New! EG4 High Efficiency AC or Solar DC Heat Pump

[@WillProwse]

EG4 12K 120V Heat Pump (qualifies for 30% tax credit): signaturesolar.com/eg4-hybrid-ac-dc-solar-air-conditioner-1-ton/?ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN EG4 24K 240V Heat Pump (qualifies for 30% tax credit): signaturesolar.com/deye-hybrid-ac-dc-solar-air-conditioner-2-ton/?ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN Mr. Cool DIY Friendly Heat Pumps (great for beginners!): www.currentconnected.com/product/mrcool-diy/?ref=wp More Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html EG4 Heat Pumps: signaturesolar.com/shop-all/high-efficiency-appliances/?ref=cPwLcVc0SW-BjN

[@WillProwse]

@Jebus Hypocristos yeah that works great

[@hoffinger]

IRA covers $8000 for heat pumps

[@hoffinger]

It uses R410. That us no longer being produced. The rest of the world is using R32. R32 if s more efficient. It is used in window and portable ACs, as well as refrigerators here in the US. R410 will be hard to get and will be expensive. Gree makes SEER 37 units but they are not hybrid.

[@SiXiam]

Home Depot has the Mr. Cool 3rd gen 12k for around $900. Costco usually has them for a good price also.

[@JimmyCall]

Will, are you going to get a Hummer EV?

[@dauerwerbesendung7045]

The best part was the last line "I recommend you leave" absolutely killed me. You're 100% right. 😎

[@TimShelnut]

Agreed the best part lol 😂

[@lyn1337]

Yeah what a silly one. I understand where it's coming from tho.

[@quattrohead]

MA to FL for me, seasonal depression from freezing my nuts off but happy now.

[@vhfgamer]

I guess I'm the only one who's depressed in warm sunny weather. I prefer dark, wet, and cloudy.

[@bryanlarsen7562]

Deadpan too, didn't even crack a smile while saying it.

[@jasonhensley947]

Laughed out loud at "If you live in a dark, cold, cloudy place, I recommend you leave:) Love this guy-

[@jwagnermail]

Us troglodytes who live in the northern US think you southern people have baked your brains in your summer inferno heat.

[@waynegnarlie1]

Who could argue, he is so candid and frank, and correct, I love it, haha. In another one of his vlogs, I also loved the way he said "Yeah, you really need to stop doing that" during his cautionary instructions to us baboons.

[@penguinponics7721]

Except living in a desert with no natural resources outside of the sun isn't very healthy for the environment. But that was funny.

[@jasonhensley947]

@@jwagnermail lol, fair enough... but prehistoric man did NOT seek cold weather... :)

[@pdubyaz]

@@jasonhensley947 And you'd be wrong. Prehistoric man, both cromagnons and Neanderthals, migrated out of sub saharan Africa. They have found evidence for this all over Europe even during the Ice Age -- which means they moved INTO the cold from more temperate areas, likely from lack of resources in the arid environments.

[@naturecoastprepping2487]

I started my HVAC company 12 years ago and this is the first time I've seen this unit. LOVE IT. I'm going to put one on my cabin this spring.

[@chuckb9867]

Please write me if you do I'm interested too

[@kylemccourt663]

Did you do it?

[@naturecoastprepping2487]

@@kylemccourt663 NO, parts aren’t readily available . These units are very finicky and for the average consumer these units aren’t recommended as you won’t find folks to work on them or get parts locally . I went w the Mitsubishi .

[@99kevin99]

@@naturecoastprepping2487 Thank you VERY MUCH for sharing your REAL WORLD experience. It's not all wine-and-roses after all. Thanks again.

[@VirginiaHapa]

LMAO, the recommendation for folks who lives is a dark, cold, cloudy place at the end is 💯

[@affordabledesertliving3487]

"if you live in a cold area I recommend you leave"... Priceless. Way to go Will. I live in SE Arizona. Love our hot summers.

[@jkfeatherranch]

Installing these are definitely super easy after you buy the tools. It's definitely cheaper and doable to do it yourself. We have installed 10 units already across our house and my parents house. They are so efficient. We went from spending over $100 each month extra in the winter just to keep our house at a very uncomfortable 65 and $150 to keep it at 70. After insulating the walls and installing the mini splits it's costing us $40 a month to keep the house at a much more comfortable 74.

[@jimmyg6215]

Installing these are pretty easy if you are handy and patient. Watch a few HVAC pro installs and some good tools. Also best to use nitrogen along with the vacuum. You can test for leaks after the vacuum is done, especially good to test with since you can pressure test with nitrogen and also it helps eliminate the moisture. Pressure testing is important since the heat side runs higher pressure than the AC side, see minisplit specs usually on placard on outdoor unit. I do a triple vacuum to ensure I get all the H2O out. I have a small bottle of nitrogen I got locally and it will probably out last me since I only have done a few of these for my own off grid cabin and a few friends. And yes here in New England it is tough to balance enough sun and battery power with the little sun we get. Just a few more weeks till the days will be getting longer. Well at least it sounds good, but doesn’t help my solar production till around February 😅. Good stuff as always Will.

[@Hansen710]

if you did your insulation correct then a heat recovery system with heat pump is worth the money.. (ventilation from outside is a must in houses that are insulated with modern standards, or else you dont get fresh air) having a outlets in every corner of the house saves money and gives a better all over temperature

[@chuckb9867]

Thank you for your comments I'm very interested in these and I do think they might be good except I noticed they only have a Seer rating of 25 and I've seen others go to 38 but I would like them just on account and they run on solar so well I guess glad to hear someone's tried it

[@jimmyg6215]

@@chuckb9867 I run a 21 seer cooper and hunter 12k unit heat pump. Largest I could get as I only run 120V in my off grid cabin. I closed cell spray foamed the entire building, floor, walls and ceiling (unvented attic space). Seems to work well and I get good heat out of it in even when it’s teens and 20’s outside. Not the highest efficiency but works for me especially with my sealed igloo. Air sealing is the best way to get away with a smaller size heat pump.

