My old mate bought Fox ESS… now his battery needs a winter jacket
Old old former colleague Nokia in Melbourne, 41kWh Fox system.Ast week during his 3-hour free electricity window it was sitting around 7 degrees and his charge rate dropped to 3.7kW. Big battery, tiny sip. Window closed before he got to 30%.
Then I saw this SolarQuotes article about Fox ESS in Australian winter . Apparently Melbourne having a cold morning is now enough to turn some batteries into sleepy little bricks. Even better, some owners are apparently wrapping batteries up like they’re sending them to Falls Creek for a ski trip. Fox’s own UK guidance also warns that improper insulation could affect heat dissipation, accelerate degradation, or even lead to thermal runaway — while basically saying the owner assumes the risk. Beautiful. Very reassuring. Very “please DIY a puffer jacket for your battery, but don’t blame us.”
I am extremely glad I didn’t choose Fox.Checked my SigenStor app this morning out of curiosity. Charging at full rate. 7 degrees overnight.When I picked SigenStor the built-in heating pad felt like a “nice to have” detail at the time.Boring spec sheet detail when I was shopping. Less boring now.
Now? In Melbourne winter? It feels less like a feature and more like basic adult supervision.
Anyway, shoutout to my friend. Hope your battery gets well soon.