Solar PV battery options

SD_DRACULA

Not 100% sure yet, still waiting on a quote but around the 1500 mark I believe, not quite DIY territory I know.

yankinlk

Love my 4.8kw dyness. Very interested at that price....

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759990#Comment_118759990

Question on your installation of it, is the battery connected directly to the inverter or does it have a fuse/breaker in between?

Don't think they are needed since the battery has its own power button but I have seen pylontechs connected that way.

Alkers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118759498#Comment_118759498

Do please share the details when you find out.

SD_DRACULA

Will do. Not sure if that price is including vat or not but will find out tomorrow hopefully.

yankinlk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118760372#Comment_118760372

There is a breaker/handle in between

kabakuyu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118754883#Comment_118754883

This company in Shannon might have them.

https://www.failtesolar.com/sofar-solar-hybrid/ac-coupled-inverter-3kw

SD_DRACULA

Yup that's the same company I found the dyness 5.12kwh batteries, they are 1325 + vat.

championc

Buy on eBay with a seller who will do order Click and Collect in Argos and then drive up north and collect it

yankinlk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763289#Comment_118763289

Wonder what @unkel thinks of that price? 😛

Do you have any detail of that Battery? especially the model. I have the PowerDepot H5 version so maybe mine is not the same or compatible. That is certainly a price i would pay to extend my system from 5 to 10.

slave1

or use deliverme in Newry, circa €35 collection fee

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763603#Comment_118763603

A BX51100 I believe.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763603#Comment_118763603

That's not bad. But it is €1325 * 2 +23% VAT = €3229 plus shipping costs for 10kWh

DIY is about €1400

QED

(And I'd be the first one to admit that if it really only was €2000 as some posters suggested, that indeed it would probably be the better option to go with the whole product as is, with warranty and support, compared to going DIY)

championc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763603#Comment_118763603

Buy a 10 DIY and sell your 5 for a nice simple profit. Doubled your capacity free of charge

yankinlk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763754#Comment_118763754

Im emailing them to check if they are compatible. I could i suppose buy 2 and sell the other one.

DIY looks difficult lads. And im not convinced the outcome is the same for everyone. So much can go wrong from broken to death. But i appreciate smart people that do it.

championc

With all due respect, but @DrPhilG would admit to being quite tentative about taking it on and I have to say, he did a fantastic job. We gave him guidance when needed, but he was the one who did it and has no regrets (and possibly learned a fair amount about his system too.

it's all about being patient and mythodical. But very straightforward@DrPhil

spose

Starting to plan an upgrade of my diy set up adding more panels and a battery set up. Going to have to decide on hybrid solis or straight solis and try and get my hands on a sofar. For the diy battery set up is the general consensus to go with the sofar?

championc

Personally, I think the Sofar ME3000 route is a better bet

1. The ME3000 3kW would be in addition to your solar PV output.

2. You can control whether or when to charge batteries (maybe start car charging before batteries are full)

3. The ME3000 and batteries can be located in a totally separate location to your PV inverter.

4. A Hybrid Inverter is a single point of failure

5. Works beautifully with the Seplos BMS

6. Adding a sofar2mqtt device allows the ME3000 to be fully controlled by a raspberry pi running Node-Red or HomeAssistant

mp3guy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118777617#Comment_118777617

Not sure point #4 makes any sense, it's hardly as if hybrid inverters are dying left right and center, any more than string inverters.

Don't forget to add a disadvantage versus hybrid: Cannot charge your batteries from PV during a power cut.

SD_DRACULA

And also don't forget with the solis hybrid you can charge/discharge the batteries at 5kw not limited to 3kw which will cover things like hob/oven at the same time.

Sierra Oscar

What sort of cost would I be looking at for a 5kw battery? Currently looking at a new build that comes with pv panels installed without a battery. Just trying to get an idea of costs if I was to install batteries with the system.

championc

Are you a a DIYer ? Several of us here have built a 10kW DIY Powerwall for about €1500. You could have a separate Storage inverter connected to batteries rather than feeling that you need to replace the supplied Solar Inverter

Sierra Oscar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118785631#Comment_118785631

I'm not too sure yet! I'd be capable of doing so, but wouldn't rule out getting someone in to do the job either for ease of mind. Interesting to know that you can do a 10kW for as low as €1,500.

electrofelix

For smaller systems how are people working out whether a battery will be cost effective and what size is worth it?