[@chuckb9867]

@@jimmyg6215 thank you for your reply I will take this information and thank you for it

[@ET_Videos]

"I recommend you leave".....SAVAGE and I love it!! Great video as usual 👍

[@NorCal-refrigeration]

Mini spits running on grid power like surge protection. My #1 repair on mini splits is dead inverter boards. 12,000 btu unit is good for 550 square feet. A 24,000 btu jumps to 1,400 square feet. Great videos Will.

[@sophiegrisom]

In my 1400 sq ft Atlanta home, I installed a 1 ton (12,000 BTU) AC/gas heat unit. The "pros" said it wouldn't suffice, but having an MSME I had calculated what was needed, based on insulation (cellulose in walls, R-19 attic) and shading (half of roof from oaks). Worked great, running ~80% on the hottest days. A 2 ton would have cycled more, giving less comfort, and would have been less efficient. "Rules of thumb" are worthless. If not enough, I would have just added more insulation until it sufficed.

[@BattleChemist]

OUCH!... Hitting me right in the heart living in the PNW with that last bit. Admittedly, if I lived on the East side of the Cascades versus the West side, it would be much sunnier, heh. Thanks for the quality info. That DC-direct mode for the compressor is a huge deal!

[@shaybee22]

Excellent review, I've been waiting for someone to do a review on them. I purchased 4 of these (120V version) just before Thanksgiving and I am just now starting to install them to cool my 2,400 sqft central FL home. My biggest electric drain here is the 5 ton central a/c, with that eliminated that's half of my monthly electric bill which in summer hovers around $450. I'll be risking it and doing it myself because the HVAC ppl I have contacted want a ridiculous amount of money to install them and it's really not that hard. Hardest part is drilling the hole. Thanks for reviewing this product Mr Prowse!

[@riftvalley1765]

If you need any tool I got your back if you are in Orlando/Kissimmee area use and bring them back. It's really easy to install them.

[@Hansen710]

im happy for my heat recovery system with a heatpump inside.. no need for 4 units, i just have a air outlet in every room of the house i would have needed 15 of those 😆 and i bet i use less energy to run 1 unit and not 4, and because i get better heat out in every corner of the house. also i dont have boxes all over the outside of my house, mine is hidden inside the house. and the diy service for 4 units is more then i pay a guy to do mine, and 4 times cheaper in parts in case of repair

[@P_RO_]

@@riftvalley1765 As much as I love and have faith in people, get a deposit in cash and check the bills carefully for counterfeiting. It's like locks keeping honest people honest- good people won't mind and not having the other kind of people around is a bonus.

[@shaybee22]

@@riftvalley1765 I bought the pump and gauges and the adapter you need to install them. With some local HVAC peeps wanting as much as $900 per unit to install I just decided to do it myself and spend less than $200 on the equipment to install them. I appreciate the offer though, very kind of you.

[@737smartin]

@James…Did you get any bids on having a pro certify your installation? It’s a requirement for the 5-year warranty, and I’m curious what they’d charge for that.

[@Bobotrucker]

Bought the 12k eg4 mini split and installed it here in Michigan about a month ago with 800 watts of solar.. It does indeed work and is pretty impressive how much heat it puts out! It keeps my pellet stove off in my 1500 sq/ft house for most of the time and uses about 800 watts maximum on AC power (many times I will observe it's using less) If there is sun it will run 100 percent on solar as Will has stated or some solar and some ac! Totally satisfied with this unit..

[@daveyboy8907]

How long are the lines that run from the outside to inside? The charged lines? THANKS

[@chrisisinthehouse1]

If the power is out but the sun is shining will it continue to heat and cool?

[@sspyder181]

I also installed one of these and I love it! Most of the time it runs at 350-380 watts. Im in Pa and its working great!

[@SmitHVAC.]

​@@chrisisinthehouse1 As long as there's enough solar. If it's cloudy it might not run. I just posted a video of this unit running on solar and ac

[@Bobotrucker]

@@sspyder181 yeah my best day so far has been 7 full hours on solar alone..

[@regenerativelifewayne]

Awesome , just what I need for my future offgrid journey thanks Will Prowse is the GOAT of all things solar !

[@jasongrinnell1986]

I refer to his videos all the time. Best all things solar ever.

[@WillProwse]

Thanks guys!! :D

[@timothybond100]

I live in Michigan. I really appreciate you and your info. I will never live in a desert , I like water and the life it gives. It is very important to share your knowledge that will help your bros in the (dark / cloudy areas ) of this awesome country. Much Respect... Bondo

[@chrispekel5709]

Just add more solar panels, pretty simple

[@chrispekel5709]

I'm not being sarcastic either

[@P_RO_]

Now on a happier note- this is what the world has been waiting for and I hope they succeed beyond their wildest dreams. I've always said that solar-powered A/C is the perfect technological balance: More sun= more heat= more energy needed to cool things= having more of the Sun's free energy to do that with. And it's nearly plug-and-play DIY too. It just doesn't get any better than this!

[@sophiegrisom]

Back in the 1970's energy-crisis and DOE funding (Pres. Carter), Solar Energy journal had papers on a solar AC setup. Photovoltaic panels were rare and expensive then (just for satellites). Instead, the sun boiled a liquid which ran a turbine generator. The AC electricity produced ran an AC compressor. Wags fussed that the output of the generator should be judged on its own, compared to grid-power.

