Doing the same thing for over a month now and seeing significant savings/month. I have the DPU with 5 batteries into a 240 splitter. One goes to house manual transfer switch running pretty much the entire house and the other to an EV charger. 4k solar in. At California peak price It’s a significant savings. All the extra goes into my car.
That thing is a beast! Way better than having two main head units for 240v split phase power. Can you imagine how much room two AC500's would take up! Sheeesh.
@@Jasonoid Thank you - same cable - just need two to run both simultaneously. I’ll have to find out if two cords come as standard, or if I’ll have to buy an additional one. Thanks again - excellent videos
Bought a Delta Pro Ultra with the Smart Home Panel 2. Had it installed by an approved Electrician. The SHP2 failed in less than 2 weeks of minimal use, one of the main relays failed. Ripped it out and put in a manual transfer switch like you have, a lot less risk of failures. The DPU has had a couple of weird battery cycles where it would say it was charged when the input power could not have charged it that fast, and the discharge cycle was similarly shortened. It did correct itself after that though.
Great feedback on the smart home panel, thanks for sharing your experience. Definitely a bummer to hear that. I have found the more simple of a setup, the less that can go wrong. That's why I opted for a transfer switch over the smart home panel (plus I can use it with any power source, inverter or generator).
I had the SHP 1 - got spooked when I noticed how loud the fan was - just told me more chance of a fire. Did the same - took it out and put in the manual switch.
There is a lot to like about this, but the thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger is the inherent vendor-lock design. What happens in 5 years when this is several generations behind and can no longer be expanded or even supported? A DYI solution would allow substitution of components for repair or replacement. With this, you would have to replace everything.
Samething that happens when improved panel, performance or battery tech evolves. You last as long as possible before selling and upgrading. Depending how much you would be saving you can invest that money in high quality, top performing ETF's and be better off financially
You can AC couple another system. Code requirements are likely your bigger issue with expanding a system in the future. What happens if your UL9540A batteries are no longer available? With something like this you can always AC couple systems together or simply run another load panel.
A mobile welder I met, bought the smaller version as it was more stable to use than his gas generator. The output is incredibly stable and strong. Welders and other mobile power users should give them a look.
Awaiting my Ultra /smart panel2/ extra battery/ two 400w portable solar panels arriving this week. Im looking forward to testing home usage before next possible outage. Sure will give me peace of mind in winter especially.
Thanks for the update video! You have 2575 input coming from solar with about 500 average output that allows you to get back to 100% by 1-2pm per the video or about 5 hours. If you only have two 400w solar panels or 800 total, at the same load it would take 3x as long or about 15 hours to get back to 100%, so you would always have to switch back to grid power and lose all the savings, and really only have emergency backup. Am I evaluating this correctly? If so, then it seems you need a much larger solar input similar to your setup.
Hi I m new to the Eco flow game and I was curious why your power connection to the transfer switch is plugged into the port on the front of the unit instead of using the adapter and connecting to the side of the unit? Thanks great video.
Good video and appreciate proof of usability. Will be more telling when you have multiple years and varying seasons. I am curious why so many are setting up a transfer switch. Why not tie the whole panel to an input and just isolate the circuits you want? This gives you total control over your entire home as needs arise by turning on or off circuits, not just locked into whatever you thought might need with a transfer switch.
A transfer switch is safe and proven to work well in the past. It allows me to swap between two power sources seamlessly. It also gives me some flexibility on what I want to run off the power station. For example, on a cloudy day when the solar is low, I can still run 2 or 3 circuits off solar, while my other loads go back to grid power. On sunny days I can offset the loads of all 10 circuits.
@@Jasonoid That is a good point about being able to supplement with the transfer switch. I am not trying to be argumentative (as I am looking for more insight and understanding), but I would look at expanding my battery storage or over paneling if cloudy days are that impactful. To your example, if you have a very sunny day, you could run more of your home and not be limited to your transfer switch circuits. Appreciate your response and insight. Of course there is no one size fits all solution for all of us. Geography and elemental influences will always keep us adjusting to find the best answer for each of us. Mahalo!
@@heart4Pahoa I wish I had more space in my yard for solar panels. I'd just install a full second transfer switch and cover all my bases lol.... Thanks for checking out the video and sharing your thoughts!
I am getting the same setup as what is shown in the video you posted. I was curious, could you run the transfer switch to always running in generator mode while the Delta Pro Ultra is plugged into a regular wall socket? I only ask in case you wanted to run in a UPS mode if when the grid did go out, your critical circuits were already switched to generator mode on the transfer switch. Or is this a big no, no and could cause issues? Thanks!.
What up Doe Dr J' Ecoflow is changing the game with the very impressive and game changing Delta Ultra. Thanks for all the testing and hard work!! Great vid👍🏼
Is it possible to have both an inside and outside outlet connected to the transfer switch? .So you can use your generator from outside the house or inside.
By the way (Non Solar related) I love the Prep Rack you have next to the Power station. Did you Build it yourself? I keep mine in the cabinet but the main advantage I see from this is being able to rotate food easier, that's my weakness I'm working on. I need a better system then I do now, I love that Ecoflow Tablet but I'm trying to figure out a way to make one myself for cheap, the price they are asking for that is crazy
I got a video on the can storage system HERE: ua-cam.com/video/hSZ0Hh3urvM/v-deo.htmlsi=-9YtMdMCBvL_CQPR It's been so great! If a company would come up with something affordable, it would probably sell out quick.
