Compare like with like. Aligned scores, specifications and local evidence within one scoring class or tier.
Market context
Australia purchasing view
FoxESS | CQ7-L2 to CQ7-L14; scored reference CQ7-L2 with 13.92 kWh usable capacity
73/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-08-30
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-10
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
AlphaESS | SMILE-G3-S5 with one SMILE-G3-BAT-10.1P; 9.6 kWh usable reference, 1-6 modules
67/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-09-01
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-29
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
| Measure | CQ7 | Smile G3 S5 / BAT-10.1P |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity & Usability | ||
| Power & Efficiency | ||
| Longevity (verified) | ||
| Safety & Chemistry | ||
| Guarantee & Backbone | ||
| Energy Ecosystem |
| Measure | CQ7 | Smile G3 S5 / BAT-10.1P |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | DC-coupled battery | All-in-one energy system |
| Published usable capacity range | 13.92–97.44 kWh | 9.6–57.6 kWh |
| Scored benchmark | 13.92 kWh | 9.6 kWh |
| Chemistry | LFP | LFP |
| Power | 5.76 kW | 5 kW |
| Round-trip | 95 % | Not recorded |
| Cycle life | 6,000 cycles | Not recorded |
| Evidence | CQ7 | Smile G3 S5 / BAT-10.1P |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Available in Australia | Available in Australia |
| Checked | 2026-08-10 | 2026-08-29 |
| Certifications | CQ7-L2 through CQ7-L14, including (w) variants, remain in the current regulator battery export with expiry 31 December 2027., The earlier CQ7-50-L2 through CQ7-50-L14 entries expired 30 June 2026 and are not the current scored identity., The exact datasheet lists IEC 62619, UN 38.3 and IEC 61000-6-1/2/3/4. | The exact BAT-10.1P datasheet lists IEC 62619, IEC 63056, IEC 62040 and UN 38.3; the SMILE-G3-S5 AU system datasheet lists AS 4777.2 and IEC 62109. |
| Warranty scope | Australia and New Zealand; FoxESS Australia warranty V2.7 names CQ7-L2 through L14. The period clause and exact throughput tables say ten years, while one performance paragraph says twelve. Ten years is retained conservatively until FoxESS publishes corrected governing terms. | Australia; the 11 October 2024 warranty names SMILE-G3-S5 and BAT-10.1P with a ten-year term, 70% retained capacity and a 3.12 MWh/kWh throughput condition for eligible installations from 1 November 2024. |
| Warranty remedy | Repair, replacement, refund or compensation at FoxESS discretion. | Repair or replacement at AlphaESS's option. |
| Labour and reinstallation | A service rebate may apply after approval and timely return; unconditional labour and reinstallation cover is not promised. The service rebate is conditional and does not establish uncapped removal and reinstallation cover. | Installer travel and on-site labour are excluded. Removal and reinstallation are not promised. |
| Freight | FoxESS dispatches approved replacements, while the installer must return the failed product within 30 days; unconditional onward freight cover is not promised. | Replacement-parts freight is covered for an accepted claim. |
| Transfer and registration | No express subsequent-owner transfer right is stated; coverage is framed around the purchaser or end user at the installed site. The product must be registered and connected to the FoxESS website when commissioned. | The warranty is non-transferable except where the products remain installed in a building, in which case it transfers to a later purchaser of that building. Serial registration before a claim, and installation by an SAA-accredited installer with a valid Alpha Installer ID, are required. |
| Grid/network approval evidence | CQ7 is a DC battery stack. Confirm the exact paired inverter, network approval and final stack configuration before installation. | The exact AU system is a 5 kW, 230 V single-phase hybrid under AS 4777.2. Current project approval and installer eligibility remain installation-specific. |
| Local product pathway | No separate local pathway recorded | No separate local pathway recorded |
| Buyer evidence | Ready (100% direct coverage): Local availability, buyer evidence, and the publication threshold are confirmed. | Ready (100% direct coverage): Local availability, buyer evidence, and the publication threshold are confirmed. |
| Safety notice | No model-specific notice recorded | No model-specific notice recorded |
| Review note | CQ7 is a DC stack with local CAN communication. Cloud registration is a commissioning warranty precondition, but the exact documents do not state that persistent cloud access is required for operation. AC phase, transfer, PV recovery and motor starting remain external-inverter properties. | AlphaESS's current 2026 Australian brochure lists SMILE-G3-S5/B5 with both BAT-10.1P and BAT-9.3S. The battery options coexist; neither is presented as the formal successor to the other. |
| Register: parts term | stated: The period clause and CQ7 tables state ten years or 120 months. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: labour and service | not stated: A service rebate is referenced after approval and timely return, but the amount, eligible work and full labour coverage are not stated in the instrument. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: transport and freight | not stated: The installer must return the failed item after an approved replacement, but the warranty does not state unconditional freight allocation. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: registration | conditional: Registration and connection to the FoxESS website are commissioning conditions. Later wording recommends registration within 36 months and preferably six weeks, creating an internal timing ambiguity. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: transferability | not stated: No express subsequent-owner transfer right was located. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: explicit unknowns | 5 retained | Not in the structured register |
| Latest reviewed Approval Watch event | No exact-identity event in reviewed history | No exact-identity event in reviewed history |
| Sources | Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5 | Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5 |
These checks sit beside the benchmark score. They are site, tariff and contract questions that no product score can settle.
Ask for every model number to appear on the quote and order. The Clean Energy Council product lists are live: STC creation requires listed products at installation, and network requirements may also depend on current approval.
Have the retailer state the supply phase, inverter connection limit, export limit and any export-control cost. The local network connection agreement, not a generic datasheet, determines those settings. See the Australian Government's connection guidance.
Ask which bills or interval data, tariff, feed-in rate, export limit and future loads support the savings and payback claim. Self-consumed electricity and tariff timing usually matter more than a headline feed-in rate. See the system sizing and battery savings guidance.
Define the usable energy, output power, backed-up circuits and outage behaviour. Confirm whether VPP participation, an internet connection, or an additional controller changes the configuration, reserve level, warranty or support path.
Keep the retailer, installer, manufacturer warranty and escalation path in the contract. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply separately from any manufacturer warranty; where one business supplied both product and installation, it is generally responsible for the remedy. See the ACCC guidance.
A score lead is only meaningful inside this shared class or tier. Weigh it against the specification and evidence rows above before deciding.
Both products are scored in the Performance & Value class, on the same rubric weighting. Scores are not comparable across classes or tiers. Full methodology.