[@P_RO_]

@@sophiegrisom I worked on building a smallish commercial office building in the mid-80's which had an unusual HVAC set-up. In a large waterproof pit under it's slab were huge boulders for thermal mass. The roof and attic were designed to collect heat; outside walls were 8" super-insulated and sealed. In the winter the air flowed from attic to occupied space to boulders then recirculated, with normal door usage providing enough fresh air. In summer, the air flowed from those boulders to occupied space then vented out the attic. No precise temp control but all it took were a few damper valves in the ducts set to the season and one fan to create airflow. Always reasonably comfortable (roughly 60F to 75F) and it wasn't much affected by a few cloudy days in winter, but after that it needed supplemental heat. Never needed any help in the summer. I was told the construction was 4X what a standard slab building would have cost, but they expected a 20-year payoff in saved expenses which made it worthwhile. Only having one fan to power makes it photovoltaic-friendly too. The building is still in use so I presume everything worked OK. The thing that bit was there were Federal incentives at the time for passive solar, but since this had to have that one fan the owner was denied when he applied for them. Were I to be rich enough to build a home for myself something like this would be part of it; simple and effective with little to pay for ever again.

[@ThisOffGridLife]

It may be dark here in the winter, but at least we have plenty of water! We have been viewer's long before you bought your home, thank you for being my digital solar guru. Keep on killing it Will.

[@LarryRichelli]

I have a hard time understanding people moving anywhere in the Southwest these days. I think most people there have their head in the sand over the lack of water. My friends in central Arizona have their wells going dry and they now have to use huge water storage and get all their yearly water from the monsoon water.

[@extendedp1]

Water over sun for me I think.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

“If you live in a dark, rainy and cloudy area, I recommend you leave”. Lol. Man that’s so true though. A couple days of rain and I’m always feeling down and restless. I can’t imagine living somewhere where it rains constantly. I love the sunshine, even more so since installed my system.

[@ljprep6250]

"If you live in a dark, cloudy, cold place, I recommend you leave." Scintillating wisdom, Will Prowse! SAD+ affects a lot of people. Fun (sad?) fact: 80% of Americans live within 50 miles of the place they were born. (I'm one of the 20%ers, tyvm.)

[@clarencewiles963]

EG4 has been doing great they have new equipment coming out all the time. And they replied to me relatively quickly. I was doing my research on cost and sizes. Then you come along with real data and explain the how. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@russellrlf]

I am an HVAC contractor and all I can say is Wow! AC and DC! The price is very nice. Granted you can get something similar, AC voltage only, for around $700, but this could be run off grid and for "free"! Game Changer.

[@trustbuster23]

What a great idea. I love the idea of no losses to the battery/inverter, etc. for one of the biggest energy loads in the house. It also means if you aren't ready to invest a small fortune in a full off-grid system with batteries, inverters etc. you can still shift a lot of your electricity demand off the grid.

[@jasonscroger5065]

I have a Mr Cool 12k DIY - 4 hours install and Im a disabled vet!

[@jmdelapp]

8:02 Solar works fine in dark cold cloudy places. You just need more solar modules. And when you are talking about heating and cooling, you do not need to store electricity in batteries, you can store the thermal energy in concrete, water, stone, etc.

[@RayonWhittaker]

Trust me, these are Nice... I've been using a few similar versions of these and have installed a few others for customers across the Caribbean

[@tylerfoss3346]

Will Prouse, thank you for THE BEST video so far out of all your consistently excellent videos. BRAVO, sir! BRAVO!!!

[@honeyhivefarms5739]

I love it. "I recommend you move" :) Thank you Will. . In Arizona..just trying to keep up with you.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Another important thing about Mr cool is I think they are the only manufacturer that will warranty a dyi install. So for some people that’s huge.

[@onlymagnumsfit]

Good job Will......it used to be just my opinion, but now for sure you are the JEDI KNIGHT of the solar power industry!! Thank you for all your hard work : )

[@phillmckrakin2518]

I was just looking into a mini split heat pump. My battery bank ( silica salt) and management system is in my unheated barn. I built a room to house the equipment but I need to temper it for my EG4's. Current temp as of this post is 28°f .I consider my system "experimental" lol. It just so happens I am a licensed HVAC contractor. Perhaps if I buy one, I will do a video. I want to thank you for all the videos, information and links I didn't know where to start. Your videos over the other videos on KZbin are easy to follow and understand. Not everyone is an electrical engineer.

[@batterynerd8779]

This is really cool! Especially aince you only have to cool your house when the sun is up.

[@walkingthruyourdata-6019]

Thanks Will! I've decided this is the unit for the RV. Not that far with the conversion yet. We are converting the house to an EG4 system hopefully the new 18kwh inverter, thanks again WIll!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Moved from cloudy cold Germany to sunny hot Australia. Far more sun in Winter ☀🔋⚡ Great, I like the EG4 AC. That makes a lot of sense and should be the preference for people to buy if they can install a few solar panels. AC and most electrical installations are not DIY though. Glad you made this clear a few times.

[@chrispekel5709]

You can DIY, just don't tell anyone as here in Australia (as you well know) people freak out. Just do it right and there's no issues. Nobody blinks if you say you fixed your car brakes

[@P_RO_]

Australia has some pretty strict laws on tradie work like electricity and such. Tell people your cousin who is in the business did it but he's moved away 😉

[@chrispekel5709]

@@P_RO_ The unions have influenced government and people so much that there's almost a brainwashing around it. Yeah, don't do it if you don't know how, but it's like you're shooting a gun in a crowd even if you know what you're doing - unless they say its ok you can do it. It amazes me we can still drive a car

[@rw-xf4cb]

@@chrispekel5709 Don't shout out about the brakes or that you make your own toast in the toaster or they will enforce them so that you need a sparky to come in and make you breakfast in the morning about 10am or so (if you are lucky).....

[@rw-xf4cb]

@@chrispekel5709 Also doing it right requires the book of regs and standards all of which you have to pay for if you can get them. The Australian Standards which are funded by the tax payers and then you have to go buy them at significant markup.