Hi Jason, what type of low voltage and high voltage solar panels do you recommend for this? How should I wire them up? I want to max out the low/high solar for the DPU. I don't have any panels yet (the Ecoflow ones seem way over priced). Trying to figure out the configuration first.
Thanks for the update! When you were showing the EF tablet/data, specifically the inflows vs outflows numbers, is the delta the "loss" between inflow-outflow? I'm assuming the inverter/"idle" energy used by the unit itself is the difference. Thank you for your efforts on all of this! Glad you can get some benefits too back to your day to day living (e.g., less $ power cost, outage protection, etc. :-)
Another great video. I want to like or purchase the EcoFlow. I like their designs when it comes to split phase and transfer switch operation. But it seems to me that these high end units are getting in the price of Sol-Ark or EG4 systems. It seems to be trying to use a portable design in a permanent install or battery backup for home. Amy I missing something here? Thanks again for your videos. All the best from north Texas.
Hey Jason, I have the DPU and a transfer switch just like what you have here, just waiting for the cord to come in to hook it up. If you have have low and high solar hooked up, will it prioritize that over the grid, if you have it plugged into a 110v grid outlet too for charging?
There are a ton of settings in the smart app you can adjust and I think that is one of them. I only charge from solar so I can slowly make a return on my investment. I pretty much don't ever charge from the grid.
Hey again Jason, I finally have the DPU hooked up to my transfer switch. However, I tried to output to my Transfer Switch while charging from the grid via an isolated GFCI wall outlet. This causes the GFCI to trip all the time. Have you found a way to fix this? Supposedly it has to do with a neutral loop or something. All the garage outlets are on a GFCI, am I out of luck here? I didn't anticipate this, but it's a major problem for me right now.
I have a similar Setup like you, The DPU with 2 expansion batteries, and right next to it I have a Maxed out AC300 with 4 batteries. I wish I could find a way to use both of them, lol. But the question I have is, Have you messed around with the modes in the settings. There is a Time of Use Mode, Self Powered (the one I'm currently using) and Scheduled taks(that one confused me) The Ac300 and Ac500 was easy to setup for me for time of use my rates are higher between 3pm and 7pm. But Ecoflow seems a little more complicated. I got frustrated and gave up on the other 2 modes. On a side note I do love the Data Tracking, something I wish Bluetti should have but doesn't.
I haven't messed with those settings too much. My setup is super simple, run the circuits, charge with solar as much as possible. I don't really grid charge my unit.
Hey Jason, Great review!! The Ecoflow Ultra is awesome!! I have the same setup with the 10 circuit transfer switch and the BLUETTI AC300. I’ve been running it now for close to 2 years without any issues. My electric bill has dropped from the $250s to 130s in daylight savings time. The Ecoflow has the upper hand with the 240 without needing an extra head unit and hub. I also like the compact size of the Ecoflow. The technology keeps getting better and what you buy today might be dated in 6 months to a year. I really like the Ecoflow Ultra.
The AC500 seen in the video can run the same exact setup as well. Same with the AC300 (you just have to be more mindful of hitting the inverter limit). I ran my AC500 for over a year straight with no issues so I think that series of power station is also excellent. My only compliant with the AC500 is the idle power usage. The parasitic drain is much higher on the Bluetti. I hope they improve that with future models!
Mine has been working ok as a standalone unit apart from annoying RFI that is a problem for amateur radio (ham radio). I also don’t like the orientation of the power poles for dc output.
Hey Jason. Really appreciate the info here. I just wired up the same setup and waiting for my panels to arrive. At 4:51 you show circuit breakers for your panels. Are these necessary or are they more of a precaution? Does it depend on the size of the array? Thanks!
just wondering, but the day you were not at home and didn't use the system, what was the reasoning behind not using it at all? did you switch the loads to line and turn off the ecoflow? just wondering thanks.
I don't like to run these systems while away from the home. If something goes wrong I'm not there to make a change. I'm usually testing new equipment so I never know what can happen (espeically with budget brands). Since this unit is working well my confidence is growing. If the weather forecast would be decent I could plan on it charging and discharging automatically. In the event of turning it off. I swap over the transfer switch to grid power and turn off the power station and unplug solar.
thanks for letting me know. since you have 3 arrays, and this unit only had 2 inputs, do you take the 3rd and use it to fuel a different power station then power dump via ac into this unit to charge it on less than favorable sunny days? or it is that you are always testing something and use the 3rd array for exclusively testing purposes?
Thank you. So from what I heard did you say when the sun goes down you have the battery set at 50 percent so you don’t loose any power in battery. Is that right? So what happens to the electric that is connected to the Ecoflow system
I charge from solar 99% of the time. It fills up with solar during the day, and then the battery goes down overnight, and then charges back up with solar the next day.
