered a new system and have decided to go with a Goodwe system, hope I don’t regret it.
I had my Sigenstor 32kWh battery with Gateway installed Nov 2025 and I’m very happy. There has been one ‘grid blackout’, albeit 50 seconds duration, sailed through it without knowing it at the time showing me that the battery system works as intended.
The three most expensive brands – funny that.
Now list most popular brands installed by household (not by kWh as we don’t want to skew the results too much) since 1 July 2025.
We didn’t ask the installers which were the most popular brands, we asked “Which home battery would you choose for your own home?”.
I understand and in effort to balance out the installers’ views, I chose to also take into account what brand of home battery, individuals in the European market (a much bigger cohort of individuals than Australian installers) chose when deciding what home battery to go with.
Sigenergy wasn’t one of them while Sungrow wasn’t the most popular in the UK, Germany and Poland residential sectors. It appeared to me that those brands perceived superior quality didn’t match their exorbitant price tags.
But that is the same question as which brand would you want your customers to install? Unless you actually check their house and whether they got a cheap deal from their suppliee
Enphase have really fallen from being a top-tier choice to a has-heen. This is due to their slowness to respond to Aussie market, specifically AC-only principle which is non competitive in an inverter limited market and dnsp bureaucracy (eg ausnet 10kw inverter per phase limit).
They should have kept their micro-inverters advantage under solar panels and launched DC batteries and bidirectional DC chargers (unlike their current ac bidi chargers) to be competitive. Enphase customers like myself on their newish iq8 and 5p batteries are now looking to expand wth sigenergy DC batteries with their smartport integration to keep enphase and expand battery capacity while staying under the dnsp inverter limits!
We purchased a solar system from Solar Junction and was assured it was compatible to install a battery when we decided.
Sadly.when we contacted them to install a battery system we were told that the inverter was not compatible. We would have to purchase another inverter. This is disgusting to say the least.
At the moment we use a lot of electricity to keep my husband’s room warm he feels the cold and is not a well man.
What is the cheapest way to go to have a complete system. We are on a pension.
Christine,
Was the battery compatibility assurance in writing? Does any product info even allude to that? Either would equate to an enforcible guarantee, I’m guessing. That would make your supplier’s remediation of their failure the cheapest option, by a long way. (With industry ombudsman help, if needed. Did you go through SolarQuotes?)
In your shoes, I’d also give thought to more PV panels on roof, carport, etc., and a heat storage device or two. Fan-equipped insulated units with high temperature bricks inside have been sold for decades, I’ve heard. They store heat energy more cheaply than batteries. (And batteries really need the x4 efficiency boost of a reverse cycle aircon for good capacity.)
And insulation is the fastest way to make things more snug, just keep it practical and economical, I figure.
An afterthought: Going onto a 3-free-hrs tariff might stack up if the heatbank can store at least the 24 kWh energy cap that usually entails. This random hit
https://heatpac.com.au/solarstorage/ on a “electric heat banks australia” search would seem to hold 32 kWh of heat. (Maybe all retreivable at a warm enough temperature, doubtless less hot towards the end, I figure?) A local vendor would be good for after-sales. Read some Whirlpool anecdotes found by that search, for user experience.
Put in two, and top up with your solar, extra panels or not?
Add insulation, even to part of the house, and batteries could be more comfortably avoided.
Mind you, a product-familiar installer could add a Victron inverter & battery package to just about any home, boat, or caravan. Then you could add reverse cycle aircon. But that’s dearer, Selectronic even more so. (More fun for tech-heads, though.) Such a system is modular, amenable to expansion, and change of purpose.
The Sungrow app just had a fairly major cosmetic update this week, although digging deeper through the menus it’s still more or less the same. Unfortunately, I’m not across the apps and their functionality available from the other battery brands.
Some elements of the UI have improved at least but I wish I had a few more options for export control rather than just setting a max/25/50% throughput over a time duration on a daily timer.
We purchased our second from our installer (Al Joubert) who had done a great job with the first, smaller battery. That was a BYD. This one was a Foxess. The installer also used Foxess for his own installation. He openly told us that the quality was less than the previous one but I trusted him. I believe that it is just as important to have a trust worthy installer than a quality product. We are so very happy that we don’t need to be concerned about using the aircon for cooling and heating when needed.
Sigenergy had a massive recall and Solarquotes removed it from its recommended list. Yet, installers love it and recommend it. For me this does not fit together. If Sigenergy blames the installers, why do the installers still recommend it?
Great question – I’d suggest that the product works so well that many installers have forgiven Sig’s “blame the installers” marketing message. It also helps that they just replaced every unit without getting into a pissing match with installers over who should pay. The ‘it’s the installers fault, but we’ll replace them all anyway’ seems to have worked for them.
‘Customer Service’, is what Sigenergy provided – a seemingly old fashion concept these days.
Please keep the SolarQuotes blog constructive and useful with these 5 rules:
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