Inside my SOLAR and BATTERY cupboard !!! (Off grid show off)

[@kevinmills5293]

Our biggest solar system upgrade was moving to Spain :)

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

👌😂😂 I can’t beat that

[@CaptainProton1]

Watch the amps going into that 200A JK BMS, my cables were really hot at 140A. Not sure I would run more than 120A consistently. Also charge at 3.52v and they'll last a lot longer cycle wise and you only lose about 0.1% capacity. Consider 48v as the cable size and efficiencies are way better. 50mm min on battery cables as 35mm just gets way too hot. 60kWh batteries 4 x inverters and 84 x solar panels and growing :) Awesome channel btw

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

Changing that little system to 48v isn’t really worth it. Would need 8 more cells. But then half would have a few years degradation. So 16 new cells plus an inverter. So all I can do is … improve new set ups and share with the world to always go 48v unless you have no choice. Very jealous of the 84 solar panels. Not having the space for that many led me to my big battery project. A different angle to make money out of energy at home.

[@CaptainProton1]

After the big cough cough Covid I went a bit nuts with self sufficiency so went off grid. Heating, hot water and Tesla all off grid. Was going to also get a model 3 lifepo4 battery but the voltage was really high and didn’t want to get stuck with high voltage inverters. Regretting my decision a bit so hats off to you. Looking to export though on 3 phase (only thing on grid) so may look into Tesla battery again as I could hook it direct to inverter PV inputs. Hmmm following your adventure…good luck and don’t die from that high voltage

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

@@CaptainProton1 the high voltage inverters are not scary. You are never working on exposed high voltage. Wiring is all with the contractor open. Just be careful on where you would connect the battery. It needs to connect to the battery connection so it can be safely controlled. With the BMS CAN connection. Thanks for all your kind words. As much as for myself the project is to entertain others and get them thinking

[@CaptainProton1]

Important: Fuses are the most common cause of battery fire. When they blow they arc across the burnt out bits. You need (me too I need to replace mine) with T Fuses that put the arc out. 24v not as bad as 48v for arcing

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

I would be more tempted with a circuit breaker on 48v

[@ladams5356]

Fair play , stuff rules / conventional if it’s for yourself . Be and stay safe .

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

But what if the electrical police are watching 😂

[@JamieKnowles]

Thanks for this video it's great to see how others do what we 'think' will work and in action. I'm planning, one day, on doing the same but sticking all the kit in our converted garage/garden room. The idea was to provide power to the room/garden and hot tub over the summer. I'm now looking at around 7/8 kwp of panels (garden room flat roof and a new solar pergola similar to you) and 15kwh of storage which would more than cover the main house too. That would be more pro than DIY and have been going round and round on my options. I should probably start small and grow as needed but wheres the fun in that right 😆

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

I would sat start as you mean to go on. Can you get an electrician to sign off the connection? Then you can install the kit leaving him to sign off? Consider material weights on flat roofs and shading too. I’ve got a garage with timbers that are not really strong enough for panels and is on a north side so in shade most of the year. Shame tho

[@JamieKnowles]

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I've had a couple of companies round to quote for installing panels on the garage roof. One said a big fat 'NOPE' as it wasn't strong enough but the 2nd said it would be fine, might need a 3rd to confirm either way. Installing a new connection from the main consumer unit is really going to be a pain in the butt. It's a huge 30/40m run from the furthest corner at the front of the house to the opposite corner at the back then across the garden to the garage. It's the main reason I was thinking of going off-grid tbh, that and I can do loads of the install and supply myself as I wouldn't need to touch the consumer unit.

