sonnen speeds up presence of its smart energy storage system

sonnen, the European market leader for smart energy storage, is accelerating its presence in the U.S. market. While opening a new headquarters in Los Angeles it announces key solar and financing partnerships to deliver its energy storage system sonnenBatterie to customers.

• SONNEN ANNOUNCES A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. HEAVYWEIGHTS  SOLARWORLD AND PETERSENDEAN FOR INCREASING ITS PRESENCE IN THE U.S. MARKET FOR RESIDENTIAL ENERGY STORAGE
• OPENING OF NEW OFFICE IN LOS ANGELES GROWTHS U.S. FOOTPRINT AFTER STARTING  MANUFACTURING IN CALIFORNIA AND THE R&D-HUB IN ATLANTA
• SONNEN AND SPRUCE ARE DEVELOPING FINANCING PURELY FOCUSED ON RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY STORAGE

JANUARY 29, 2016 (LOS ANGELES) – sonnen, the European market leader for smart storage systems, announces a partnership with SolarWorld, the largest crystalline-silicon solar manufacturer in the U.S. and PetersenDean, the nation’s largest residential roofing company with more than a million roofs under its belt. This new package brings best-in-class solar-plus-storage technology to the U.S. market and gives people a straightforward access for using renewable energy. Additionally sonnen is working with Spruce, an expert in residential solar and efficiency financing, to develop new financing for energy storage.
“Finding the right partners is the key to creating innovative products and cost-effectively delivering clean energy technology to the market, "said Boris von Bormann, CEO of sonnen Inc. "We are very pleased to have best-in-class partners like, SolarWorld, PetersenDean and Spruce, which recognize the immense importance of increasing the availability and adoption of renewable energy in the U.S.”
The all-in-one storage-plus-solar system uses the sonnenBatterie eco storage system to provide benefits to residential customers, from cost savings through better energy management, to backup power in the event of grid outages and the capability to go off-grid.

Ardes Johnson, SolarWorld’s U.S. Vice President of Sales and Marketing, remarked, “SolarWorld has selected sonnen as an energy storage partner because of their proven reliability and global record of success and innovation. U.S. residential solar is a growing industry and by offering the capability to store solar power to customers we expect that growth to continue”.  
Erin Clark, president of PetersenDean’s fast-growing solar division, said sonnenBatteries fit well within the company’s Solar4America campaign, which taps American products and labor in spreading solar across the nation’s rooftops.
“They’re right in our swim lane,” Clark said. “We are all resolved to offer complete solar solutions that include and promote the arrival of storage.  We, SolarWorld and sonnen are all best-in-class operators and employers right here on U.S. soil.”     
Another key to truly expanding the residential solar-plus-storage customer market is attractive financing. Spruce, an expert in residential solar and efficiency financing, recently evaluated the sonnenBatterie products and added sonnen to its approved manufacturer list.  The two companies are developing financing purely focused on residential electricity storage, and plan to make it available to sonnen’s channel partners in the first quarter of 2016. “Today, homeowners in Hawaii, Nevada, and other locations can use storage effectively,” said Nat Kreamer, CEO of Spruce.
“We are excited to finance the evolution of the electric grid in partnership with an industry leader like sonnen.”  
Additionally, sonnen announced the opening of a new office in Los Angeles, increasing its physical presence in the
U.S. and proving its strategic meaning in this market. Since its entry into the U.S. market, sonnen has established a research and development facility in Georgia and product manufacturing in California.
sonnen was founded in Germany and started delivering the first generation of its smart storage system sonnenBatterie in 2011.  Since then, the company has grown significantly and has established itself as the pioneer of energy storage systems in Europe, having installed about 10,000 storage solutions throughout Europe.
sonnen has already partnered with more than 30 local solar installation companies in the U.S. that have the expertise, outstanding customer service, and credibility in their territories and is expanding this partner base in 2016 throughout the U.S.  
Coupled with a solar-energy system, the sonnenBatterie eco systems can supply residential owners with up to 100 percent of their energy needs, in addition to providing backup power for the home and taking advantage of different tariff structures for off-peak vs. on-peak use. For commercial customers, sonnenBatterie pro helps reduce demand spikes that lead to peak load charges and allows businesses to participate in utility demand response programs throughout the U.S.  
About sonnen
Clean, affordable energy for all is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Headquartered in the German energy village of Wildpoldsried, sonnen GmbH wants to enable all people to determine their own energy future. That means, among other things, the inexpensive production and storage of renewable energy and the intelligent networking of producers and consumers. sonnen thereby gives people around the world the opportunity to become independent of fossil fuels and conventional energy suppliers.

 
About SolarWorld REAL VALUE:  
SolarWorld manufactures and sells high-tech solar power solutions and, in doing so, contributes to a cleaner energy supply worldwide.  The group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, employs about 3,800 people and carries out production in Freiberg, Germany; Arnstadt, Germany; and Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. From raw material silicon to solar wafers, cells and modules, SolarWorld manages all stages of production ‒ including its own research and development. Through an international distribution network with locations in the United States, Europe, Singapore, Japan and South Africa, SolarWorld supplies customers all over the world.  The company maintains high social standards at all locations across the globe, and it has committed itself to resource- and energy-efficient production.  SolarWorld was founded in 1998 and has been publically traded on the stock market since 1999.   

About Spruce  
Spruce’s mission is to empower consumers to improve their environments. We provide homeowners with simple, affordable financing for residential solar systems, water conservation upgrades and energy efficiency home improvements. Working with a national network of channel and contractor partners in 50 states, we help homeowners reduce their total utility spend on power, water, and heating and cooling.