[@SandiRose2008]

Awesome explanation. Valuable information for anyone looking for the best, yet the simplest means of heating and cooling your home on or off grid! And loved the health tidbit at the end of the video. You couldn't have put it any plainer!! Thank you, Will!!!

[@tico4940]

Will,your a bright guy,enjoyed your videos for years,got 2 solar systems set up as youve explained,and can power the house etc.Thanks for your tutorials and I got the SOK 200ah batterys and zooms-chins copy as you broke them down.

[@andymuzzo8568]

Damn. I need one of these in Australian. I’ve got a spare 1600w of panels

[@carsonc1272]

One problem that I ran into when installing my 3 zone mini split was that HVAC companies will NOT install mini splits from the internet. The secretaries are trained to turn you around immediately. Furthermore they will not come in and finish your install by charging your lines for you. After being shot down by about 16 HVAC companies I started physically going into their office so they would have to turn me down to my face. I luckily was able to get past one of the secretaries and talk one guy with a soft heart into breaking the company rules and come out to charge my lines. There were 6 splices in the copper lines that needed done as well because I had slightly longer runs than were convenient. But that's it... I did everything right down to calculating the charge for them. They charged me $2500 for this!!! That was more than I paid for the mini split and it was pretty outrageous. But I felt "lucky" to be out of a jam because I don't think that I can buy refrigerant without a refrigeration license. Please comment if I'm wrong and add a link. So to anyone out there that is doing their own install then make sure that you don't get yourself trapped like I did. These units are awesome and easy to install. If you're doing a single zone unit then the refrigerant inside of the unit will probably be enough to charge your lines and you can buy a vacuum pump and be ok. If you buy a multi zone unit then you will probably get stuck in my position so make sure that you have things figured out before you purchase your unit. Will... if you're reading, then it would be really cool to encourage EG4 to go the Mr Cool route with the line sets. I doubt they can build their own but they seem to be a pretty crafty company and maybe they can license the patent? It's cool to be able to hook solar up to the mini split but at this point I'll definitely go with Mr. Cool for my next install.

[@TobyCostaRica]

Found a guy that did it for $400 in SoCal. Licensed and insured too. It was cheaper than getting a DIY version and he installed it

[@chrispekel5709]

$2500 dollars????? You added a zero by accident there right? You got completely stitched up it sounds like. How long did it take him?

[@carsonc1272]

@@chrispekel5709 $2500... 16 hours for two people (32hrs). I'm in construction so I know I was getting hosed. I had a clear outline of what needed to happen, I had the skirting for the house off at the splice location, and the amount of refrigerant that needed to be added with the math to show it. I was surprised when they weren't done early on the first day. I didn't know how long they worked on the second day until I got the bill. But like I said, I was "lucky" 💩 I just want people to know to be careful.

[@Channel-gz9hm]

@@carsonc1272 You can get r410a refrigerant on e-bay no problem. Dozens of listings up as I type this. No way would I ever pay $2500 for two yahoos to run a vacuum and turn two dials.

[@carsonc1272]

@@Channel-gz9hm Good to know. And when I signed up for having the two yahoos out I was thinking 6 hours of work max. That would have been a lot but I would have been ok with it.

[@kevinlane7555]

Yeah, that's great advice....I'll leave my single wide trailer in Podunkville and buy a 4,000 square foot house in Vegas....that'll save me a ton of money

[@sspyder181]

Bought and installed a 12k unit. It definitely works well. Using 1200w solar and its flawless operation is very pleasing 👌

[@featheredcoyote5477]

I'm in Indiana with cold winter's. What area of the country are you in?

[@merrillbalan]

How big is the room you are cooling?

[@mangalisoxaba498]

😂 "If you live in a dark, cold, clowdy place.. I recommend you leave".. I like the way you just mention it just plane & simple. Awesome man!

[@rongray4118]

I meant to also say, "Thanks, Will!" Deanna and I will be looking into purchasing one (maybe 2) of these units for the property! Thank you for posting this video!

[@quartamile]

A critical factor you should discuss when studying mini splits is the EER, a measure of efficiency, some are wildly better than others...

[@737smartin]

I happen to have the EG4 spec sheet up on my browser, so I thought I’d share-EG4 claims… Tier 1 EER: 26 3.75 W/W 12.7 BTU/W I haven’t been comparing to similar products, so I don’t know if that’s good or not, but…there it is!

[@thomaskn1012]

I would say the procedure for evacuating the lines is simpler and easier to do than the electrical part of it. Other KZbin videos recommend an electrical quick disconnect and wiring it to the main electrical panel. Evacuating the line is exactly the same as recharging refrigerant in one's car A./C. A gauge manifold, vacuum pump, valve adapters, a small scale, and refrigerant are basically it.

[@chetlockwood1491]

I live in Southern Arizona and like Vegas, a/c in the summer is expensive. I ordered the 2 ton unit and will do the install myself but have it commissioned by a local hvac guy. I'll install a separate array dedicated to the unit, four or five panels depending on what the manufacturer's recommendations. Thanks for doing the review, your timing was impeccable, mine has shipped.

[@chrisrevuelta8983]

I purchased this unit and it's been working fine for me cut down My electric bill I live in cancun Mexico in love this year over here Great job On the video excellent

[@sophiegrisom]

As a car hobbyist, I already have the Harbor Freight vacuum pump and set of gages, even a Mastercool crimper to make AC hoses though homes use copper tubing with flare fitting (also have flaring tool), since I installed AC in my 3 classic cars. Should be easy if it comes w/ R-410 bottles, or they can be sourced. If not, I'd be tempted to use HC refrigerant like I do in my cars (Duracool). I like Will's ending - move somewhere sunny if you like solar. Already there in inland CA where the summer sun is absolutely evil, with blue skies May-Oct.