Great informative video my friend. Question, that means I can use eco flow with a transfer switch to help me with monthly electricity bills by splitting loads? Using my main panel for the big loads and the transfer switch for lights, computers, etc.....? as soon I switch to generator won't back feed the main panel? Sorry I'm asking this question I'm new to solar. That means I can use grid and the transfer switch with eco flow at the same time and is completely safe? Thanks
@@Jasonoid Thanks so much, so that means transfer switch won't back feed the main panel and is completely safe right? Thanks so much again for the help.
Connect up a window AC in the summer to use the extra power in the summer. Connect up a small heater in the winter. That's what I do with the extra power once the batteries are full 👍
Hi. Great video. I just received my eco flow pro ultra kit with an extra battery. Im only using ac outlet to charge. The app will not allow me to charge when battery discharges to 90%. Your solar charge allows you to start chargingwhen you reach a certain point. Does the ecoflow tablet allow access to more setting??
When charging with solar it charges to 100% and then stops charging until 97% and then charges again. This could be slightly different with AC charging. All the settings are available in the smart app.
I'm currently having problems with my DPU, I'm using the same transfer switch and cord you're using in this video, what adapter would I use to make it work with A Bluetti AC300?
is solar the only input you are doing? i mean do you have it plugged in the wall 120volt as well, for another input? If so, how do you tell the Ultra unit not to use the 120 volt unless the solar does not work due to cloudy days?
I only use solar to charge my system, that's the best way to save money. It's more efficient to switch the transfer switch back to grid power than it is to charge the batteries via grid power. You have efficiency losses while charging via AC input. In a grid down scenario, I'll use a inverter propane generator to charge my batteries if I need to, but solar is so much better.
so why don't you have it charge from AC and not panels on cloudy days instead of manually turning off circuits? Can't you program it to automatically switch to AC when solar array input is low? Can the AC input charge from any 110v outlet? Suppose to get 3000+ charging cycles out of this unit, I wonder if you would count each day as a cycle. Very cool setup you have. Thanks
It's more efficient to get power directly from the grid vs charging the battery of the power station from the grid (AC to DC conversion losses). So I swap back to grid power when it's cloudy for an extended time with my transfer switch.
Ecoflow man their sales phone support with non tech savvy offshore, so I hope you can help me with my question. I see that you are using the A510A transfer switch with one ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra which according to their sales support, your setup is impossible. So, if I plan to expand to 2 units in the future, what do I need to buy to hook up 2 Delta Pro Ultra to the one power input?
Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm a total noob when it comes to transfer switches. My question is, how do you alienate certain appliances if they're on a circuit with multiple other things? Like running your lights but not your stove or dishwasher etc? Or do you have to run everything on that particular circuit?
You can't choose specific appliances, you just have to power the whole circuit. Most houses will have a dedicated appliance on a circuit though. For example, your microwave and fridge could have their own circuits to themselves.
Outstanding review! It's a bummer that this unit is not backward compatible with their Delta Pro and SHP1, unfortunately. Appears part of their model is to rip & replace vs. make these new devices backward compatible.
Are you keeping those circuits connected to the DPU 24x7? What I want to do is ensure that some circuits in my house are always "available", but I am not entirely sure if that means that I take those circuits and put them into the Reliance Transfer Switch with the EcoFlow running all the time or not. I mean obviously if I want to make sure that it can automatically cutover that's what I'd do, but in the past I had only used the Reliance when I had an outage and I would run the gas generator to it. So I guess the short of the question is do I treat the Transfer Switch and the EcoFlow as something that should always be running. Also, since I can have it pull charge from a hour plug, is there any reason why I wouldn't have a constant input from the house into the EcoFlow - effectively using the EcoFlow as an Automatic transfer switch for those things that are connected to the Reliance Transfer Switch?
I use my DPU 24/7 charging off solar with the transfer switch. It's helped drop my electric bill a bit. There's an issue with a grounding loop if you use grid power to charge the power station while the transfer switch is enabled.
Gotcha. So if I want to do it similar to you, I should just put basic things on the EcoFlow and route solar directly to it. The biggest challenge is that critical load is one of the AC/Furnaces and that is already on the transfer switch and I'm concerned about the draw draining the Ultra. Since we have cheaper power in the evenings, I wanted to have it charge in the evenings and the just draw from it during the day.
What was the solar charging issue you had early on? Was it the “479” error code that shows up in red numbers? I had that issue on mine, but I haven’t done any firmware updates as of late.
It was a similar error code. Maybe 473? I can't remember what it was. It was before launch on a preproduction firmware. I had to disconnect and reconnect solar for the error to go away. After the firmware update it stopped happening.
Great question! That pay off would take years since the price is so high with a plug n play setup. A DIY setup would be half the cost of this unit. In my opinion a setup like this is meant for emergency power as the main use case with the added benefit of saving money on your power bill and getting a return on your investment. For people in areas where power drops constantly, a setup like this can save hundreds of dollars of food going to waste each time the power goes out.
So it only has a 30 amp out at 240V. You could NOT charge an EV at 40 amps then, correct? You would only have 30 amps available for the whole house? IF you put three of them in series with their smart panel 2 would you still only have 30 amps available or would you have 90 amps?
Does this have dark start like the Hysolis Apollo?? In other words, if it shuts down on 0% and solar comes up in the morning, can it start up at a designated percent power available?
