MARSTEK Launches Plug-In Home Battery Portfolio For Europe

MARSTEK, a plug-in battery maker based in the Netherlands, recently unveiled its new product series, VENUS, aiming to meet Europe’s plug-in battery demands. 

The company showcased the entire VENUS family during a product launch event. 

For entry-level users with limited space, the company promotes VENUS E Mini. Its plug-in battery features a 1.5 kW bidirectional (charging/discharging) inverter and 2 kWh battery storage. During a grid outage, it switches to backup mode and provides emergency backup of up to 1.5 kW for a certain duration (depending on the battery’s C-rate). In daily operation, the integrated MARSTEK AI automatically optimizes the prosumer’s energy usage by charging when electricity is cheap and discharging during peak hours. It also considers weather forecasts and user consumption patterns, resulting in maximum use of solar energy and cost savings. The battery’s 314 Ah lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells have a lifecycle of more than 10,000 cycles (charging/discharging), enabling smooth, long-term operation. On the installation side, this 22 kg slim portable battery can be AC-coupled to existing PV modules without any changes to the main distribution box and plugged into the user’s outlet. 

For users with existing rooftop PV seeking a unified platform for home storage and an electric vehicle (EV) charger, the company promoted VENUS E GEN 4.0. It features a 3 kW bidirectional (charging/discharging) inverter and a 5 kWh LFP battery unit. It can support up to 3 kW of continuous power by discharging 5 kWh of capacity during grid outages. However, the duration of this emergency backup can’t be determined because the battery’s C-rate is unknown at the time of publishing. For capacity expansion, up to 3 batteries can be connected in parallel via a ‘SmartBox’, taking the cumulative capacities to 9 kW/15kWh. Developed by the company, it is a hardware interface between batteries and the main distribution panel. As a result, it provides full-home backup rather than a few selected loads. Also, it enables integration of MARSTEK’s portable EV charger, unifying home storage and EV charging on a single platform. According to the company, the latest 47 kg model is 21% lighter and has a footprint that is up to 7% smaller than its predecessor. 

VENUS E MAX is designed for households with larger energy demands and existing rooftop PV systems. This AC-coupled battery is equipped with a 3.6 kW inverter and up to 10 kWh LFP battery stacks. It features functions similar to those of earlier products; however, its capacities and expansion capability are the highest among them. The system capacity can be quickly scaled up to 10.8 kW/30 kWh by connecting 3 units in parallel via the ‘SmartBox’. It is available in either a 1-phase or a 3-phase configuration. 

The details about these new products’ commercial availability were unknown at the time of this article’s publication.