[@karimunjawaindonesia]

Been watched this Channel since 3 years ago. Thanks alot. U make me smarter than my neighbour 😂 Warm regard from Indonesia ❤

[@theinfernalcraftsman]

Nice to see those being sold here in the US now. One of the 24K units would be perfect for my shop. I'd set it up with panels and set the AC threshold to 0% so it only runs off the panels. Perfect for the shop as cooling at night isn't a big deal. Now a 3.5 ton condenser unit like that you could replace the house condenser with would be awesome too. One of these days I'd like to make the short trip out to east TX to pick up some of their stuff.

[@ThisRandomUsername]

It would be cool if they could cool or heat a thermal storage tank (water or phase change) instead of straight air. That would let you use as much power as the sun provides and store it for slow release overnight. That's the sort of thing that's going to have to happen if we're going to all go solar and not require massive batteries. Edit: Also I like the way you talk about the climate at the end. It really does have a big impact on one's quality of life.

[@ben3989]

Wouldn’t you want to install a water based solar water heater with a heat exchanging storage tank?

[@ThisRandomUsername]

@@ben3989 In most climates yes definitely, getting heat directly from the sun with thermal panels is going to yield a lot more energy. You don't even need to use a heat exchanger in a big low pressure storage tank if you pump your coolant into your panels. You should have a drain-back system if it freezes in winter though. When ambient is very cold it can be hard to raise the temperature very much because of losses, but in those climates it might be quite inefficient to run heat pumps too. I'd guess that it'd still yield more heat to run a heat pump than running a direct heater element off PV panels.

[@88corinutza]

I have 1 in a 36' TT with 3 slides, AWESOME

[@TurboDog73TX]

This is so awesome.. One of these is gonna simplify My upcoming stealth Camper build! Huge thanks for sharing and checking it out Will.

[@benjaminnead8557]

Hey, Will, I'm glad you're branching out into covering heat pumps. I enjoyed your overview of the different units here. The EG4 solar, in particular, looks VERY interesting. When you get time, check out the German-made Sono Sion solar electric car. There's been a bunch of good KZbin videos on that one lately. With a 54kWh Blade LFP pack and V2L porting, it looks like the perfect off-grid car.

[@lightdepsolutionssolutions4099]

Or Aptera!

[@benjaminnead8557]

@@lightdepsolutionssolutions4099 Yes. The Aptera is going to be marvelous. Love what they're doing. But, as far as I know, they have no plan for bidirectional charging capability. I'm also pretty sure the battery in the Aptera is composed of ternary cells, which is fine for a lightweight vehicle with amazing range. But the more conventionally-shaped Sion with its LFP battery and comprehensive porting really does stand out as the most capable for off-grid life.

[@benjaminnead8557]

@@777trader8 I think most of the reservation holders are willing to wait until actual production commences. Building and selling them as one-offs isn't a good long range business plan. And I'm sure Aptera has also learned much in terms of manufacturing scale since they came back from their original demise in 2011.

[@Channel-gz9hm]

Aptera's a nearly 20 year old joke at this point. They've had 20 years to deliver a single customer a single vehicle and they haven't. Stop believing them. If you can't get a product out in 20 years I think that's a sign you're not going to get it out the door.

[@Bobotrucker]

Ok, I have to add another comment since it's summer here in Michigan since I've installed the EG4.. I am totally amazed! I am cooling my entire house (1500 sq/ft) with the 12k EG4 using 4 "used" 200 watt panels that i bought for $35 a piece..I find this truly amazing personally and am not usually so easily impressed but if you can afford one of these I highly recommend..

[@Bobotrucker]

@socalfruit3348 I did get the credit but not sure about the certification? Being it runs on solar I don't feel guilty at all taking the credit! Lol

[@Racerman27410]

Pearls of wisdom ! Great video and perfect timing. I'm definitely using these EG4s in my new SIP house.

[@simon359]

Hey, Will, can you do a video on pre-charge battery switches, I recently now understood the importance of pre-charging your inverter capacitors!

[@s.mendez7160]

You can make you own from a marine battery switch that uses 1, 2 or Both.

[@campinwill9977]

Is there going to be a party when you hit 1 million subscribers? You are the best source for solar and lithium info that I am aware of!

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Love your videos! But some outside installations look a bit dodgy to me. Like the power connections to the EG4, no water protection? Many areas ask for licenses to add safety. Evacuating heat pump lines is fine but to be sure you have no micro leaks one should have extra tools like a bottle of nitrogen where you pressure test your lines and apply soapy water to any joint. R410 refrigerant is so legacy! It is a blended gas and micro leaks will let out the better of the 2 gases. R32 is a better option but in Europe they are now switching to CO2 as a refrigerant. It requires stainless steel tubing as its pressure is higher. Harder to DIY but more efficient and best for the environment.

[@TinyHouseHomestead]

Eggsactly what I need for my @TinyHouseHomestead! 😁👍👍🇺🇸

[@mochouinard]

8:10 ok that was soo funny ! But being a Canadian citizen, I can't just move south.

[@networkingdude]

Lower BC or Nova Scotia is the only way!

[@MusicFandom]

Great video, so basically you are telling 29% of Americans to move to Las Vegas. Packing my bags now! :) j/k I have lived there, I managed a trailer park on Nellis blvd. bad time in my life, a lot of crazy people there! I guess it all depends on what area you can afford to live in.

[@Justaguy0420]

I’d note that pulling a vacuum and doing a triple e-vac is not the only step to get these to work. I’d also disagree with the notion that these are “easy” to install and get working properly. After pressure test and evacuation (below 500 microns, and hold for one hour) you have trim charge and commissioning. Trim charge has historically been calculated by super heat or Subcooling. These can only been done at a time with an ambient temperature within a certain window. Some VRF systems calculate trim charge by total liquid lineset length. Either way you won’t know if you’re over or under on 410a if you don’t know how to read a PT chart or have the proper tools to generate a startup report. It’s estimated that 87% of DIY home installations are installed incorrectly, out of manufacturer design specification, or installed with code violations.