[@BenCos2018]

@@JamieKnowles if you do run a cable use a decent size conduit and run two that way it's easier to work on if you ever need to rerun the line or add another one

[@JamieKnowles]

@@BenCos2018 The conduit is already in place, was existing when I bought the house. The electrician has managed to get a 6mm armoured cable down it but it was tough he said. I now have a sub panel out in the garden room and planning on some more fun

[@BenCos2018]

@@JamieKnowles nice shame they didn't run two when it was installed tbh then you could have ran a wired network lol

[@smartazz]

Awesome job m8. Iv got a me3000se sofar inverter on a 280Ah battery 16s 52.8v nominal with a seplos BMS and it works perfectly with the on the grid system Iv got.

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

Very nice. How have you gone about packaging the BMS?

[@smartazz]

It basically sits on the top of the battery case and I have a cover that goes over the whole battery and BMS. I have them in 2 rows of 8 and very lightly compressed.

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

@smartazz very nice. Bet your glad you went 48v

[@smartazz]

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I had 5 Pylontech us2000 before so I had to go 48v, well 16s 54.4v nominal hence the seplos BMS to communicate with me3000sp.

[@jeroenrevalk]

i'm also considering a Pylontech batterypack with an Victron multiplus II inverter. Great to see your journey (with the pergola). I think a solar roof is nowadays cheaper than any other kind of roof on a pergolastyle for in the garden.

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

Go for it!

[@EverydayLife621]

Thats what we did, after following EV Puzzle, I went through my local supplier (voltacon) who provided everything in a kit, just over 5k. 24 months ago it came with a VE MP-II 5000-GX, 3xU2000c + Battery box + all cables. Current annual electric usage is 5700kw (house & Car) off peak & 160Kw peak ~ £300 - no solar at present.

[@blobstrom]

Andrew, I bought the fogstar 15.5kWh battery for £2499.99 coupled to a Victron multiplus2 GX 5kW. I can highly reommend both especially the battery, although at 140kg (I think) it's a lump to get upright from the crate. I do have 4kW of panels on the roof, they've been up there since 2015. Oh and Zappi charger for the EV

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

I can imagine your excitement when it was delivered. A quick Google. That one has wheels … a doddle 😂😂😂 has your system expanded over time?

[@blobstrom]

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan No that's it. I did try lead acid batteries and they are no way as good LiFePo's.

[@ladams5356]

That battery has been massively discounted now

[@steve_787]

@@blobstrom good to hear, I have that battery arriving tomorrow, still waiting on G99 approval though so installers are on hold for the time being

[@chrisghz]

Nice one, have you registered with DNO for export permission?

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

I have. But the off grid inverter isn’t designed to export to the grid so only for the GivEnergy install. Unless you can find the Easter egg in the video 🤓

[@chrisnortheast888]

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I noticed that you've got MC4 connectors before you're DC isolator so your pergola array could in theory be plugged into the Givenergy Inverter !?

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

⁠@@chrisnortheast888well spotted. Those MC4s were a recent addition for that very reason. This time of year I export to make back to make some money. So the most solar to the GivEnergy is helping with that. What country you in? The UK favours export in the evening 4pm to 7pm. Moving the arrays that give the most power at that time to export helps

[@chrisnortheast888]

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I'm assuming that in the video you actually had your pergola array attached to the left inputs of the Givenergy? If the two strings that come out of the black conduit are your east and west roof arrays then what's the fifth cable? Is it PV cable that's been used for an earth connection? Is there anything on the market that could provide changeover switching between PV arrays on a timer?

[@SmithyScotland]

Can I suggest printing a new fan cover that doesn't restrict the flow so much?

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

Good shout. It’s quite open. The outer edge is covering plasterboard. Its balancing wife approval

[@danieladams7919]

How many panels do you have all together out of interest 🤔

[@TheOfficialBatteryMan]

19 panels all in. In an ideal world they would all be south facing but they are split over 3 arrays. I’ve not really gone into the GivEnergy set up in the video but I’ve also got a GivEnergy Gen 2 hybrid inverter with a 9.5kwh battery. This is grid connected and was installed by a company

[@nigelcharles511]

Cheap hydraulic crimpers at around £40 do an adequate job.