Solar Installation Video Of A 9.6KW System With 8.2kWh Fox Cube Battery Storage

[@alpselectrical]

Thanks for watching the video - let us know what you think of the Fox Cube battery storage system because we love it!

[@asasin29892]

If anyone is thinking about getting solar, you cannot get better then Alps team, from start to finish love my system full fox cube stack here Thanks Alex

[@alpselectrical]

Hey Alex, thank you so much for the comment! It was a pleasure working for you guys and so glad to hear you are happy with the system! You have definitly been my sons favourite customer making him the 3d model of Darth Vader :)

[@adammitchell6057]

Very informative video, thanks. The cases you’ve done with the fox cube have been in garages. The cubes look like sealed units with no ventilation channels for cooling. How hot do they get, would you put them in a box room next to the loft, or always in an outbuilding or garage?

[@alpselectrical]

Hi, thanks for the comment. The rules on where batteries can be sited has just changed a few weeks ago making it a lot more limited. Lofts are now a no go, and small cupboards or near boilers, water cylinders etc. A frequently visited room in the house is ok as long as there is good fire separation and space around the system as per manufacturers guidelines. Garages are ideal for good ventilation but require integrated smoke alarms installed as it is a room not frequently visited. Some batteries work great outside such as Solax and Tesla Powerwall!

[@melhiore]

You got a sub from me... Nice, clean job. I have a Hybrid inverter already installed and thinking of retrofitting cube batteries... However, how do you calculate how much storage you need?? I mean the initial storage, I understand the option of adding additional storage later...

[@alpselectrical]

Hi, thanks for the comment and sub! Really appreciated! Batteries are the drummer of the band and the panels the lead singer! Batteries sit in the background but are the work horse of the system making a significant difference to your savings, especially in winter! I always say to customers to get a battery system that is easily added to, and then go conservative, but somewhere close to your annual usage. So I have 10kWh of battery and we use around that per day, sometimes just over. I could really do with another 2.5kWh to cover myself fully for most days. The idea being that if I charge them every night from the grid to 100% I should only ever be paying the cheap evening rate for my electric. The solar then tops them up for the evening and excess solar is exported to grid for payment. You can then even force discharge a full battery down to say 20% during the peak export rate period and start the whole process again. So in answer to your question, I would suggest as close to your daily usage as possible as long as budget allows. If budget is an issue just add half as much as it will still make a big difference and add more later when you can! :) Hope that helps!

[@Bodg3r]

Great video, I'm currently researching FOX and your video was helpful. I just have one concern though, at 19:16 you are testing the string voltage. The DC voltage from the array on the roof is potentially lethal and should be terminated into a fuse holder or DC breaker before making it live on the roof.

[@alpselectrical]

Hi thanks for your comment, and glad you found the video helpful!!! The strings are routed through a DC isolator which is to the left of the inverter (shown in the video), and set in the OFF position prior to the strings being connected on the roof. The isolator remains in the off position until the person testing the string voltage (me in this video) turns it on after first ensuring the cores of each leg of the string are kept at a sufficient distance to avoid potential DC arcing, and immediately carries out the test. The isolator is then turned off to terminate the MC4 connectors which are then connected together for the current test using a DC clamp meter. Once they are connected together the isolator is turned back on and readings are taken, then the isolator is turned back off and the strings can be inserted into the inverter. Then the isolator is turned back on. This is a necessary test and the only, and safest way it can be carried out. At no point is voltage present at the strings unless being tested as described above by a qualified and competent individual (me in this case) I hope that answers your concerns :) Don't forget to like and subscribe :)

[@mrmuds8624]

Do these fox batteries have thermal management? I've heard other people complain about the charge/discharge rate dropping to next to nothing when it's cold.

[@alpselectrical]

Hi, thanks for the comment. Most batteries other than Tesla will suffer during cold temperatures. Tesla has internal thermal management, as does SOLAX. Despite batteries like FOX, GivEnergy, and many others being IP65 rated and able to be installed outside, they do not have internal thermal management. You can have cabinets built which have their own thermal management but that will increase cost. I have spoke with various manufacturers about this and have been advised that the batteries will look after themselves in cold temperatures by simply holding back and not using their full capacity, ie, not fully charging, nor fully discharging. Some battery manufacturers boast that their batteries are more efficient than others when installed outside, but FOX do not advise them being outside and open to the elements.

[@GWAYGWAY1]

A question for you about adding a second slave battery to the two I had (4.8s) I thought I Dawes it don and the man fiddled with a ‘dip switch’ setting on the BMS, my fitter said there is not one now. What was I seeing and how is it done for three units.

[@alpselectrical]

I am sorry I don't fully understand the question, can you advise what system you have?

[@GWAYGWAY1]

@@alpselectrical sorry it looks like auto correct is at it again. I watched somebody fitting a second battery to a stack, and they adjusted a thing they called a dip switch on the stack by the power switch. It was to adjust for the number of batteries in the stack. It was a FOX ESS cube system like mine is. I appear to not have any on mine, maybe they had older batteries????

[@alpselectrical]

Yes that will likely be the FOX Mira HV25 batteries they have a dip switch that requires altering depending upon how many modules are added but the Fox Cube does not. I actually have the HV25 at my home but only because the CUBE was not out at that time as I love the CUBE they are the best batteries on the market in my opinion for the fact they have multiple size variants and they are so easily added to inn the future!

[@GWAYGWAY1]

@@alpselectrical I think mine are HV20 so that explains it.