[@danndank]

Move to a sunny place. Best advice ever, I strongly agree.

[@andrewherman107]

The solar option and app on this unit are great, however the biggest issue is the requirement for an HVAC tech (yes, as you mention you can do it yourself but then there's no warranty). I installed a ClimateRight mini split a little over 3 years ago and it's completely plug and play. It's also 120 volt (I believe it may have been the first 120 volt unit available) and there's NO need to purge any lines, just plug in the pre-charged line and you're ready to go. The ONLY issue is at the current temps (

[@matthewwakeham2206]

If you live in a dark, cold, cloudy place I recommend you leave. I live in the UK so I guess I should leave! The thought has crossed my mind several times. Only for the winter months though as spring and summer can be fantastic. The shear force of life in the spring is intoxicating and invigorating with all the trees and plants waking up and the light off the new green leaves is like nothing else.

[@mueckenhoeffer]

I enjoyed the review. For an off-grid situation in snowy winter areas, one is going to need either a monstrous battery bank, a propane backup heater, a generator, or a wood burning stove as a backup. Summer time in the gulf coast might require a lot of backup power as well, since it rains quite a bit during the spring and summer.

[@xmchonkyx]

What amazing tech will EG4 make next. Craziness

[@amayer171]

Thanks for the great content. I'd recommend to warn viewers about the following. 1. The refrigerant is a very potent green house gas. Be careful not to let any leak. Verify your system is air tight as best you can before opening the valves and follow the manufacturer instructions when opening them to further check for leaks It is illegal to leak this stuff into the atmosphere on purpose. 2. You may need a mechanical permit from your city when installing a heat pump or any other HVAC equipment.

[@richarddietzen3137]

Do you know that if you need a conversion from R-12 to 421A, or to evacuate 412 A, my and I presume all, HVAC installers just vent the refrigerant gas to atmosphere? No attempt to collect and recycle it.

[@matthewprather7386]

I’ve been looking at similar units from Hot Spot Energy for a few years. Looks like EG4 / Signature Solar have finally seen the market for units like these, which is pretty great!

[@tomhardin8393]

Thanks for the info on hotspot. Have you heard anything about there reliability?

[@koborkutya7338]

the thing about Hotspotenergy is, the unit is so extremely expensive compared to a std AC I had the feeling they integrated a solar charger, some battery and inverter inside. For that price I can also do it outside and use the power elsewhere if I don't need it to cool :( It's a pity because otherwise I am so into direct solar cooling/heating.

[@tomhardin8393]

@@koborkutya7338 Yeah that’s what I decided.

[@ArcticEngineerNP]

That was hilarious. “If you live in a cold dark place you should probably leave“. For those of us living in Northern Alaska we consider this almost every winter.

[@martingargas3217]

I live in northeast Ohio. Just a few miles from the Ravenna arsenal. The Ravenna arsenal was placed there back in the '50s to defeat Soviet satellite cameras. There is more cloud cover there than any other place in the country. At least there was back when they established the base. Having said that, I'm also not far from lake Erie and have all the fresh water I could ever want to use. Will may have to get extra solar panels to run a pump when Las Vegas runs out of water and has to pump it out of lake Erie.

[@Subgunman]

I have seen these with battery and solar power. We now have 5 inverter split air units in our home and they are quite efficient but we are looking at a 20,000 watt solar panel array to run most items in the summer while going to wind power to supplement winter months. For the DIY installer I would recommend a set of calibrated torque wrenches for the flare fittings to ensure proper sealing of the copper pipes to the fittings. Makes the instal goof proof.

[@terrylane1492]

I also laughed when I heard you say move to a warmer climate, I moved to a mountain climb in in Hawaii. I live at 1400 ft and I'm about to switch to an off-grid solar setup. I should be getting around 6 hours of usable sunlight per day over 1000 kilowatts/square meter. Even in December, over 5 hours! My house doesn't have a thermostat or any type of climate control at all lol

[@Intellistan]

Caught this one early. Keep it up Will, you're the man

[@jasongrinnell1986]

Lol, if you live in a dark cloudy area you need to leave. You should have warned us before you said that. I was taking a drink of milk. 😂👍

[@WillProwse]

😁😂

[@OFFGRID_Trucker]

I just met the fedex truck 2 days ago and got mine. 12k hybrid. I've got 9x305w Sunpower panels. 3 of them for this and 6 more to connect for a secondary system elsewhere on my property.

[@Dont_Tread_On_Me]

I loved the "I recommend you leave" line. Though, I do live in Florida, and I look forward to the 4-6 weeks a year that it is actually kind of cold and it gets dark early!

[@jtr82369]

Hoping someday to see the heat pump water heater from Signature Solar, can't find any videos on them at all. They are a bit expensive 😒 I installed a Pioneer Ultra mini split in my off grid shipping container in FL and it's been a game changer for me. When I build a house, I plan to use mini splits with ceiling cartridges throughout.

[@KRich408]

I wish they would make a Ceiling Cassette that's 14"*14" so it would fit an RV AC opening.. I've always wanted to get rid of the 2 Coleman 15k ACs on my roof and replace it with w mini split. I've seen others use the wall mounted cassettes my RVs layout doesn't allow for them with a major renovation of the inside. A Mini split with two Ceiling Cassettes especially one that's 12v would save a lot of weight and could run a lot longer on my Victron system .

[@chalkao5071]

That is great info. You always have something new to share and that is pretty cool. You should start electricity related school or related DIY trainings for fees. Your testing new batteries, solar panels, inverters and all related accessories make an excellent training labs. I would be the first to jump in.

