Dive Brief:

• German storage developer Sonnen is taking on Tesla Motors’ Powerwall system in the United States with its Dec. 17 announcement of the shipment of its first 1,000 storage systems bound for American homes.

• In press reports, Tesla also says it has shipped units to North America, Australia and to market Germany, Austria and Switzerland, though the company did not specify when those units would be installed.

• Sonnen could begin installing its sonnenBatterie system before Christmas.

Dive Insight:

Sonnen (formerly Sonnenbatterie), not content with a strong presence in its German home market, hopes to steal a march on Tesla’s Powerwall systems.

“We have seen overwhelming interest in the sonnenBatterie,” Boris von Bormann, Sonnen CEO, said. He said the company has “a very ambitious timetable for widespread introduction to the U.S. market before year's end.”

Sonnen intends to quickly ramp up production from its production facilities in San Jose, Calif., in anticipation of meeting even higher demand for its storage systems.

According to press reports, the end-user price for the U.S. sonnenBatterie system is $9,900, which is $745 cheaper than the equivalent product in Europe and includes a 2.5-kW, 4-kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery, an Outback Power inverter and control software. The Powerwall system is priced at $3,500 for a 3.3-kWt, 10-kWh unit, but that price does not include installation or an inverter or control software.

SolarCity, Tesla’s installation partner, says it plans to offer the Powerwall plus inverter, control systems and installation for $7,140, or for $5,000 as part of a nine-year lease.

In Germany, Sonnen aims to begin connecting customers to an energy trading network in the New Year.

In Vermont, Green Mountain Power plans to offer Powerwall to customers, with three purchase options and shipments starting in January.