Yes, DPU has a 'lab setting' that's in the app being tested currently where the AC output is 'always on' and will be enabled automatically with solar once it starts charging.
Excellent vid 👍. I'm doing the exact same thing with a Reliance 50A transfer switch and plugged into the 30A outlet on my Ultra. I am going to purchase the 50A hub and another DPU with battery soon. Can I use a split MC4 cable to charge both batteries? If not, do I have to purchase a set of dedicated panels to charge the new battery? Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks!
as jason mentioned what are you tring to run, however i would suggest nothing smaller than a 2 kwh power station, there are several out there, and they will run almost any 120v appliance, some of them have additional attachable batteries if you need longer run times.
I`m trying to decide what`s the best thing to get before hurricane time here which is almost always August. I got a 20 ft 8 gauge MC4 cable to get more amps to my 60 amp mppt charge controller because I cannot decipher the badly written manual to use anything but 12v input. I can`t risk a mistake. I only have an 8 gauge cable to my battery. I only need 500-600w charging because that`s all I have room for and my AC is 380w. Shade moves in by 4pm and begins shading panels so parallel is the only practical thing here. I had planned to be on an open lot without pine trees but that isn`t what happened so sun here is 10am to 4pm max. I have 6 gauge cables to eventually upgrade to my battery but they have to be cut properly and I have a knife and hack saw blade. I`ve been considering a power station with 500w solar input so I can power my AC with it but for that price I can get another 300ah battery...but it will need charging. So....a power station is probably the most practical way to get air conditioning during the hottest part of the day without buying a complete new system or damaging something trying to upgrade mine while trying to break the broken English code in my manual. If there was a way to quickly charge a big battery with a gas generator it would be nice but any charger over 20 amps is very expensive and risky. I wonder...can you use three 20 amp chargers at the same time? Or even two? Or will a whole lot of things get ruined real fast?
Certain models have really dropped in price like the Pecron E1500LFP, the Bluetti AC180, the Anker C1000, and the EcoFlow Delta 2. Each of those have decent solar input and would run an AC unit.
In a power outage you only run critical loads so you can get a longer runtime. I'm not sure this unit is capable of 130kWh at all. You'd need 10X the panels I have for that.
It sure is haha. Reason I asked is I had a solar guy try to sell me a 3.5kw system with a 10kwh back up battery for $42k. When I mentioned I could get a used F150 Lightning (98kwh), a DPU, and a few solar panels for the same price he seemed very perplexed lol
I have used the Vehicle to Load feature of my Hyundai Ioniq5 to recharge my Ultra via the 120 volt input while the Ultra is outputting 24 volts (running my dryer).
Jason, obviously your ROI is not great at this point, however, it should be easy to calculate your monthly savings, so how much have you saved off of your monthly electric bill?
The main purpose of this setup is to have emergency power. The secondary benefit is cost savings over time. During the three months of use I have saved about $25 - $35 a month on my power bill.
I find my solar panels locally on Facebook marketplace. I just picked up another three 400w panels for $150 each. Heres a video on how to find them: ua-cam.com/video/pLRKljjaqMA/v-deo.html Don't go with used panels, you can find brand new panels at this same price.
I don't have any special connections with EcoFlow (other than a non technical marketing rep). I have always used the normal support system for my issues. If you are interested I offer basic consulting and advice here: asqme.com/@Jasonoid I can't guarantee I'd be super useful since my use case with this unit is very simple. What you see in the video is how I use this thing. Solar In - AC Out. I don't charge with grid power ever. If I do charge with AC power, it's from a separate power station like the AC500 seen in the video.
I have 2 Bluetti AC300 & 24kwh worth of batteries & am running my kitchen & living room 24/7 rather than using the batteries as backup in case of an outage. I figured since I paid a lot of $ for all this hardware, I wanted it to save me money since electricity is very expensive here in California. Is that an inappropriate use for these systems? And I really drool for that Ecoflow inverter. My son is running a machining business out of my home & his machines use a lot of juice. I'm trying to convince him to buy the Ecoflow for his shop.
I have both of them, and I use it to maintain a next to nothing light bill. Until I manage to sell my AC300 I use the DPU 100 percent and for those cloudy days or emergency situations where a power outage comes along and I have no juice in the ecoflow I hook up the AC300 system. Sometimes I run partial loads on it if I know the weather is gonna be crappy the next day
I'm looking at options for back up power. Been looking at generac propane, and the Ecoflow system. I really like the ecoflow but one thing you brought up was a firmware update. That concerns me in the event folks can't get future updates for whatever reason.I dont want to sink a chunck of money into a system that may not be able to function properly because I cant get an update. Other than that, I really like the ecoflow
Power is still down from Hurricane Beryl. Does anyone know of a generator that can take advantage of the Max AC Charging: 200-240V~12.5A 3000W Max: [ ] 50/60Hz? Please save us lol!!
The transfer switch is about $450, installed professionally I've heard around $1200 out the door. Someone could do it by themselves. The install instructions are really good. The DPU itself is around $5800 for the base model, +$3000 for a second battery (maybe cheaper in a bundle) The solar panels cost me around $1200 out of pocket probably. The costs definitely stack up but you just take it step by step, month by month.
