Alpha ESS Battery Model Finder
Identify the model
Most Alpha ESS batteries are named after the inverter they pair with. Identify the inverter model, and the battery combinations will be narrowed down to a few options.
Which inverter is installed?
Check the inverter nameplate. See Telling the systems apart below for more.
Which battery is installed?
Check the label on the battery itself where it is legible.
CEC approved model
SMILE-BAT-10.1P
- Usable capacity
- 9.07 kWh
- Nominal capacity
- 10.08 kWh
- Module capacity
- 10.08 kWh nominal / 9.07 kWh usable
- Number of modules
- 1
- Approved
- 10/07/2022
- Expires
- 31/12/2027
What it looks like
See SMILE5 below →Not the same model as the SMILE-G3-BAT-10.1P, which has a different usable capacity. Only the single module is CEC listed.
Telling the systems apart
Six system families cover every Alpha ESS battery on the CEC list. Within a family the batteries are plain white boxes that look much alike, so the inverter is what separates them.
SMILE5Single phase · 5 kWExpires in 134 days
A tall, narrow wall inverter with the battery modules stacked beneath or beside it. This is the longest-running Alpha ESS line, so it covers the widest spread of batteries.
How to recognise it: The inverter is a separate upright unit with a black vertical strip down its right-hand side and a small display screen. The battery is a plain white box of similar width sitting directly below it.
| Battery | Module | Modules | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMILE-BAT-10.1P | 10.08 kWh nominal / 9.07 kWh usable | 1 | 10.08 kWh |
| SMILE-BAT-13.3P | 13.34 kWh | 1 | 13.34 kWh |
| SMILE-BAT-14P | 13.99 kWh | 1–5 | 13.99 kWh – 69.95 kWh |
| SMILE-BAT-15P | 15.07 kWh | 1–5 | 15.07 kWh – 75.36 kWh |
SMILE-G3Single or three phase · 5–20 kWCurrent
The current generation. Single-phase G3-S5 and G3-B5 inverters take up to four battery modules; three-phase G3-T models take up to six on the CEC list.
How to recognise it: A dark grey strip runs down the left side of the battery stack. The inverter sits on top and has the Alpha ESS logo.
| Battery | Module | Modules | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMILE-G3-BAT-4.0S | 4.00 kWh nominal / 3.80 kWh usable | 1 | 4.0 kWh |
| SMILE-G3-BAT-9.3S | 9.30 kWh | 1–6 | 9.30 kWh – 55.80 kWh |
| SMILE-G3-BAT-10.1P | 10.10 kWh nominal / 9.60 kWh usable | 1–6 | 10.10 kWh – 60.50 kWh |
Which G3 inverter? The letter after “G3” tells you what the system does, and it caps how many battery modules can be fitted. S models are hybrids wired to new solar panels. B models are added to solar that was already there. T models are three phase.
| Inverter | Phase | Solar | Modules |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMILE-G3-S3.6 / S5 | Single | New | 1–4 |
| SMILE-G3-B5 | Single | Existing | 1–4 |
| SMILE-G3-T4 to T10 | Three | New | 1–6 |
| SMILE-G3-T12 to T20 | Three | New | 2–6 |
Alpha ESS allows up to twelve modules on the three-phase inverters, but only the sizes above are on the CEC list. A five or six module stack rules out a single-phase G3-S5 or G3-B5.
SMILE-M5 / M10Single phase · 5–10 kWCurrent
The newer Alpha ESS residential line, with the inverter and battery modules stacked together to form one tower.
How to recognise it: The system looks like a tower made of separate sections, with clear horizontal lines between each module. The battery modules come in two sizes: a smaller 5 kWh module and a much taller 13.99 kWh module.
| Battery | Module | Modules | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMILE-M-BAT-5P | 5.00 kWh | 1–6 | 5.0 kWh – 30.0 kWh |
| SMILE-M-BAT-13.9P | 13.99 kWh | 1–4 | 13.99 kWh – 55.99 kWh |
SMILE-T10-HVThree phase · 10 kWCurrent
Three-phase system, 8.2 kWh battery designed for outdoor installation. Only one battery model is available in this series.
How to recognise it: Tall cabinet with an angled top and a vertical green LED strip on the front.
| Battery | Module | Modules | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMILE-BAT-8.2 PH | 8.20 kWh nominal / 7.80 kWh usable | 1–6 | 8.20 kWh – 49.20 kWh |
SMILE-S5 / B5 / B3-PLUSSingle phase · 5 kW · all-in-oneCurrent
A 5 kW inverter that sits directly on top of its battery modules, forming one tower rather than a wall box plus a separate floor stack. The S5 is the hybrid for new solar; the B5 is the version added to solar that was already there. Each battery module is a SMILE-BAT-5P, and the system is named for how many are fitted — SMILE-S5 for one, up to SMILE-S5 VI for six. The discontinued B3-PLUS belongs to the same family.
How to recognise it: A black stripe down the right hand side. Unlike the others, there is no display screen.
| Battery | Module | Modules | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMILE-S5 | 5.04 kWh nominal / 4.79 kWh usable | 1–6 | 5.04 kWh – 30.24 kWh |
| SMILE-B5 | 5.04 kWh nominal / 4.79 kWh usable | 1–6 | 5.04 kWh – 30.24 kWh |
| SMILE-B3-PLUSexpired listing | 5.04 kWh nominal / 4.79 kWh usable | 1–6 | 5.04 kWh – 30.24 kWh |
| SMILE-BAT-5P | 5.04 kWh nominal / 4.79 kWh usable | 1 | 5.04 kWh |
StaX M30 / M50Three phase · 30–50 kW · commercialCurrent
Commercial scale. A large floor-standing cabinet holding two side-by-side columns of modules, with a separate wall-mounted inverter. Only four sizes are CEC approved.
How to recognise it: Much bigger than anything residential, and the only Alpha ESS cabinet with a vertical seam down the middle splitting each tier into two doors. A small LCD sits in the top right.
| Battery | Module | Modules | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| StaX M38314 | 12.05 kWh nominal / 10.85 kWh usable | 5–8 | 60.25 kWh – 96.40 kWh |
Capacity alone cannot identify an Alpha ESS battery
SMILE-S5, SMILE-B5 and SMILE-B3-PLUS share an identical capacity ladder — 5.04, 10.08, 15.12, 20.16, 25.20 and 30.24 kWh. Three different model names, the same six numbers.
SMILE-BAT-14P and SMILE-M-BAT-13.9P differ by as little as 0.01 kWh at each step — 27.98 against 27.99, 41.97 against 41.99, 55.96 against 55.99. These are understood to be the same 13.99 kWh hardware listed twice, once for each inverter family. The inverter tells them apart; the capacity does not.
SMILE-BAT-10.1P and SMILE-G3-BAT-10.1P are different models with nearly the same name, and different usable capacities — 9.07 against 9.60 kWh.