AlphaESS SMILE against Sungrow SBR side by side
Two public anchors put the brands on one basis. The installed range is the Why Solar tracker reading for September 2026, inc GST, excluding any hybrid inverter the battery needs, with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount taken off at $39 per certificate; the per-kWh line divides that by usable capacity, which is the fairest single number because the two reference units are different sizes. The list price is the hardware on a public shop page where one exists.
| Line | AlphaESS SMILE | Sungrow SBR |
|---|---|---|
| Reference unit | AlphaESS SMILE 10.1 | Sungrow SBR 9.6 |
| Usable capacity | 10.1 kWh | 9.6 kWh |
| Installed, before the federal discount | $8,000 to $11,000 | $7,500 to $9,000 |
| Federal discount (2026 factor) | 68 STCs, $2,652 | 65 STCs, $2,535 |
| Installed, after the discount | $5,348 to $8,348 | $4,965 to $6,465 |
| Per usable kWh, after the discount | $530 to $827 | $517 to $673 |
| Hardware at list, inc GST (public shop page) | not published | $7,989 (SBR096, 9.6 kWh) |
| Hardware net of the discount, at list | n/a | $5,454 ($568 per kWh) |
| Warranty | 10 years to 70 per cent capacity | 10 years to 70 per cent capacity |
| Chemistry | lithium iron phosphate (LFP) | lithium iron phosphate (LFP), 3.2 kWh modules stacked 2 to 8 high |
| Needs a separate hybrid inverter | No, has its own | Yes |
| Sizes | 4 to 20.2 kWh | 6.4 to 25.6 kWh |
Price per kilowatt-hour
Per usable kilowatt-hour after the discount, Sungrow is the cheaper at $517 to $673 against $530 to $827 for AlphaESS, about $84 a kilowatt-hour at the midpoints. On a 10 kWh battery that is about $835 installed. The AlphaESS figure buys its own inverter, so a house with an existing solar system adds no hybrid inverter line. The Sungrow needs a matching hybrid inverter, $3,794 to $5,609 at list for a Fronius GEN24 Plus, unless the house already has one. The battery prices page works every system on the site to dollars per kWh and the battery worth-it guide prices the payback by state.
Federal discount on each size, $39 per STC
The discount is set by usable capacity, not brand or price, so at the same size both brands earn the same amount: 6.8 certificates per kWh on the first 14 kWh, 60 per cent of that from 14 to 28 and 15 per cent above 28, for installs to 31 December 2026, then 5.7 per kWh from 1 January 2027. The installer claims it and shows it as a line on the quote.
| Brand | Model | Usable | Certificates | Discount, 2026 | Discount, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlphaESS | SMILE-G3-BAT-4.0S | 4 kWh | 27 | $1,053 | $858 |
| AlphaESS | SMILE-BAT-5P | 5 kWh | 34 | $1,326 | $1,092 |
| AlphaESS | SMILE-BAT-8.2PH | 8.2 kWh | 55 | $2,145 | $1,794 |
| Sungrow | SBR064 | 6.4 kWh | 43 | $1,677 | $1,404 |
| Sungrow | SBR096 | 9.6 kWh | 65 | $2,535 | $2,106 |
| Sungrow | SBR128 | 12.8 kWh | 87 | $3,393 | $2,808 |
The battery rebate calculator works any size, and the January 2027 guide prices the step down.
Warranty terms compared
AlphaESS SMILE: 10 years to 70 per cent capacity. Cycles or throughput: throughput capped at 3.12 MWh per kWh of usable capacity (about 31.5 MWh on a 10.1 kWh module). Warranty starts at installation or the 365th day after manufacture, whichever is earlier; installer must hold a valid Alpha InstallerID. Sungrow SBR: 10 years to 70 per cent capacity. Cycles or throughput: unlimited for daily self-consumption and backup; throughput limits for other uses, 26.88 MWh on the SBR096 and 71.68 MWh on the SBR256. 120 months from installation or 126 months from manufacture, whichever first. The retention percentage and the throughput cap together are the number that matters: a battery cycled once a day for ten years delivers about 3,650 full cycles, which is the scale the caps are set at. The documents are linked in the sources.
Inverter and pairing
AlphaESS SMILE. All-in-one hybrid inverter plus battery (SMILE-G3-S5, SMILE5) or AC-coupled battery inverter (SMILE-B3 Plus, SMILE-B5) with 4.0, 5, 8.2, 10.1 and 13.3 kWh battery modules. The SMILE-G3-S5 and SMILE5 are hybrid units that take the solar DC and the battery in one box; the SMILE-B3 Plus and B5 are AC-coupled battery inverters that add storage to an existing solar system of any brand.
