Boost your customer's
battery with Amber
Sell smarter batteries
Customers can choose to charge, discharge, preserve their battery or opt-out at any time while taking advantage of wholesale prices.
Optimised for the customer, not the retailer
Amber's SmartShift technology creates a personalised plan that’s always looking for the best times to discharge based on personal solar forecast, load profile and wholesale prices, not when it works best for the retailer or VPP provider.
Improve battery ROI for your customers
With feed in tariffs up to $19/kWh and opportunities for cheap grid top ups, your customers can pay off their battery system quicker with Amber
What is amber all about?
At Amber, we’re driven by our belief that the more batteries we can optimise today, the faster we can reach 100% renewable energy in Australia - with well-rewarded solar and battery owners and their installers at the heart of this transition.
How Amber for Batteries works
Amber for Batteries is boosting batteries through a combination of smart battery optimisation tech and wholesale pricing, accelerating payback for your customers.
BATTERY COMPATIBILITY
For some batteries we are currently compatible with specific models, while to access curtailment during periods of negative FiT you will need a compatible inverter.
Amber for Batteries works with a range of compatible batteries, and this list is continuing to grow as we expand our integrations. For the most up-to-date list of compatible batteries and details on how to get started, check out our Battery Compatibility FAQ.
TESLA POWERWALL
solaredge
sungrow with hybrid inverter
Hive/Alpha ESS
LG with Solaredge inverter
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OUR INSTALLER PARTNERS & CUSTOMERS
Boost your customer's battery with Amber
Common questions we get asked
Does Amber for Batteries affect a customer’s battery warranty with the additional cycles?
Battery warranties vary per manufacturer. Most have a maximum number of years and a maximum number of cycles. (The exception to this is SolarEdge’s battery warranty which has a 10 year unlimited cycle warranty).
Some manufacturers have different conditions depending on how the battery is used and whether the battery is connected to the internet. 2 cycles per day is very unlikely, and only theoretically possible in the Earnings Optimiser preset. The median number of battery cycles is about 1.1 cycles per day in this preset. In the Battery Booster preset it is not possible for the total number of cycles to exceed 1 per day and should be used if concerned with warranty cycle life. Consult your battery’s warranty document to determine how cycling might impact your warranty. Consider the increased savings and your personal energy situation when deciding if smartshift is right for you. Note that a battery that isn’t getting charged due to high use or insufficient solar, is unable to pay for itself.
Batteries are made to be cycled and Smartshift will find the most profitable time to do this. Energy sold to the grid at $5/kWh is better than self-consumed, avoiding a 40c charge. Energy bought from the grid at 10c is better than a battery not getting charged.
Do negative feed-in tariff periods cause concern, and how do you mitigate that concern with customers?
Negative FiT only affects the AC-coupled battery configurations we support - like Tesla. If your solar panels connect straight into your battery - common in AlphaESS, Sungrow and all SolarEdge batteries, then we can control your solar AS WELL as your battery. If you have this setup you will have the option to select ‘Automated Solar curtailment’ in the ‘Devices’ tab in the Amber App. With this on, we will block export from solar if the price drops below 0c.
If you have an AC coupled battery like a Tesla Powerwall 2, then you may be impacted by negative FiT. Negative FiT only plays a very small role in the total package for the inverters we cannot control and the benefits of SmartShift outweigh the cost of the very occasional negative FiT. It's not an issue for inverters we have integrated with because Amber can curtail the export and turn the battery on to charge from the grid and get paid for it.
Will the customer always have enough power to power their home?
Yes, with the hardware that is installed on site and access to wholesale market prices, Amber’s Smartshift will enable the home to enjoy the best possible financial outcome regarding their energy bill. A customer can also set limits to how much of their battery they would like Amber to be able to trade.
Can the customer adjust the limits that are taken/used?
The customer maintains full control over their system if they would like, they can choose when to charge and discharge their battery, or they can leave it to Smartshift to make the decisions or any combination of the two. They can also set back up percentages if they feel like they would like more or less energy kept in the battery at all times.
How do you estimate the average cost of a client's bill moving forward with wholesale costs changing - vital at POS?
We have an ROI calculator that will assist customers in Ausgrid looking to get a better feel for how they could benefit from joining Amber. We will be building calculators for other networks in the coming months. Until then there are case studies for similar customers in your region in our Installer Resources folder here.
Approx. SmartShift upside per state over the last 12 months with a 6.6kW solar and 13.5kWh battery:
- VIC: $397
- NSW/ACT: $466 (Ausgrid + SmartShift: $1873)
- QLD: $979
- SA: $1020
Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. The wholesale market is volatile and customers generate earnings over time. And smartshift is getting smarter all the time.
How accessible are the Amber team for customer questions/concerns?
The Amber team are a useful bunch, we are always just an email away, info@amber.com.au. However, we are currently building a self service platform where you can find marketing materials, check on your successful referrals and personalised reporting.
Are there any hidden costs to the customer?
None. At Amber, one of our values is transparency. We pass on the wholesale prices directly to our customers and charge a $22 monthly subscription fee. It’s that simple.
Are there any lock-in periods?
There are no lock-in contracts. If your customers decide that Amber isn’t for them they can leave at anytime.
For more FAQs, check out our Amber for Batteries fact sheet.