Doing the same thing for over a month now and seeing significant savings/month. I have the DPU with 5 batteries into a 240 splitter. One goes to house manual transfer switch running pretty much the entire house and the other to an EV charger. 4k solar in. At California peak price It’s a significant savings. All the extra goes into my car.
Thats awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience. My power isn't too expensive so the savings per month aren't as high.
Great overview! Ecoflow hit it out of the park with this unit!
Klein tool to identify circuit is great but isn’t that why you have kids?
Another excellent video.
My kids aren't old enough to help with that electrical stuff. Maybe in the next couple years! haha
@tumbleweed1976 😂😂😂
Kids are too expensive these days to risk electrocuting them. Main reason we buy test equipment now. 😏
Klein tools are much more dependable and accurate than kids. Ask me how I know… lol
That thing is a beast! Way better than having two main head units for 240v split phase power. Can you imagine how much room two AC500's would take up! Sheeesh.
The AC500 is a great power station, but yes it's quite large for the output and capacity.
Is the solar input cord the same for the low and high voltage PV?
@@allen35315 on the Ultra you have two different cables, both use MC4 though.
@@Jasonoid Thank you - same cable - just need two to run both simultaneously. I’ll have to find out if two cords come as standard, or if I’ll have to buy an additional one. Thanks again - excellent videos
Bought a Delta Pro Ultra with the Smart Home Panel 2. Had it installed by an approved Electrician. The SHP2 failed in less than 2 weeks of minimal use, one of the main relays failed. Ripped it out and put in a manual transfer switch like you have, a lot less risk of failures. The DPU has had a couple of weird battery cycles where it would say it was charged when the input power could not have charged it that fast, and the discharge cycle was similarly shortened. It did correct itself after that though.
Great feedback on the smart home panel, thanks for sharing your experience. Definitely a bummer to hear that. I have found the more simple of a setup, the less that can go wrong. That's why I opted for a transfer switch over the smart home panel (plus I can use it with any power source, inverter or generator).
I had the SHP 1 - got spooked when I noticed how loud the fan was - just told me more chance of a fire. Did the same - took it out and put in the manual switch.
Thanks for the hands on demo, I really like the direction EcoFlow is heading and their products in general.
Hi Jason, do you have a video on how you install your transfer switch?
There is a lot to like about this, but the thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger is the inherent vendor-lock design. What happens in 5 years when this is several generations behind and can no longer be expanded or even supported? A DYI solution would allow substitution of components for repair or replacement. With this, you would have to replace everything.
Samething that happens when improved panel, performance or battery tech evolves. You last as long as possible before selling and upgrading. Depending how much you would be saving you can invest that money in high quality, top performing ETF's and be better off financially
This is why I won’t invest in the SHP
You can AC couple another system. Code requirements are likely your bigger issue with expanding a system in the future. What happens if your UL9540A batteries are no longer available?
With something like this you can always AC couple systems together or simply run another load panel.
A mobile welder I met, bought the smaller version as it was more stable to use than his gas generator. The output is incredibly stable and strong. Welders and other mobile power users should give them a look.
Awaiting my Ultra /smart panel2/ extra battery/ two 400w portable solar panels arriving this week.
Im looking forward to testing home usage before next possible outage.
Sure will give me peace of mind in winter especially.
You'll be impressed!
I heard you can charge it from grid power and set it in the app to charge from wall outlet if it drops do to cloudy day.
Where are you located great info thank you. How many panels would I need to power this on my roof and at what power on the panels
Thanks for the update video! You have 2575 input coming from solar with about 500 average output that allows you to get back to 100% by 1-2pm per the video or about 5 hours. If you only have two 400w solar panels or 800 total, at the same load it would take 3x as long or about 15 hours to get back to 100%, so you would always have to switch back to grid power and lose all the savings, and really only have emergency backup. Am I evaluating this correctly? If so, then it seems you need a much larger solar input similar to your setup.
Jason just a heads up that between :49 and :54 seconds your video drops signal (blacks out).
I thought my tv turned off when I hit that lol
Lame....maybe it will fix itself with time. That's definitely an issue with UA-cam and uploading! The original video has no gap like that.
@@unwin42 same here, lol
Hi I m new to the Eco flow game and I was curious why your power connection to the transfer switch is plugged into the port on the front of the unit instead of using the adapter and connecting to the side of the unit? Thanks great video.
Good video and appreciate proof of usability. Will be more telling when you have multiple years and varying seasons. I am curious why so many are setting up a transfer switch. Why not tie the whole panel to an input and just isolate the circuits you want? This gives you total control over your entire home as needs arise by turning on or off circuits, not just locked into whatever you thought might need with a transfer switch.
A transfer switch is safe and proven to work well in the past. It allows me to swap between two power sources seamlessly. It also gives me some flexibility on what I want to run off the power station. For example, on a cloudy day when the solar is low, I can still run 2 or 3 circuits off solar, while my other loads go back to grid power. On sunny days I can offset the loads of all 10 circuits.
