Is this battery worth it's salt 2: Sodium Ion Batteries

[Muhendis]

This article caught my eye earlier. 

https://www.ess-news.com/2025/06/16/italian-startup-releases-9-8-kwh-sodium-ion-battery-for-residential-applications/

Good news but I think it will be some time before such batteries are available here in Thailand.

At daily 80% discharge they will live for almost 18 years.

Can be discharged to 100% (but I doubt they would live very long if that happened too often).

 

Italian startup Heiwit has developed a sodium-ion battery for residential use.

Heiwit said the battery poses a lower fire risk, avoids materials with significant geopolitical concerns, and offers easier end-of-life recycling. “The overall cost is lower than lithium counterparts of equal capacity,” the company said in a statement.

The system measures 700 mm x 480 mm x 170 mm and weighs 130 kg. It has a nominal power of 10 kW and an energy storage capacity of 9.8 kWh.

The company said the system provides a round-trip efficiency of 95% and supports a 100% depth of discharge. It operates in ambient temperatures between -10 C and 55 C and offers a reported lifespan of 6,500 cycles at 80% depth of discharge.

Heiwit conducted tests at its experimental plant in Caronno Pertusella, in the northern Italian province of Varese.

“The battery, connected to a proprietary 6 kW hybrid inverter, is now fully operational and able to manage the storage and distribution of energy produced locally from renewable sources,” the statement said.

During initial testing, the battery maintained thermal stability, with cell temperatures between 27 C and 28 C even under high cycling conditions.

The company said the battery can reach full charge in under two hours due to “optimization of the cells and the advanced management of the inverter.”

“This reduces the risk of overheating, prolongs the useful life and improves safety, making the system also suitable for installations without active temperature control,” added Heiwit.

“The system can already be ordered,” said CEO Alessandro Gallani. “For the first few months, priority will be given to premium installers, with technical visits available at the headquarters to evaluate performance in real conditions.”

[UWEB]

Wondering if it works with Heiwit Inverters only or with other Brands as well. It's an 48V Battery, but the price is EUR 5.900,00, so lifetime must exceed more than 20 years.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, Muhendis said:

“The overall cost is lower than lithium counterparts of equal capacity,” the company said in a statement.

10Kwhr Lifepo batteries are around 40,000bht

This battery is E6,000 so 240,000bht

 

Where is the lower cost?

[Muhendis]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

10Kwhr Lifepo batteries are around 40,000bht

This battery is E6,000 so 240,000bht

 

Where is the lower cost?

Good question.

However, shouldn't you be comparing prices of Lithium batteries in Europe with prices of sodium batteries in Europe?

Also it's early days with batteries going to premium installers. I would expect the prices to reduce once costs have been recovered and bank loans paid back.

 

23 minutes ago, UWEB said:

Wondering if it works with Heiwit Inverters only or with other Brands as well. It's an 48V Battery, but the price is EUR 5.900,00, so lifetime must exceed more than 20 years.

 

Yes. I wondered about that too. The wording is proprietary inverters