Anker expands its range with a set for balcony solar fans and a new battery

For people who want to save on electricity costs, consolar power plants are no longer an insider tip. One or two modules are often enough to cover the basic needs of a house or flat on sunny days.

If you want to utilise the sun's energy even when it's not shining, you need a storage solution. Ideally, this should also be matched to the modules and inverters. If you don't want to spend days researching this, the "Solarbank 2 E1600 Pro System" could be an attractive offer. It contains:

• four 500-watt panels including mounts,
• Solarbank 2 Pro battery (1.6 kWh) and three 1.6 kWh extension batteries; in total up to 6.4 kWh capacity,
• integrated micro inverters and

• a smart meter for early buyers

  Here the set is actually equipped with a I'll add / specify this in the article in a moment.

  Electricity bill could fall by up to 900 euros

  Anker has not yet communicated how much this will cost. However, the following figures suggest that the price could be between 4000 and 5000 euros: The five years were calculated with an electricity price of 40 cents per kilowatt hour. It should be possible to reduce the electricity bill by over 900 euros per year by generating over 2300 kilowatt hours of electricity. According to Anker's calculations, the investment in the system would pay for itself in less than five years.

Anker has not provided an amortisation calculation for Switzerland. The Chinese company only has its own sales organisation for a few euro countries in Europe. However, assuming an average electricity price in Switzerland of 32 cents per kilowatt hour and a similar sales price for the set, the amortisation period would be around six to seven years.

For solar systems equipped with storage, the self-consumption rate increases significantly. Electricity not consumed during the day goes into the battery and is used after sunset - for example to run the washing machine. To put this into perspective: two to three washes would be possible with the Anker system's 1.6 kWh storage system. Or an eight-hour series marathon on the 55-inch OLED TV.

At first glance, the solution seems interesting. The storage size and module output are in a sensible ratio and make it possible to use virtually all of the solar-generated electricity yourself. With an IP65 rating, the system is also waterproof and dustproof and can even operate at temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees. This is important for installation on a balcony or garden shed. Anker promises 6000 charging cycles for the battery and gives a ten-year guarantee on the entire system.

How much power is permitted?

Any private individual can connect the so-called balcony power stations to a power socket. The requirement is a feed-in power of no more than 600 watts (Switzerland) or 800 watts (Germany). However, it is necessary to register with the local electricity grid operator (Switzerland) or the Federal Network Agency (Germany). The question of whether tenants can install a balcony solar system without authorisation from the property management is still unresolved in some cases. Homeowners in apartment blocks should also clarify whether the installation of modules is permitted before making a purchase. The Swisssolar association provides a good overview of plug-and-play solar systems in Switzerland on this page. For Germany, the consumer advice centre has produced comprehensive up-to-date documentation.

Solar storage system comes in second generation

The storage tank used for the set is called Solix Solarbank 2. The name alone makes it clear that it is a further development of the previous solar bank that we have in our range. [/dootTimgsource][/dootTimgsource][/dootTimgsource].

Home storage

EUR659,–

Anker SOLIX Solar Bank E1600

5

Home storage

EUR659,–

Anker SOLIX Solar Bank E1600

5

Compared to the first generation, the new Solarbank 2 offers some improvements. The batteries are now stackable. Six elements can be installed to form a tower, which enables a total storage capacity of 9.6 kWh. An integrated inverter is intended to simplify installation.

Anker has announced a "Pro" and a "Plus" version of the Solarbank 2, both of which are stackable. The "Pro" now offers the option of connecting up to four solar modules. Thanks to Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) for up to 2400 watts, such a solar system can call up the maximum output and therefore also the maximum solar yield at any time. The four solar modules can, for example, be aligned differently for early morning, midday or evening sun. The "Plus" model also offers two MPPTs, but only up to 1200 watts, which is enough for two modules.

We do not yet know if and when the "Solarbank 2 E1600 Pro System" and the new generation of solar banks will also be available from Digitec and Galaxus. Anker does not have its own sales organisation in Switzerland. Our buyers will actively try to procure the new Anker products.