@@Jasonoid That is a good point about being able to supplement with the transfer switch. I am not trying to be argumentative (as I am looking for more insight and understanding), but I would look at expanding my battery storage or over paneling if cloudy days are that impactful. To your example, if you have a very sunny day, you could run more of your home and not be limited to your transfer switch circuits. Appreciate your response and insight. Of course there is no one size fits all solution for all of us. Geography and elemental influences will always keep us adjusting to find the best answer for each of us. Mahalo!
@@heart4Pahoa I wish I had more space in my yard for solar panels. I'd just install a full second transfer switch and cover all my bases lol....
Thanks for checking out the video and sharing your thoughts!
Great video. Could I just use my Span Smart Electral Panel instead of a transfer switch or critical loads panel?
If you run two dpu's together can you use the solar imput for both?
Yes, that would allow for 4 solar inputs over 10,000 watts.
Cool ty
I am getting the same setup as what is shown in the video you posted. I was curious, could you run the transfer switch to always running in generator mode while the Delta Pro Ultra is plugged into a regular wall socket? I only ask in case you wanted to run in a UPS mode if when the grid did go out, your critical circuits were already switched to generator mode on the transfer switch. Or is this a big no, no and could cause issues? Thanks!.
I think this might cause a ground loop, but is there a way to avoid the ground loop?
What up Doe Dr J'
Ecoflow is changing the game with the very impressive and game changing Delta Ultra. Thanks for all the testing and hard work!!
Great vid👍🏼
Is it possible to have both an inside and outside outlet connected to the transfer switch? .So you can use your generator from outside the house or inside.
Yes, just have an electrician wire in a generator inlet for you.
By the way (Non Solar related) I love the Prep Rack you have next to the Power station. Did you Build it yourself? I keep mine in the cabinet but the main advantage I see from this is being able to rotate food easier, that's my weakness I'm working on. I need a better system then I do now, I love that Ecoflow Tablet but I'm trying to figure out a way to make one myself for cheap, the price they are asking for that is crazy
I got a video on the can storage system HERE: ua-cam.com/video/hSZ0Hh3urvM/v-deo.htmlsi=-9YtMdMCBvL_CQPR
It's been so great! If a company would come up with something affordable, it would probably sell out quick.
Do you ever havr trouvle with thr GFCI plugs? Is there something special you have to do with those?
How much did the whole system cost..whatbis your time line ofReturn on investment factoring the offset of electricity cost
Hi Jason, what type of low voltage and high voltage solar panels do you recommend for this? How should I wire them up? I want to max out the low/high solar for the DPU. I don't have any panels yet (the Ecoflow ones seem way over priced). Trying to figure out the configuration first.
That's a good question for this service: asqme.com/@Jasonoid
I can't explain that here in the comments section. It will take too long.
Thanks for the update!
When you were showing the EF tablet/data, specifically the inflows vs outflows numbers, is the delta the "loss" between inflow-outflow?
I'm assuming the inverter/"idle" energy used by the unit itself is the difference.
Thank you for your efforts on all of this! Glad you can get some benefits too back to your day to day living (e.g., less $ power cost, outage protection, etc. :-)
Another great video. I want to like or purchase the EcoFlow. I like their designs when it comes to split phase and transfer switch operation. But it seems to me that these high end units are getting in the price of Sol-Ark or EG4 systems. It seems to be trying to use a portable design in a permanent install or battery backup for home. Amy I missing something here? Thanks again for your videos. All the best from north Texas.
Hey Jason, I have the DPU and a transfer switch just like what you have here, just waiting for the cord to come in to hook it up. If you have have low and high solar hooked up, will it prioritize that over the grid, if you have it plugged into a 110v grid outlet too for charging?
There are a ton of settings in the smart app you can adjust and I think that is one of them. I only charge from solar so I can slowly make a return on my investment. I pretty much don't ever charge from the grid.
Is it possible to have it plugged into a live outlet to charge off the electrical grid if you get below something like 10% or 20% charge?
Yes, you can set the charging settings to charge from solar with a priority until it hits a specific point and then AC charging will kick in.
Hey again Jason, I finally have the DPU hooked up to my transfer switch. However, I tried to output to my Transfer Switch while charging from the grid via an isolated GFCI wall outlet. This causes the GFCI to trip all the time. Have you found a way to fix this? Supposedly it has to do with a neutral loop or something. All the garage outlets are on a GFCI, am I out of luck here? I didn't anticipate this, but it's a major problem for me right now.
Look in the app, theres a GFCI charging switch setting I believe.
@@Jasonoid I searched through the Android Ecoflow app on my phone settings and didn't see anything. Hmm.
I have a similar Setup like you, The DPU with 2 expansion batteries, and right next to it I have a Maxed out AC300 with 4 batteries. I wish I could find a way to use both of them, lol. But the question I have is, Have you messed around with the modes in the settings. There is a Time of Use Mode, Self Powered (the one I'm currently using) and Scheduled taks(that one confused me) The Ac300 and Ac500 was easy to setup for me for time of use my rates are higher between 3pm and 7pm. But Ecoflow seems a little more complicated. I got frustrated and gave up on the other 2 modes. On a side note I do love the Data Tracking, something I wish Bluetti should have but doesn't.
I haven't messed with those settings too much. My setup is super simple, run the circuits, charge with solar as much as possible. I don't really grid charge my unit.
