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Battery Storage recommendations


Thorfun

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On 11/02/2020 at 13:44, Thorfun said:

I would like battery storage as well to act as a battery backup for power cuts, blips and outages.

Always compare any extra you have to pay for that with a small (2 kW) portable generator and an extension lead.

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1 minute ago, SteamyTea said:

Always compare any extra you have to pay for that with a small (2 kW) portable generator and an extension lead.

thanks but just not interested in having a petrol/diesel powered generator sitting around so any extra is totally worth it for me.

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Following this as I'm also trying to work out best way to generate and offset some usage. I still have 2 phases of solar to fill. I'm supposedly 'in a queue' for a powerwall, but slightly suspicious as to whether it'll ever turn up. Have also been looking at Hybrid solutions.

 

How much battery storage have you decided to get (and based on what?). For true off grid reslience, I'd need any inverter to be able to deliver 12kW instantaneously on phase 3 which is waay more than even the PW2 can do.

 

I'm attempting to find a system I can charge on E7, use for the morning, charge on solar and cover my evening usage before starting again. If the batts haven't charged enough during the day, they just do what they can until the next E7 period. I need about 20-30kWh to carry through an evening (including the HP).

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22 minutes ago, Wil said:

Following this as I'm also trying to work out best way to generate and offset some usage. I still have 2 phases of solar to fill. I'm supposedly 'in a queue' for a powerwall, but slightly suspicious as to whether it'll ever turn up. Have also been looking at Hybrid solutions.

 

How much battery storage have you decided to get (and based on what?). For true off grid reslience, I'd need any inverter to be able to deliver 12kW instantaneously on phase 3 which is waay more than even the PW2 can do.

 

I'm attempting to find a system I can charge on E7, use for the morning, charge on solar and cover my evening usage before starting again. If the batts haven't charged enough during the day, they just do what they can until the next E7 period. I need about 20-30kWh to carry through an evening (including the HP).

SolarEdge not fulfil your needs ? 

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1 minute ago, Wil said:

I'd have to retrofit Solaredge to my existing array, unless that was aimed at Thorfun? I have a basic Sofar Solar 3.68 inverter.

Sorry yes ; that was for you 😁. I’m having it retrofitted and my pv extended .

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3 hours ago, pocster said:

@Thorfun what do you need to power during an outage ? .

I allow for this ( not that it has happened ) with UPS on critical things . Lights etc. going off until pw2 or SolarEdge kicks in doesn’t worry me ( even if it’s few seconds ) .

the essentials obviously. TV, internet, Xbox etc. 😉

 

oh, and I guess lights, heating, fridge, cooker etc. I'd like to be able to live as normal for a while in case of extended power outage. obviously during the day the solar PV will recharge whichever battery and power the house and then the battery used overnight.

 

tbh, I've not worked out our usage which is why I'll probably just end up going for whatever size battery I can afford and it seems that the bigger battery/more modules you buy the cheaper £/kW it all becomes.

 

I'm quite taken by the reading I've done on the Lux Power ACS 3600. with a 10ms UPS/EPS switch over I wonder if a separate UPS would even be required. I'm speaking to a couple of companies about quotes for one with Pylontech batteries.

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4 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

the essentials obviously. TV, internet, Xbox etc. 😉

 

oh, and I guess lights, heating, fridge, cooker etc. I'd like to be able to live as normal for a while in case of extended power outage. obviously during the day the solar PV will recharge whichever battery and power the house and then the battery used overnight.

 

tbh, I've not worked out our usage which is why I'll probably just end up going for whatever size battery I can afford and it seems that the bigger battery/more modules you buy the cheaper £/kW it all becomes.

 

I'm quite taken by the reading I've done on the Lux Power ACS 3600. with a 10ms UPS/EPS switch over I wonder if a separate UPS would even be required. I'm speaking to a couple of companies about quotes for one with Pylontech batteries.

Do you ( or expect to ) suffer from frequent outages ?

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I have a 10kW array with SolarEdge 6kW inverter with EV charger built in when I get an EV, just need to buy the appropriate cable.

I have started to clip this month but only for 15 mins

My array is roughly 2kW east, 4kW south and 4kW west

I am awaiting the Solar edge energy bank dc coupled battery which can take the surplus non inverted dc to charge the battery.