I've got a couple of quotes, one includes a huawei luna 2000 with a 5kWh battery which can be expanded and another with a dyness 2.4kWh battery which can also be expanded. Given the shape of the roof can really only install ~4kWp and our typically daily usage for the house is <9kWh, my initial gut is that 5kWh is unlikely to be cost effective. Especially as it looks like the huawei battery packs for the luna 2000 appear to be quite expensive at ~€3.2k per 5kWh. So even going without the battery initially and adding subsequently would be expensive based on the €1k per 2.4kWh rule of thumb I've read in the FAQ. Dyness batteries seem to be much more competitive at about €900 per 2.4kWh, so if it was worth going to 4.8kWh subsequently that seems like it would be the better option. However how do I tell if even the 2.4kWh option would be likely cost effective in the first place?

Looking at how the battery would be used, base on the solar performance spreadsheet I'm left with the impression that at 4kWp, Nov-Feb it would be a case of charging from the grid overnight as generally wouldn't generate enough during the day, and then consume it to supplement the solar. Mar-Oct though it looks like in general the power generated would be close enough to requirements that 2.4kWh would get us through any peak usage in the evening/morning so most of a 5kWh battery capacity wouldn't be contributing much. And it didn't seem like that Nov-Feb would be enough to have a larger battery pay back over time. But I feel like I'm just guessing here. Might have missed a guide in this thread as there are enough posts that I was skimming to see if I could spot something to help me understand.

Bif

I would like to source and integrate a new 20kwh battery system for my PV to replace my 5kwh Puredrive but I’m a bit wary of going the full DIY route myself. Does anybody know of someone who would take on this work and put it together, install and commission. Thanks.

championc

What part are you unsure of. Seriously, go for it and we'll guide you through. It really is quite simple and straight forward.

The simplest way is possibly with 16s2p with then just a single BMS to manage the whole 20kW. When ordering two sets of cells, just make sure you also order an additional pack of busbars.

You can buy the batteries to inverter cable from any motor factors.

All you really need is a decent multimeter

rob1air

Wow you guys/girls know your sh#t very impressive some of the stuff you all do is terrific. I am but a humble landscaper but do love a good deal if I can get one.

I am planning to either make a solar pergola or ground mount not set in stone yet. I have been looking through all the forums and scoured the internet and have gained some knowledge. I was looking to purchase my panels, inverter, battery from China. Got some quotes etc some are decent but may actually end up buying the panels and hybrid inverter here as doesn't seem to be a huge saving after import duties vat etc....

Onto the batteries they do seem to be a lot cheaper elsewhere. Found some pylontech in France they seem to have the BMS in the battery would I be able to attach these to my new panel set up without any DIY knowledge as in plug and play? Also found some 10kw powerwalls in China for what seems a decent price.

I would love to go the full DIY route but just dont have the time or knowledge to go that far. Anyway if anyone here can help direct me in the right direction or sites they have used and bought stuff from it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Bif

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118801114#Comment_118801114

Ok championc. You have convinced me. Thank you for the offer of support and maybe the project could benefit a few others on here. I'm not adverse to wielding a few spanners etc. but not very good on electrics but I do know what a multimeter is and have used it once or twice 🙂. So if you are willing to provide the technical information and assistance via this thread let the games begin... I have five initial questions:

Q1. Does it affect house insurance in any way beyond the value of the components?

Q2. What physical size is 20kwh worth of batteries?

Q3. What weight are they?

Q4. What are the spec / brand of batteries I should order / use?

Q5. Can you provide (maybe pm) links to where I can source the batteries, cables and BMS required (or whatever else is needed)?

BTW I have a 6kw Solis hybrid inverter for 6.9 kwp panel array. Currently I have a 5 kwh Puredrive battery, all reasonably accessible.

Again many thanks...if you are willing to coax me along 😎!

mp3guy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118802172#Comment_118802172

Really it seems like a guidebook could be put together by the folks who've already gone through the DIY process here. A full blog post or something.

championc

@Bif

I think Dr. Phil's post is right back near the beginning. Either he or someone else has deffo done a fairly detailed guide.

There are several on here who have gone the DIY route and I think a few are close to completion around now.

What you are looking for is the "CALB 200ah 16pcs" on AliExpress, from either PWOD or OYE. These are reputable distributors, as all recipients bought through them. Tax of 20% will be removed at checkout, they then come via Poland and land without any further charges.

The best bet for the BMS might be David Schad in the UK (via Facebook). It's possible that he can / should sell to you ex VAT and you then pay on arrival. Buying it from China is fast, but will cost about $50 for shipping and will get stopped for taxes.

Make sure you buy a USB to RS485 dongle / adapter with it.

And you'll likely sell your puredrive for at least €2k - so quadruple your storage for a few 100's

@rob1air

Don't buy inverters or panels abroad. If you have a company, try registering for a trade account with Midsummer.ie. Get your panels, mounts and inverter there. See above for the batteries and BMS