Battery Storage

[Dave Jones]

11 hours ago, Dillsue said:

I believe Enphase do a battery to integrate with their micro inverters

 

yes we use a powerwall. microinverters  defeat the issue with shading string inverters suffer with i understand.

[Dillsue]

11 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Any AC coupled battery would do the job they  don't care how AC is made

Absolutely. The comment was clarifying that micro inverters can interface to a battery, same as any inverter can

[markharro]

On 27/08/2024 at 20:39, Nick Thomas said:

Prices have dropped off a cliff recently. The VAT zero-rating was passed on too, which is nice to see. You can get 9.4kWh for £3650, or double that for £5595 - list price, including the inverter. Things are nicer if you can assign the inverter to the solar PV payback period instead - £2200 for a 9.4kWh battery, £4200 for double that.

 

( https://homeenergygroup.co.uk/lux-ac-battery-storage-hanchu-ess-9-4kw/ )

 

Do you know if there is an option with this brand for a battery that is compatible with our 3 phase supply? I have never heard of the make?

 

Separately, can anyone advise on this......we have space in our utility for a battery but we are not fitting one yet. But I want to put in the wiring needed to future proof from the consumer unit to where any battery would be located. I understand I need to run a 32 A cable? What I don't understand is the specific cable needed for any future 3 phase battery?

[crispy_wafer]

I think, it's the inverter that's the key for 3 Ph. certainly according to givenergy...

 

3-phase battery storage | 3-phase inverters & batteries | GivEnergy

[crispy_wafer]

Probably a really noddy type question, but anyway, what should you need to look out for for say a UPS type install.  E.g  a pretty Seamless switchover when there's a power outage.  Or do they all do it, or is it something that needs specifying up front?

 

TIA

Marek

[RobLe]

18 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

Probably a really noddy type question, but anyway, what should you need to look out for for say a UPS type install.  E.g  a pretty Seamless switchover when there's a power outage.  Or do they all do it, or is it something that needs specifying up front?

 

TIA

Marek

It would need specifying up front, it is not the norm in the UK (it is in California and South Africa, where there are more frequent power cuts).

Quite a few hybrid inverters offer this, eg Sunsynk inverters tend to, and I think Victron.  The limitation is that all the current through the consumer unit is then sent through a relay in the Sunsynk all the time, ready for the occasion when it swaps to battery only.  The 3.6kW sunsynk that we have specifies a 40A input breaker - if we used it as a UPS, then although we have a 100A mains cutout we would be limited to 40A due to this UPS functionality.  I guess you could have two consumer units, a 40A one with and a higher power one without this UPS functionality.  

 

  

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> I guess you could have two consumer units, a 40A one with and a higher power one without this UPS functionality.  

 

I don't think that's a big problem in practice. I plan to have 2 CUs anyway, one for battery backed stuff (fridge etc) one for stuff you generally wouldn't run off a battery - heating, car charging, oven etc - all the big loads.

[JohnMo]

23 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

Probably a really noddy type question, but anyway, what should you need to look out for for say a UPS type install.  E.g  a pretty Seamless switchover when there's a power outage.  Or do they all do it, or is it something that needs specifying up front?

 

TIA

Marek

What I found when I started looking is the UPS function on most inverters is pretty useless, they can only output a very small kW so only likely to support a few lights not much. I went AC coupled because it would take over fully (6kW) and I can do just about whatever I want while I have battery power. Borehole pump, sewage system, MVHR, heat pump on, boil the kettle etc. When that runs out of power we also have a generator that can do the same.

[crispy_wafer]

6 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

What I found when I started looking is the UPS function on most inverters is pretty useless, they can only output a very small kW so only likely to support a few lights not much. I went AC coupled because it would take over fully (6kW) and I can do just about whatever I want while I have battery power. Borehole pump, sewage system, MVHR, heat pump on, boil the kettle etc. When that runs out of power we also have a generator that can do the same.

Right... So in your case that's the givenergy AIO 6, we dont have too many powercuts , it's more of a case of having a feature in place that would keep the necessary bits running for an hour or two, or four! without too much faff.  

[Thorfun]

2 hours ago, Alan Ambrose said:

>>> I guess you could have two consumer units, a 40A one with and a higher power one without this UPS functionality.  

 

I don't think that's a big problem in practice. I plan to have 2 CUs anyway, one for battery backed stuff (fridge etc) one for stuff you generally wouldn't run off a battery - heating, car charging, oven etc - all the big loads.

our battery inverter (LuxPower) has a 16A limit on the emergency power so we have a second garage-type CU next to the main CU for essential loads (like our sump pump in the basement!) and a couple of extra plug sockets that we can run an extension lead to in a long power cut. 16A = 3.68kW @ 230V so that's quite a hefty load.

 

eventually our Loxone system and the 24V lighting it controls will run from seperate lead acid batteries in a power cut so we can run 24V lights also that will be separate from the 230V battery system. should be enough to get us through a reasonable power cut