E.ON and the Aura of transformation
10 July 2016E.ON has begun selling its E.ON Aura domestic electricity storage system in Germany. The system is available immediately at www.eon-aura.de. The all-in-one solution consists of a storage device, the E.ON Aura app, and, if desired, an E.ON Aura PV system, and the E.ON Aura electricity tariff. The German energy supplier worked closely with Dresden-based SOLARWATT GmbH to develop the system.
E.ON Aura's charge efficiency of 93% makes it one of the most efficient storage devices on the German market, says E.ON. The system can increase a home's energy self-sufficiency rate -- that is, the proportion of self-produced electricity the home consumes -- from about one third to around 70%. "With a storage capacity of 4.4 kWh, E.ON Aura can meet the entire electricity needs of a three- to four-person family during the evening and night hours", says Robert Hienz, Managing Director of E.ON Energie Deutschland, explained.
For homes that consume more electricity, the system's storage capacity is easily expandable to up to 11 kWh with additional battery modules.
E.ON developed E.ON Aura in partnership with SOLARWATT, a Dresden-based solar company and storage-device manufacturer.
It is aimed primarily at environmentally conscious homeowners who wish to achieve greater energy autonomy and reduce their energy costs. The lithium-ion battery modules have an estimated operating life of up to 20 years, while the compact, wall- mounted storage device "combines sleek design with noise-free operation", according to E.ON.
The system comes with a user-friendly app that enables customers to monitor their home energy production and consumption "any time, any place", says E.ON. All data are displayed in easy-to-comprehend, read- at-a-glance graphics. The app displays daily and weekly figures, making it possible to compare usage over time. It also learns continually, enabling it to adapt to a household's usage patterns.
The system is smart-grid-ready and therefore qualifies for assistance from Germany's KfW development bank. In addition, it can be used to optimally control large-consumption devices such as heat pumps.
The E.ON Aura tariff provides electricity from 100% renewable sources.
E.ON Aura is a further illustration of the radical transformation that E.ON is undergoing, with fossil assets transferred to Uniper and a resolute focus on what E.ON calls the "new energy world", characterised by renewables, distributed generation, energy efficiency, microgrids, and increasingly autonomous and proactive customers.
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