[@johnadams3800]

Phhhttt. Colder, darker climates make more resilient and resourceful individuals. It's a lot easier to install more panels and batteries than it is to conjure up non existant water, so I'll take Maine over Wills neck of the woods any day of the week. And that's coming from somebody who just went through a -48° night a week back.

[@geoffspitzer5673]

Nice review and I appreciate your comments about the ultimate challenge of off grid heat, car charging as well as solar in cloudy regions. It would be next level to have you take your experiments on the road and see what we could learn and share - How about New England?

[@johnhufnagel]

this seems neat as hell, but I feel like it's missing out on one potentially big thing: being able to directly run off a 48v DC pack instead of solar or AC. I'd be interested to see, or learn, what the kWh savings are when running direct from the panels, vs running the same unit on AC from say a 6500EX and 100Ah pack.

[@artieb2168]

Mee, tooo

[@D2O2]

6500EX has a peak efficiency of 91%, so you would gain some of that 9% back.

[@Infinion]

A lower voltage compressor motor would probably help a lot in this regard.

[@geekstradamus1548]

Or running the battery power through a DC-DC booster and step up the DC to 120VDC, for example? Wouldn’t that do the same thing?

[@Infinion]

​@@geekstradamus1548 Yeah i considered suggesting that too, but high power DC boost converters also at high boost ratio (48 - 120 or even 12 - 120 DC) aren't very common, unlike inverters. It would be better if EG4 designed a dc-dc built into their product. And for the price, a DIYer is looking at several times the price of an inverter, for maybe 3-5% efficiency improvement.

[@greg925911]

Plan on visiting the West on and off as I have for work, but there is nothing like the Great Lakes Region 4 seasons, and anything that could kill you will die or hibernate for the winter and the winters here are nothing like it was when I was a kid in the 70's, it's December and it's in the 40's today so the winter aren't as bad as some think they are these days Great video again Will

[@audreye7078]

It'll change.. gonna be much colder..

[@darkoampem]

I'm freezing my butt off in the UK send some sunshine!

[@MacSilvey]

Excellent vid! I wish they had a DC compressor mini split that I could run off of a battery 24/7. Beat of both worlds, no inverter efficiency losses and consistent heating/cooling

[@jeffwhite3021]

The motor is a/c

[@WillProwse]

You know what, the manual says it can connect directly to 48VDC, but I cannot get it to turn on at lower voltages. Maybe I need to try it with a battery. EG4 didn't tell me about the battery mode either, but that would be ideal. I will have to hook it up this week and see what happens.

[@MacSilvey]

@@WillProwse That would be SO cool. That DC > AC conversion has always been a big reason I didn't use a split ductless for larger RV builds. that'd be a big efficiency boost for overnight use on small(er) batteries

[@chazmo1981]

@@WillProwse please keep us updated on this experiment!

[@MordecaiV]

This is really cool! Thanks for sharing and keeping at the forefront of all these new innovations!

[@beta6024]

I live in NC. Moved from UT. Hell with that sun scorching place. Leave it to Mormons. Winter blows too. Too much snow to shovel. I am 4 hrs away for the Ocean and falls are spectacular. Seattle was nice too but too much rain and hippies starting to annoy me. But mostly that constant misting.

[@LearnCreateLove]

This is great. Wish they would make a window mount version. Hubby is not too excited about poking a hole in the wall for a mini split. Thanks Will for sharing your knowledge with us. As soon as I figure out what I need to get, I will definitely be using your affiliate links as a thank you.

[@HarrisRanch]

Tell hubby to be a man. Punch that hole!

[@dougderr2407]

I think Midea makes a window mini split

[@Jasonoid]

Sounds like Mr Cool needs to make a combo Solar/Line power heat pump now :) :)

[@kenmarcou]

Yes!!!!

[@josephgomes8543]

Thanks for the hearty laugh, "I recommend you move" . They use heat pumps here in New England and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna do an experiment with one. Thanks for all the great info for all these years, Will.

[@DanA-dp9pj]

The problem is that you need a building permit in most places. That can be almost impossible or impossible. I live in South Fla and it is not possible here. Only electrical contractors can pull a permit. Also if I do go ahead and do it without a permit I am pretty sure if anything happened (fire) my insurance would not pay. I would think Will, that if you are in a City (Vegas) you would need a permit for all the installations you have done. If they are not permitted and your place burns down I am sure the insurance would not pay. I am an aircraft mechanic and can do almost anything with the right tools. I would love to install this on my townhouse but I am not ready to gamble 800K to do it. Having said all that I love your channel.

[@TheJensss]

Great video! Can you do a follow up on how much power you need to run a heat pump like this off grid? I want to have a heat pump at my cabin, but from November to February we get 6 feet of snow and only a few hours of sun. So I really wonder how big of a solar array that is required. Since there are so many variables like snow and temperature drop, this is really hard to calculate.

[@mrmotofy]

It will depend on how much it runs. But like he said it needs power so a battery bank and inverter is needed. If you have snow and cold for 6mo while offgrid electric heat is not a good option. A gas heat like a diesel heater propane etc is a better option. Then this could supplement as it has solar available kinda thing.

[@TheJensss]

@@mrmotofy The hard thing is to calculate how much it would need to run, because the efficiency of the heat pump varies a lot in different temperatures etc. And figuring out how many kWh that need to be used to maintain a inside temperature of 15 celsius is really hard to, when temperature outside varies from 0 to -30 outside. Currently we use wood and kerosene for heating, but since kerosene and other types of heating oil have been banned for heating, the price of heating oil has become insanely high so it is not an option anymore. Gas is of course a option. I know this project are not currently realistic, but it had been fun to know how many kWh of solar or wind I would need to have a constant ambient for say 10 celsius in the cabin thorough the winter Since lifepo4 batteries need to have an ambient temperature above 0 celsius, I would need to figure something out to heat the room where tha batteries is anyways....

