Shenzhen, China
At the invitation of Daisy Jiang, we had the opportunity during our trip through China to take an in-depth tour of Marstek Energy in Shenzhen. Over the course of two days, we visited both the new headquarters and the manufacturing facilities where Marstek’s energy storage systems are produced.
For Off Grid Power Station, this was an interesting opportunity to look beyond just the end product. We were able to see firsthand how Marstek is continuing to expand its operations and production, and what new home batteries the company has developed for the coming period.
A Visit to the New Headquarters
The first day was all about Marstek Energy’s brand-new headquarters in Shenzhen.
There, we were given a detailed presentation on the company’s development, its strategy for the coming years, and its plans for various international markets.
The market for home batteries is growing rapidly, and Europe plays an important role in it. In particular, demand for easy-to-use energy storage has increased significantly in recent times.
Consumers want to use more of the solar power they generate, become less dependent on selling excess power back to the grid, and manage their energy consumption more intelligently. At the same time, there is a growing need for systems that can be easily expanded as energy needs change.
These developments play a clear role in Marstek’s product strategy.
Where the Marstek Venus E is manufactured
On the second day, we left the headquarters for the production facility.
There, we were able to see up close how, among other things, the well-known Marstek Venus E is manufactured.
It was interesting to see the entire process behind a home battery—from individual components and assembly to inspections and various tests before a system is finally allowed to leave the factory.
That knowledge is important to us. When we recommend or sell a home battery, we naturally look at factors such as battery capacity, charge and discharge power, software, and connectivity options. A visit to the factory also provides insight into the production and quality control processes behind the final product.
Three new Marstek home batteries
One of the highlights of our visit was the opportunity to get a sneak peek at three new products in the Venus series.
Marstek is expanding its lineup with the Venus E Mini, which has a 2 kWh battery capacity; the Venus E 4.0, which has a 5 kWh battery capacity; and the significantly larger Venus E MAX, which has a 10 kWh storage capacity.
With these additions, Marstek is clearly targeting a variety of use cases.
The compact Venus E Mini is aimed at households with relatively limited storage needs or users who want an easy way to get started with energy storage.
The Venus E 4.0 builds on the concept of the existing Venus E and combines a 5 kWh capacity with Marstek’s latest innovations.
At the other end of the product range is the Venus E MAX. With a 10 kWh battery capacity, this model is designed for situations where significantly more energy needs to be stored.
From 2 to 10 kWh
It was precisely this expansion that we found interesting.
After all, there isn’t a single battery capacity that’s suitable for every home. A household with a relatively small solar panel system and limited nighttime consumption has different storage needs than a home with many solar panels, a heat pump, or high daily electricity consumption.
With battery capacities of 2, 5, and 10 kWh, Marstek can serve various segments of that market.
This also shows us how rapidly plug-in home batteries are evolving. Whereas just a few years ago this product category primarily consisted of relatively small batteries with limited capacity, more and more solutions are becoming available that, in terms of capacity and capabilities, are closer to traditional home battery systems.
Speed of product development
What became clear during our two days at Marstek was the speed at which the company develops new products.
In a market that is currently changing at a rapid pace, Marstek strives to continuously improve its products based on new technology and insights from various countries.
This creates an interesting dynamic. Hardware is becoming more powerful, battery capacities are increasing, and at the same time, software is playing an increasingly important role in how a home battery ultimately performs.
After all, for consumers, it’s not just about how many kWh a battery can hold. Equally important is how well the system determines when energy should be stored, when it should be used, and how the system interacts with the rest of a home’s energy supply.
From Shenzhen to the Netherlands and Belgium
For Off Grid Power Station, visits to manufacturing sites are particularly valuable. They give us greater insight into the companies and processes behind the products we deliver to our customers every day.
At the same time, these visits provide an opportunity to discuss experiences from the Netherlands and Belgium directly with the manufacturer.
The combination of the new headquarters, the production facilities, and the three new Venus models gave us a glimpse of Marstek’s ambitions for the coming period.
We would like to thank Daisy Jiang and the entire Marstek Energy team for the invitation, their hospitality, and the valuable discussions we had during our stay in Shenzhen.
We look forward to following Marstek’s future developments and to soon being able to present the Venus E Mini, Venus E 4.0, and Venus E MAX to our customers as well.
