Seven years on — still no working system; now asked to buy a new battery

Before you spend on Blue Nova, read the other reviews here and ask yourself what you want the next seven years to look like. That is where I am after mine.

I bought a Blue Nova battery system to work with an inverter brand that Blue Nova and the inverter supplier both marketed as supported and compatible. Since 2020 I have been trying to get those batteries to function as sold — integrated with that inverter, stable day to day, not a constant project.

It is now nearly seven years later. There is still no viable solution I can rely on. Over that time there have been repairs, firmware visits, loan units, tickets, and long periods with a pack away for service. We have had overcharge and undercharge events, emergency shutdowns, and loss of power when the system should be carrying the house. In October 2025, during a Blue Nova service visit at my home, there was smoke from the electronics after work on the battery/controller during a firmware session — I raised that with them at the time.

In May 2026, after a call with their aftersales head, I was offered a path forward: return my two 8 kWh units and pay R20,440 (excluding VAT) for a newer-generation 16 kWh unit. That is presented as a concession, but it is roughly two-thirds of their list price for the new unit — not a goodwill outcome in any real sense. My original purchase of roughly R100,000 for the two packs likely covered their cost the first time; this offer, in effect, asks me to pay for their cost again, while they take very little risk on whether the integrated system actually works.

They say they have more faith in the new generation and remain committed to supporting my existing product line. Given the years that have passed, staff who are no longer with the company, and the fact that the core problem — a dependable integrated system — is still unresolved, that is an interesting path forward: hope the new hardware works, while I fund it and carry the downside.

Their written offer also states that Blue Nova cannot take responsibility for the PV/inverter side and that work would be at my own risk. After shutdowns, instability, and smoke in my home, being asked to pay again without them standing behind the integrated system I was sold is why I am posting.

I am not asking HelloPeter to fix my installation. I am posting because, seven years later, I would not choose this journey again, and I hope others read the Blue Nova reviews carefully — including similar warranty and support stories from other owners in 2026 — before they commit money and years to the same cycle.

I previously posted here in 2024 and later softened my tone in good faith when I was told a fix was close. That fix did not hold. This is an update, not a new grievance.

What I still want is simple: the working 16 kWh system I paid for, or a fair written refund at realistic replacement value — not to fund another generation of hardware while integration risk sits with me.