AlphaESS Vitapower test: Balcony power station storage for on the go

A lot has happened in the field of modern energy solutions in recent years. Not only are more and more homes being fitted with photovoltaic systems on their roofs. Balcony power plants, which are a perfect alternative for apartment owners or tenants, are also becoming increasingly popular. Especially in combination with a reliable energy storage system, the use of solar energy is extremely profitable, even on a small scale. In the AlphaESS Vitapower test, we took a look at a cylinder that has made a virtue out of the need for compact dimensions. The system can be used not only as a simple energy storage system, but also off-grid as a practical power station.

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Technical data

AlphaESS Vitapower Test: Scope of delivery

We received the AlphaESS Vitapower for testing purposes in a practical bundle consisting of the VT1000 and the additional VM1000 battery. The scope of delivery was correspondingly extensive.

Scope of delivery of the VT1000:

• AlphaEss Vitapower VT1000
• Connection cable to Schuko plug
• Locking plate for the connection cable
• Adapter cable from Anderson to MC4 plug
• Operating instructions

Scope of delivery of the VM1000:

• AlphaEss additional battery VM1000
• Connection cable between VT1000 and VM1000
• Connection cable between VM1000 and additional VM1000
• 1 x terminating resistor
• Operating instructions

AlphaESS Vitapower Test: Design and processing

At first glance, we like the Vitapower very much. The energy storage unit impresses with its bold design. While most of the competition tends to rely on matt gray, the VT1000 comes in an elegant aluminum look. This not only looks high-quality, but also feels good. Despite the high quality of workmanship, the aluminum housing also has a major disadvantage. It attracts fingerprints almost magically.

AlphaESS uses black plastic on both sides. In addition to the display, the USB ports (2x USB-A with 18W + 2x USB-C with 100W), which are protected by a protective flap, and the power button, which has a green LED ring, are located on one side. The display is pleasantly informative. It not only shows the current battery status, but also other important parameters such as input and output power, remaining runtime and daily yield.

This is at least possible when the sun is not shining brightly. After all, the display is very reflective. The screen would certainly have benefited from more brightness. On the other side, there are 3x Schuko sockets for additional outlets. These have protective covers to prevent the ingress of dirt and dust. The port for connecting the VT1000 to the domestic power supply is also located here.

There are also 2x Anderson ports on the side to supply the storage system with solar energy. It would have been much easier to connect standard modules with MC4 ports, but fortunately AlphaESS at least includes suitable adapter cables. The connection in the bottom corner is used to connect the energy storage system to an additional battery. As an off-grid solution, the Vitapower can be used not only as an energy storage unit but also as a power station.

And the manufacturer AlphaESS has also thought of this. There are recessed grips on the right and left that can be used to carry the power station from A to B. There is also an LED light on the front of the aluminum housing, which can not only get pretty bright, but also looks really cool in combination with the logo. The whole thing is rounded off by practical feet on the underside. These prevent the storage unit from slipping.

As already mentioned, AlphaESS provided us with a model of the Vitamate VM1000 additional battery for the test. Strangely enough, its appearance differs significantly from that of the Vitapower. Nevertheless, the quality of workmanship is also good here. AlphaESS relies entirely on metal and ensures uncomplicated transportation thanks to the foldable side handles.

As the additional battery is almost 6 kg lighter than the Vitapower at 13 kg, transportation is also somewhat easier. I think it’s a shame that AlphaESS has completely dispensed with outputs for the additional battery. In contrast, the batteries in the FOSSiBOT F3600 Pro (review, € 2,019.00 *), for example, at least offer USB ports, which turns them into gigantic power banks.

AlphaESS Vitapower test: Quick start-up

Fortunately, setting up the Vitapower is not rocket science. It is important that you place it in a dry place. After all, the cylinder only offers protection to IP21 standard. Low temperatures should also be avoided as far as possible. After all, the charging temperature is at least 0°C. It is therefore best to place it indoors.

Once the Powerstation is in place, you can connect the modules. If, like us, you have also received an additional battery, this is connected to the Vitapower next. The Powerstation can then be connected to the mains via the earthed socket. It’s a shame that the cable supplied only measures 1 meter. Once everything is connected, you can switch on the Powerstation and it will start working automatically.

AlphaESS Vitapower test: Convenient app control

Once the Vitapower has started up, you can continue in the AlphaLite app. Here you simply add the energy storage unit as a new device. This works quickly and easily. The app itself impressed in the test with a good overview and lots of important information. Statistics enthusiasts in particular can let off steam here and analyze data from the storage unit.

Of course, the app can also be used to make important settings. One of the most important examples of this is the maximum input power. Here you can choose between a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 2000 watts. If you want to use more than 800 watts, you must have the balcony power station including storage unit with built-in inverter approved by an electrician.

