10kWh LifePO4 DIY Battery Addition..... Here is my write up.

DC999 · 08-02-2023 8:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216424#Comment_120216424

Rephrasing :) Electricity costs me more than gas

Feidhlim · 08-02-2023 8:38pm

Complete newbie here just starting to scratch the surface on this. I'm getting solar installed shortly, is there something I should request to make my life easier for a self install battery later on?

Thank you!

johnbk · 08-02-2023 8:41pm

Hybrid inverter is essential. Go with an inverter that works with 48-51v battery as you will have more options on diy battery.

championc · 08-02-2023 9:31pm

Or you can install a separate Storage Inverter like the Sofar ME3000. It doesn't even need to be in the same place as a PV String Inverter

unkel · 08-02-2023 10:26pm

Yeah and hybrid inverters are hard to get. Something like a 6kW normal inverter is about €750 retail and a 6kW hybrid one over €2000 retail. That's a lot of extra money to pay up front to cover you in case you "might" upgrade to a battery in the next few years.

slave1 · 08-02-2023 10:46pm

I prefer Storage Inverter, you can throw your PV inverter into the attic and forget about it then put your Storage Inverter in a more controllable environment for easier battery temp control. Also gives the benefit of additional output as the Storage Inverter output is additional to PV output for high electricity draws e.g. electric shower

unkel · 08-02-2023 11:35pm

Another benefit of a storage inverter is that you can see what energy comes from your battery and goes in it, in general reporting / integrated systems like the very popular and excellent myenergi family of products. With a hybrid inverter, that system can't distinguish between energy coming from the PV panels attached to the hybrid inverter and energy coming from the battery

There are drawbacks as well. A separate storage inverter installed at a later date needs to be installed by an electrician and needs its own RCBO in your consumer unit. And all your PV (DC) energy will have to be converted to AC first by your normal inverter and then from AC to DC to go into your batteries. So you lose about 10-15% of all your PV output that goes into a battery compared to a hybrid inverter which only needs to step down the DC voltage to store the energy, which is more efficient. No inverting or rectifying steps that create losses.

SD_DRACULA · 09-02-2023 5:41pm

Are we still at a stage where there is no storage inverter like the Sofar (and costs about that too) that can do continuous 100A?

unkel · 10-02-2023 4:27pm

I don't think so, apart from a Tesla powerwall. Which costs a little bit more than an ME3000SP 😁

I would seriously consider one if it could do 200A continuous and was reasonably priced. Dump the battery load into the car and hot water at the same time on a good day, yummy!

ELM327 · 10-02-2023 6:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120220768#Comment_120220768

Victron Quattro?

unkel · 10-02-2023 9:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120225259#Comment_120225259

The cheapest one is about €2500. If you are spending that sort of money, you might as well go for the daddy, the sunny boy. One of the regulars in here has one of them and posted about it recently.

SD_DRACULA · 11-02-2023 8:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120225259#Comment_120225259

Isn't that 2-3 times the Sofar price?

unkel · 11-02-2023 11:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229904#Comment_120229904

About twice (retail price)

poker--addict · 12-02-2023 4:19pm

Ok been busy with work for a week.

Time to hook the battery up to Solis.

what order do I need to do this in?

setup solis settings, then connect positive and negative cables to solis.

Then negative cables to battery. Then positive to battery?

slave1 · 12-02-2023 4:44pm

BMS?

poker--addict · 12-02-2023 4:48pm

BMS on negatives side of circuit.

connesha · 13-02-2023 2:42pm

Could anyone with a Neey balancer please share their settings in the Neey app (Screenshot if possible)? Have it hooked up on a 16S2P Calb pack, with Seplos BMS. Thanks.

On a side note, connecting over bluetooth seems hit an miss. It would not connect to any iPhone (tried 3 of them), but eventually got it working on the kids Fire tablet. Once it connects to a device, it seems pretty reliable on that device.

graememk · 13-02-2023 2:56pm

Not from the app, but From HA, as its handy but

Sleep, is 3.45, start balancing at 3.47

Geeyfds53573 · 13-02-2023 11:32pm

I’ve found the iPhone app you can’t set 400Ah and yes the BT you seem to have to select it when it appears and the Chinese on screen tells you the Bluetooth service is starting then in English the same then it’s connected 🤔 then it loses the connection- but I still use it 🙄🤣😂🤣

Geeyfds53573 · 13-02-2023 11:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120236018#Comment_120236018

I’m sure it’s mentioned but how do you get this in HA - I’ve yet to get around to looking at HA in any detail but know all my other bits work so this would be great