Australian energy storage manufacturer RedEarth Energy Storage has unveiled a new all-in-one home battery system that is smaller, smarter and higher capacity than its predecessor – and cost-competitive with top-selling overseas brands.
Brisbane-based RedEarth, which made its start in off-grid energy storage solutions, hit the residential radar in Australia in 2021 when its Troppo product became the first fully Australian designed and assembled home batteries to get Clean Energy Council approval.
In 2024, federal energy minister Chris Bowen revealed that he had bought a Troppo battery to support his home solar system after a visit to the company’s stand at the 2023 Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition.
“I checked out their products closely,” Bowen told RenewEconomy at the time. ”And as a direct result of that visit, I now have one helping power our house and supporting the grid very efficiently.”
For the last couple of years, RedEarth has been working hard to improve on the Troppo, which it puts together in its Brisbane factory using cells made in China.
The next generation Troppo Ultra is being reengineered to deliver a 40 per cent increase in core capacity of 5.6 kWh per unit and comes with an intelligent Battery Management System that makes it backwards compatible with its predecessors.
The company is also rolling out one of Australia’s first bidirectional electric vehicle chargers in partnership with German outfit Ambibox (read about that here on The Driven) and is working towards the rollout of a Microgrid in a Box (MiB) product that will combine home storage and smart EV charging in one unit.
Meanwhile, business has been booming since Bowen launched the Cheaper Home Batteries rebate in July of this year.
“Let’s put it this way, in four weeks in September we delivered 4 megawatt-hours (MWh),” RedEarth CEO Marc Sheldon told One Step Off The Grid on Thursday.
“The issue we have right now is we’re literally struggling to keep up. Basically we get our cell packs built and, even prior to them being shipped, that container is already sold.
“That’s been a bit of a challenge for us. So we’re increasing our frequency quite significantly. It’s been very interesting.”
The new home battery system, called Gecko, uses up to eight Troppo batteries for a total capacity of 32.8 kWh – with the Troppo Ultra will expand even further by up to 44.8 kWh.
“The Gecko contains the Balance of System, so it contains the inverter, it contains the switch gear, it contains the [energy management system], it contains everything that’s needed to operate the actual battery,” Sheldon says.
“So when you look at a battery energy storage system, that’s the Gecko, and the actual battery part of it, that’s the Troppo.”
The Gecko home battery is available in both single-phase (5 kW, 8 kW or 10 kW) and three-phase (12 kW or 15 kW) configurations, making it powerful enough to support homes and small businesses.
RedEarth says it can be configured for grid-connected, off-grid or hybrid applications and offers full home backup capability. It can be AC-coupled and easily connected to a generator, providing greater peace of mind and energy autonomy.
“The Gecko has been designed for simplicity and speed of installation, helping installers respond to the increased market demand driven by the Cheaper Home Batteries Program,” says Sheldon.
“Our products are developed and engineered right here in Brisbane for Australia’s harsh conditions. When paired with our Private Power Plant [PPP] platform, customers gain complete control over their energy, giving them the opportunity to participate in the energy market,” he adds.
“They can choose how they store, trade or share their energy for greater energy independence.”
RedEarth’s PPP app allows users to monitor and manage energy consumption in real time, participate in flexibility markets, and share excess power with friends and family. The PPP app also supports EV charging and V2G.
“The next generation Gecko, for us, is that next generation form factor … that is stackable up to different sizes,” Sheldon says.
“And it’s a product that’s competitive … with the top three players, the top three imported product players [currently dominating sales in the Australian market]. Our price is very competitive with them.”
That price, says Sheldon, is currently sitting at around $400 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). “This is the price to trade, not the price to market, because the price to market obviously set by the installer,” he says.
The Gecko is expected to be available from November 2025. The Troppo Ultra is expected to be available in early Q1/2026 subject to the certification approval from the Clean Energy Council.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