Sungrow SBR. DC-coupled high-voltage battery for Sungrow SH hybrid inverters. The SBR stack connects only to a Sungrow SH single-phase or SH-RT three-phase hybrid inverter; on a home with another brand of inverter the quote must include the SH hybrid as well, which is why the inverter prices page matters as much as the battery price here.
Hybrid inverter list prices ($3,794 to $5,609 for a Fronius GEN24 Plus) are on the inverter prices page; the solar with battery page prices the whole package.
AlphaESS SMILE or Sungrow SBR with solar by capital: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin
Both brands price nationally and the federal discount is the same in every state, so what changes by city is the solar system beside the battery and the state support. The table adds the standard 6.6 kW offer in each capital (October 2026, after STCs) to each battery's installed range after the discount. Perth is the cheapest capital for the solar side ($5,294) and the one state with an open battery rebate; Darwin is the dearest ($10,250).
| City | 6.6 kW standard offer | Solar plus AlphaESS | Solar plus Sungrow | State battery support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $6,170 | $11,518 to $14,518 | $11,135 to $12,635 | Home Energy Saver zero-interest loan |
| Melbourne | $6,218 | $11,566 to $14,566 | $11,183 to $12,683 | none open |
| Brisbane | $6,756 | $12,104 to $15,104 | $11,721 to $13,221 | none open |
| Perth | $5,294 | $10,642 to $13,642 | $10,259 to $11,759 | WA Residential Battery Scheme rebate; WA Residential Battery Scheme no-interest loan |
| Adelaide | $5,812 | $11,160 to $14,160 | $10,777 to $12,277 | none open |
| Canberra | $6,144 | $11,492 to $14,492 | $11,109 to $12,609 | Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS) loan |
| Hobart | $7,544 | $12,892 to $15,892 | $12,509 to $14,009 | none open |
| Darwin | $10,250 | $15,598 to $18,598 | $15,215 to $16,715 | none open |
Related cost guides
Every price on Solar Scorecard comes from the Solar Scorecard Price Index, read monthly from installer offers after the STC discount. These guides apply it to alphaESS SMILE vs Sungrow SBR: price per kWh, federal discount, warranty and inverter compared, October 2026.
- Is a solar battery worth it: 10 kWh and 13.5 kWh after the federal discount, payback by state.
- Solar prices from 1 January 2027: the STC deeming step by zone and the battery factor cut.
- Solar plus battery pricing: bundles by capital and the tiered federal battery discount.
- Solar loans and "from $X a week": weekly repayments on a real quote at published lender rates.
- Solar panel cost in Australia: the Solar Scorecard Price Index: installed prices after STCs by city and size, checked monthly.
AlphaESS SMILE vs Sungrow SBR questions
Is an AlphaESS SMILE cheaper than a Sungrow SBR?
$517 to $673 per usable kWh installed after the federal discount for Sungrow against $530 to $827 for AlphaESS, so Sungrow is cheaper per kilowatt-hour in the September 2026 tracker. As whole units the ranges are $5,348 to $8,348 for the 10.1 kWh AlphaESS SMILE 10.1 and $4,965 to $6,465 for the 9.6 kWh Sungrow SBR 9.6.
Which has the better warranty, AlphaESS SMILE or Sungrow SBR?
10 years for AlphaESS SMILE against 10 years for Sungrow SBR, both to 70 per cent retained capacity. The cycle and throughput limits differ and are set out in the warranty section above.
How much is the federal battery rebate on an AlphaESS SMILE or a Sungrow SBR?
$2,652 on the 10.1 kWh AlphaESS SMILE 10.1 and $2,535 on the 9.6 kWh Sungrow SBR 9.6 at $39 per certificate; the discount is set by capacity, so at the same size both brands earn the same. It drops to $2,223 and $2,106 for installs from 1 January 2027.
Does an AlphaESS SMILE or a Sungrow SBR need a hybrid inverter?
AlphaESS: no, it has its own inverter. Sungrow: yes, a matching hybrid. A hybrid at list is $3,794 to $5,609 for a Fronius GEN24 Plus, which is the line to add to the cheaper hardware figure where the house has a plain string inverter.
What does solar plus an AlphaESS SMILE or a Sungrow SBR cost in Perth?
$10,642 to $13,642 for a standard 6.6 kW system plus the AlphaESS SMILE 10.1 and $10,259 to $11,759 with the Sungrow SBR 9.6, installed after the federal discount in October 2026; Perth has the cheapest solar side of the capitals and Western Australia an open battery rebate for Synergy customers. The table by capital above gives the other seven cities.