[@Bobotrucker]

If it's overcast mine (12k eg4)seems to run on only ac power and doesn't seem to ever go much above 800 watts ac..I have 800 watts of solar hooked up to start and it will run completely on solar when it's sunny or it will run on some solar and some ac..

[@daveyboy8907]

@jenserlingbraten98 build a insulated box or a big cooler and you put heat pads around the batterys..Works great or you put the batteries inside.

[@thelight3112]

​@@TheJensss Diesel fuel is basically the same thing as heating oil, and I assume they still sell for trucks/tractors/etc?

[@mac11380]

Would be great for a insulated shed or a tiny home.

[@foley2k2]

Thanks for reviewing these - wouldn't know they existed without this review.

[@McTroyd]

It'd be pretty neat to have a look at the internal power supply to see how it's connected. My general guess would be they're running AC power through a rectifier, but the DC power is going in post-rectifier. If this is a DC unit fundamentally, that might mean a slight improvement on efficiency too. (Not that modern heat pumps need that -- crazy efficient as they are!)

[@geekstradamus1548]

If you run DC power into the rectifier, nothing happens and you end up with DC. Since the rectifier would the the first component of the switched-mode power supply where the DC gets “massaged” to the level the device needs, I’d bet they both sources run to the same starting point. If that’s true, do you think we could just run DC battery power that’s been stepped up through a DC->DC Booster to say, 120VDC and then run the unit off DC 24-hours a day? Skip the power loss of conversion to AC just to get it switched back to DC by the device? 🤷‍♂️

[@McTroyd]

@@geekstradamus1548 There's still a diode voltage drop through a rectifier, though. Not much, but when maximum efficiency is the goal, it's not ideal. The thing to bear in mind for using DC over AC is that AC isn't energized the whole time -- it passes through a point of zero voltage 50-60 times a second (depending on your locale). That doesn't make much of an electrical difference, but across a diode drop, that can make a _huge_ difference for heat dissipation. If you can be sure components aren't getting unacceptably hot in operation (thus leading to failure), and the unit isn't using the sine wave to switch electronics internally, it just might be possible to run 120v DC direct. Unfortunately, nobody advertises that level of technical detail about their power supplies. Reputable manufacturers send it for compliance testing with their intended use cases, and that's about it.

[@geekstradamus1548]

@@McTroyd no, they sure don’t share it, do they! Thanks for the response. Lots of learning to do.

[@geekstradamus1548]

Just thought of another thing - when I watch videos of DC boosters, the oscillator on the output end, the signal looks like an AC signal that has the drops (wish I knew the terminology) only go to zero, not all the way down to an inverse curve. Sorry for the kindergarten level wording. I promise I’m a smart man, just ignorant as sin LOL. I was worried this meant the DC power on the output end of a DC booster wasn’t clean, and would trick the mini-split into thinking the PV was dropping below its threshold and force some kind of constant switch back and forth to AC, which probably would be horrendously bad. But maybe these DC drops would be helpful??? Are they even DC drops or is that just the way some oscilloscopes show DC power??? Would these drops even be measured since it might not look for a power drop until the backend of the SMPS? Why didn’t I spend some of that down time in the Infantry reading about electricity/electronics instead of Sports Illustrated or Maxim??? If you know great, but honestly I need to school myself up a lot more before I get a builder involved in this DC house I am interested in building, and I’m sure you already have a job! LOL

[@McTroyd]

@@geekstradamus1548 All good. In fact I have no formal training here either... just been tinkering with the stuff and watching KZbin for years. 😁 Both DC boost converters (make voltage higher) and buck converters (make voltage lower) use rapid switching to accomplish that goal. In the case of a boost converter like you mentioned, a low voltage is sent through an inductor at high current, and then the current is interrupted. That causes the voltage to spike upward for a short time, while the magnetic field around the inductor collapses. That's the positive-only rippling on the output you see in the oscilloscope. Usually, good converters will put bypass capacitors and common-mode chokes on the output to average out the voltage, so it appears as straight DC, unless you're drawing too much power. So if you're seeing serious voltage ripple on the output, either that's a crappy boost converter, or too much power is being drawn for the filter capacitors to keep up. That can create noise in sensitive electronics, too. Conversely, a buck converter takes a higher voltage and chops it up at high frequency, then sends it through similar filtering to smooth out the ripple.

[@TimMcMahon80]

Will, I love your channel and bought your book. I've got an AC/DC12C Mini-split running strictly off solar in Florida. It works great but it bothers me that I am not using my solar on days when it is sunny but not hot enough to run the AC. Other evenings I want to run it but the sun goes down so I have to use grid power. I have (5) 400-watt panels and was wondering what the best way to add a battery to the system. This would make a great video I think. Thanks for all your great solar info.

[@MattSyTy]

This video comparison is great! I would totally consider the eg4 if I was in a lower latitude. The ROI in California couldn't be more than two years. For us in snow country it's more about heating redundancy in winter. I could see it working best in a grid connected configuration with a switchover to battery bank.

[@briianhebert]

LOL you just invited everyone from Seattle (a dark cloudy rainy nightmare) to move next door to you. Thanks for the video!

[@mlangfordoutdoor]

That would be great for my shop I could just leave it on all the time, but right now I need to run a 5K ac window unit in a tiny home made camper

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

G,day from Sydney Australia. I just had some experience with the Mitsubishi split air conditioning system, with remote control. They are good and provide for a large room. We did have an issue with the refrigerant gas. It was identified as a pipe flange improper seal. Merry Christmas 🌟 🌲

[@calvinflager4457]

Loved your end comment - move to a more sunny place. Mini-split comparative information was very useful. thanks