Hey Jason, Great review!! The Ecoflow Ultra is awesome!! I have the same setup with the 10 circuit transfer switch and the BLUETTI AC300. I’ve been running it now for close to 2 years without any issues. My electric bill has dropped from the $250s to 130s in daylight savings time. The Ecoflow has the upper hand with the 240 without needing an extra head unit and hub. I also like the compact size of the Ecoflow. The technology keeps getting better and what you buy today might be dated in 6 months to a year. I really like the Ecoflow Ultra.
The AC500 seen in the video can run the same exact setup as well. Same with the AC300 (you just have to be more mindful of hitting the inverter limit). I ran my AC500 for over a year straight with no issues so I think that series of power station is also excellent. My only compliant with the AC500 is the idle power usage. The parasitic drain is much higher on the Bluetti. I hope they improve that with future models!
Speaking of 6 months, the Ecoflow Delta Pro 3 is about to Release, lol
Mine has been working ok as a standalone unit apart from annoying RFI that is a problem for amateur radio (ham radio). I also don’t like the orientation of the power poles for dc output.
Yeah, the Anderson PowerPole is in a weird orientation!
Hey Jason. Really appreciate the info here. I just wired up the same setup and waiting for my panels to arrive. At 4:51 you show circuit breakers for your panels. Are these necessary or are they more of a precaution? Does it depend on the size of the array? Thanks!
I think it's wise to install a DC circuit breaker / disconnect just in case you are working on the wires and you need to cut power.
On cloudy days do you ac charge while using the transfer switch?
No, I just swap back to grid power. AC charging is not as efficient as running off grid power directly.
just wondering, but the day you were not at home and didn't use the system,
what was the reasoning behind not using it at all?
did you switch the loads to line and turn off the ecoflow?
just wondering thanks.
I don't like to run these systems while away from the home. If something goes wrong I'm not there to make a change. I'm usually testing new equipment so I never know what can happen (espeically with budget brands). Since this unit is working well my confidence is growing. If the weather forecast would be decent I could plan on it charging and discharging automatically.
In the event of turning it off. I swap over the transfer switch to grid power and turn off the power station and unplug solar.
thanks for letting me know.
since you have 3 arrays, and this unit only had 2 inputs, do you take the 3rd and use it to fuel a different power station then power dump via ac into this unit to charge it on less than favorable sunny days? or it is that you are always testing something and use the 3rd array for exclusively testing purposes?
@@user--PM I use the third array for both those reasons :)
Thank you. So from what I heard did you say when the sun goes down you have the battery set at 50 percent so you don’t loose any power in battery. Is that right? So what happens to the electric that is connected to the Ecoflow system
I charge from solar 99% of the time. It fills up with solar during the day, and then the battery goes down overnight, and then charges back up with solar the next day.
Great informative video my friend. Question, that means I can use eco flow with a transfer switch to help me with monthly electricity bills by splitting loads? Using my main panel for the big loads and the transfer switch for lights, computers, etc.....? as soon I switch to generator won't back feed the main panel? Sorry I'm asking this question I'm new to solar. That means I can use grid and the transfer switch with eco flow at the same time and is completely safe? Thanks
I use my transfer switch with my power station daily to drop my power bill. It's a great way to get a return on your solar / battery investment.
@@Jasonoid Thanks so much, so that means transfer switch won't back feed the main panel and is completely safe right? Thanks so much again for the help.
Can you tell me the length of the yellow cable that goes to the transfer switch and where to buy one? Thanks.
Link is in the video description, I think it's about 10 feet long.
Is there a way to use the extra solar when the battery is full in the afternoon?
Connect up a window AC in the summer to use the extra power in the summer. Connect up a small heater in the winter. That's what I do with the extra power once the batteries are full 👍
Hi. Great video. I just received my eco flow pro ultra kit with an extra battery. Im only using ac outlet to charge. The app will not allow me to charge when battery discharges to 90%. Your solar charge allows you to start chargingwhen you reach a certain point. Does the ecoflow tablet allow access to more setting??
When charging with solar it charges to 100% and then stops charging until 97% and then charges again. This could be slightly different with AC charging. All the settings are available in the smart app.
I'm currently having problems with my DPU, I'm using the same transfer switch and cord you're using in this video, what adapter would I use to make it work with A Bluetti AC300?
amzn.to/4gCsydM
@@Jasonoid Thank You, You're a Lifesaver
is solar the only input you are doing? i mean do you have it plugged in the wall 120volt as well, for another input? If so, how do you tell the Ultra unit not to use the 120 volt unless the solar does not work due to cloudy days?
I only use solar to charge my system, that's the best way to save money. It's more efficient to switch the transfer switch back to grid power than it is to charge the batteries via grid power. You have efficiency losses while charging via AC input.
In a grid down scenario, I'll use a inverter propane generator to charge my batteries if I need to, but solar is so much better.
so why don't you have it charge from AC and not panels on cloudy days instead of manually turning off circuits? Can't you program it to automatically switch to AC when solar array input is low? Can the AC input charge from any 110v outlet? Suppose to get 3000+ charging cycles out of this unit, I wonder if you would count each day as a cycle. Very cool setup you have. Thanks
It's more efficient to get power directly from the grid vs charging the battery of the power station from the grid (AC to DC conversion losses). So I swap back to grid power when it's cloudy for an extended time with my transfer switch.