So, in essence being oversized allows me greater production in the winter months and still use surplus generation after load, DHW divert to charge the battery.

That said, my hierarchy during spring summer autumn will be load, battery and then DHW divert.

I have not considered the EV aspect yet but it allows 7.2kW to car max but clearly this would be inverted power with grid supplementing.

Just impatiently waiting for SE battery and hot water divert (also SE upto 5kW) to come available

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1 hour ago, pocster said:

Do you ( or expect to ) suffer from frequent outages ?

Not many but we get power glitches. Although we were without power for a day or so in the last storm and other areas not far from us were out for about 4 days!! 
 

so it can happen out here in the sticks with loads of trees around. 

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17 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

Not many but we get power glitches. Although we were without power for a day or so in the last storm and other areas not far from us were out for about 4 days!! 
 

so it can happen out here in the sticks with loads of trees around. 

Move to the big smoke 😁👍

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17 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

I thought that was out already for the 6kW inverter?

 

https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/storedge


Back order maybe May

My PV chap has 16 on back order, thankfully we are near the top of his list,

Originally specified the LG chem 10 kW storedge but when fully integrated SE was mooted, we decided to wait. Even the LG chem system is the proverbial hens teeth.

In roof PV array fitted Jan 21 but commissioned in Nov 21 due to awaiting roof and price hike in power necessitated.

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17 minutes ago, Johnnyt said:


Back order maybe May

My PV chap has 16 on back order, thankfully we are near the top of his list,

Originally specified the LG chem 10 kW storedge but when fully integrated SE was mooted, we decided to wait. Even the LG chem system is the proverbial hens teeth.

In roof PV array fitted Jan 21 but commissioned in Nov 21 due to awaiting roof and price hike in power necessitated.

Fair enough. The Solaredge storage doesn’t do power cuts so no good for me anyway. 

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8 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Mark on a calendar how many days of the year you've been in darkness for.

It's a good way of getting some grip of the situation.

even if it's only once every two or three years that's enough for me to want to plan for that eventuality.

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1 minute ago, Thorfun said:

even if it's only once every two or three years that's enough for me to want to plan for that eventuality.

And certainly your choice, sir, just a cost consideration to apply in some instances when you leave the Chinese market behind..

 

12 hours ago, Thorfun said:

I'm quite taken by the reading I've done on the Lux Power ACS 3600. with a 10ms UPS/EPS switch over I wonder if a separate UPS would even be required. I'm speaking to a couple of companies about quotes for one with Pylontech batteries.

I had a lot of input with the utilisation of the software / hardware, via one distributor, and the upshot of it was the suppliers recognition ( after denial ) these units can be linked together with a master-slave arrangement with a Cat5 cable. The idea being that, in a power-out, the lead unit would step in to provide the 50hz 'metronome' to keep the second unit in play ( eg when it was missing the grid frequency which it / they used for harmonising when in normal conditions ).

Cheap enough system too for what it gives, eg much higher throughput in parallel ( 6kW reliable with 2x units ).

Maybe an 'energise to break' contactor for one CU with the non-emergency / heavy loads on it would facilitate a clean handover and subtract the induction hob / micro / EV charger / electric shower etc. Easy enough to design if you want the best outcome, but it is a little "doomsday preppy" when reviewed under the microscope....

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Hi @Johnnyt

Like your set up ideas......

 

We also oversized our PV: All the possible south roof and then some, to give us 5.12kW

Whilst typing at 8.52am the EV is waiting for the power to increase before being charged( we only use a 13amp charger), so the unused power is heating the 200ltr tank.

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This seems a very expensive “just in case” option for something that very rarely happens. If you’re trying to protect sensitive kit such as CCTV or that sort of thing then use an off the shelf UPS..! Most modern fridge freezers will stay cold for 10-12 hours minimum and it’s not like you can run your ASHP so why not fit a wood stove

too as heating backup ..?? 

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@PeterW off the top off my head, no idea of the power draw but it’s low. 
 

As for the “why” the house air quality became pretty unpleasant during the last prolonged outage requiring windows to be opened making the ‘passive house’ just a ‘house’ which started getting cold and we have very limited options to halt that cooling. 

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