AlphaESS Vitapower test: Different operating modes

You can select different operating modes for the Vitapower via the app. By default, the energy storage system operates in PV load priority mode. Here, the energy that remains after the electricity fed into the grid is passed on to the storage system. So if you want to charge your battery as quickly and effectively as possible, you should turn down the feed-in power in the app. Depending on the daily routine, some people may want to vary the feed-in power over time.

Who wants to feed a lot of energy into the grid during the day when you’re not at home anyway? It makes more sense to store electricity during the day and use it in the evening to avoid having to access the cost-intensive power grid. AlphaESS has now added a user-defined mode for these needs. Here you can also link the feed-in power to specific times. This means you don’t have to manually adjust the feed-in power to your current needs every time.

Another mode is fast charging mode. If you have activated this, the system focuses on charging the batteries as quickly as possible. If necessary, the storage system not only uses solar energy, but also draws electricity from the power grid. The third mode available is Maximum output power mode. As with PV load priority, the desired energy is also fed into the power grid here.

However, if the energy from the solar modules is not sufficient, the Vitapower will provide the rest if there is still energy in the batteries. If you want to add even more individuality to the operation of the AlphaESS, you can use a smart socket. These can be conveniently added as a gadget in the app.

AlphaESS Vitapower test: Modern LiFePO4 battery

To qualify the Vitapower for mobile use, the storage unit has a relatively low battery capacity of 1024 Wh. However, if you need more, you can expand the total capacity to a whopping 6144 Wh with up to 5 additional batteries. The maximum charging power is 2000 watts – provided you connect an additional battery. The Vitapower alone only draws a maximum input power of 1000 watts.

This may not be a speed record, but fast charging is not the focus of a balcony power station storage unit anyway. If you want to increase the input power, you can do this using solar energy. After all, the storage system enables combined charging from grid power and solar energy, which increases the input power a little.

AlphaESS relies on pleasingly modern battery cells for its Vitapower. This manufacturer is also saying goodbye to outdated lithium-ion batteries and is instead using LiFePO4 batteries. Although these are somewhat heavier, they have a longer service life and guarantee significantly greater safety during operation.

Balcony storage meets Powerstation

The Vitapower is not just an energy storage unit for a balcony power station. Rather, AlphaESS advertises the system as a combination of domestic solar energy storage and Powerstation. This makes it a genuine off-grid system that can also be used as a power supplier for your little electric helpers on weekend camping trips. And this is where the Vitapower cuts a fine figure. The variety of connections may not be able to keep up with pure power stations, but the three sockets and four USB ports should be perfectly adequate for occasional use.

The mobile energy storage unit provides an output power of 1000 watts via the sockets. In combination with an additional battery, it can even provide 2000 watts. In the test, the storage unit had no problem with energy guzzlers such as toasters or kettles. The system was able to provide an output power of approx. 2000 watts without any problems. The standard of the USB-C ports must be emphasized positively. As these offer PowerDelivery (PD) with 100 watts, smartphones or notebooks with corresponding fast charging technology, for example, can be charged extremely quickly.

The Vitapower also cuts a fine figure as a balcony power station storage unit. However, given the time of year, we were only able to achieve a fairly low input power with our two 400 watt modules (total output: 800 watts). Nevertheless, the system worked quite reliably most of the time. But unfortunately not always. During the test, I found that the system sometimes lost the connection to the app and went completely offline. The Vitapower’s energy loss during operation was also quite noticeable. With an output of 52 watts, the consumption according to the app was 63 to 68 watts.

Conclusion

So what is the Vitapower? Power station or energy storage unit for the home balcony power station? AlphaESS’s answer is short and sweet: both! And in practice, the system performs really well in both disciplines. But first things first. The design and workmanship of the Vitapower are of a very high standard. Only the display could have been a little brighter and less reflective. In terms of capacity, the system is a little flat-chested with 1024 Wh, but for a small extra charge, the whole thing can be expanded to almost 2000 Wh thanks to an additional battery.

When used as a power station, however, the Vitapower with 1000 W should be sufficient for most users for the occasional camping trip. Those who need more can also get more out of it with an additional battery. Then a peak of 2000 W is possible. In terms of connectivity, the system offers a solid selection. Pure power stations may have more to offer, but the four USB ports and three Schuko sockets should certainly be enough for most users.

Operation as a balcony power station also ran smoothly most of the time. However, we occasionally experienced disconnections from the app. If AlphaESS is able to remedy such teething troubles in future software updates, we can recommend the Vitapower as a really great combination of balcony power station storage and power station, which also scores with a really strong price-performance ratio. If you can do without off-grid use, we recommend the Anker SOLIX Solarbank 2 Pro (review, € 949.00 *)