Not sure if I’m correct on this, but with a manual transfer switch you can’t charge from ac and use the battery for powering at the same time?
@@allen35315 it depends on how your main box is wired. If the grounds conflict you'll have issues charging with AC power.
How much did your whole system cost? How much are you saving on your monthly bill?
This system and battery can be used for at least ten years, and with the inflation of the US dollar, it can save money in the end.
Once you plug into the panel is it grounded as long as the main is grounded?
Correct, the transfer switch connects to the ground of your main power panel.
Are there possible problems feeding a one inverter DPU stack with a 240 Volt / 30 amp limitation into a 50 Amp transfer switch?
You just can't pull the full 50 amps @ 240v (12,000w). You'll be limited to 7200 watts.
@@Jasonoid Thanks 🙂
How often roughly in the week do you transfer over to off grid battery and solar and not use grid power?
Due to sunny conditions in the summer in my area, I have been running off the DPU for about 45 days continuously. It's been awesome!
@@Jasonoidthe SAVINGS on grid 💥 power are phenomenal Im sure 🫡
Where could I get the same mounting brackets and rails for my carport? I have the same steel panels. Could you direct me, please 🙏
ua-cam.com/video/q6okxVgBT9M/v-deo.html
Here's my video
Ecoflow man their sales phone support with non tech savvy offshore, so I hope you can help me with my question. I see that you are using the A510A transfer switch with one ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra which according to their sales support, your setup is impossible. So, if I plan to expand to 2 units in the future, what do I need to buy to hook up 2 Delta Pro Ultra to the one power input?
Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm a total noob when it comes to transfer switches. My question is, how do you alienate certain appliances if they're on a circuit with multiple other things? Like running your lights but not your stove or dishwasher etc? Or do you have to run everything on that particular circuit?
You can't choose specific appliances, you just have to power the whole circuit. Most houses will have a dedicated appliance on a circuit though. For example, your microwave and fridge could have their own circuits to themselves.
@@Jasonoid Makes sense. Like my water heater. Had to replace that last weekend. It's on it's own breaker.
Outstanding review! It's a bummer that this unit is not backward compatible with their Delta Pro and SHP1, unfortunately. Appears part of their model is to rip & replace vs. make these new devices backward compatible.
Update. This is backward compatible with the DP but not the SHP1. I ended up switching to the SHP2 --- much better unit overall.
Does this unit also charge by wall plug? If you don’t want solar.
Yep, it charges just fine from a wall outlet too. Check out the 'charging' portion of the video for more details.
Are you keeping those circuits connected to the DPU 24x7? What I want to do is ensure that some circuits in my house are always "available", but I am not entirely sure if that means that I take those circuits and put them into the Reliance Transfer Switch with the EcoFlow running all the time or not. I mean obviously if I want to make sure that it can automatically cutover that's what I'd do, but in the past I had only used the Reliance when I had an outage and I would run the gas generator to it.
So I guess the short of the question is do I treat the Transfer Switch and the EcoFlow as something that should always be running.
Also, since I can have it pull charge from a hour plug, is there any reason why I wouldn't have a constant input from the house into the EcoFlow - effectively using the EcoFlow as an Automatic transfer switch for those things that are connected to the Reliance Transfer Switch?
I use my DPU 24/7 charging off solar with the transfer switch. It's helped drop my electric bill a bit.
There's an issue with a grounding loop if you use grid power to charge the power station while the transfer switch is enabled.
Gotcha. So if I want to do it similar to you, I should just put basic things on the EcoFlow and route solar directly to it. The biggest challenge is that critical load is one of the AC/Furnaces and that is already on the transfer switch and I'm concerned about the draw draining the Ultra. Since we have cheaper power in the evenings, I wanted to have it charge in the evenings and the just draw from it during the day.
@@TheRealAfroRick you could always try charging from from grid power while running the transfer switch. It would just error out if there was an issue.
5:32 - how is it you're at 97% with two batteries, have 2200w coming from solar, only 500w going out, yet the estimated runtime is only 20 minutes??
Cuz that 20 minutes on the screen means till it's full. If you got green lights around the battery percentage, it's charging.
@@Jasonoid Ahhh thanks, that makes much more sense
What was the solar charging issue you had early on? Was it the “479” error code that shows up in red numbers?
I had that issue on mine, but I haven’t done any firmware updates as of late.
It was a similar error code. Maybe 473? I can't remember what it was. It was before launch on a preproduction firmware. I had to disconnect and reconnect solar for the error to go away. After the firmware update it stopped happening.
awesome review, Jason!
Jason, have you calculated how long it would take to pay for itself in energy savings, at your current usage, were you to have paid full retail price?
Great question! That pay off would take years since the price is so high with a plug n play setup. A DIY setup would be half the cost of this unit.
In my opinion a setup like this is meant for emergency power as the main use case with the added benefit of saving money on your power bill and getting a return on your investment.
For people in areas where power drops constantly, a setup like this can save hundreds of dollars of food going to waste each time the power goes out.
So it only has a 30 amp out at 240V. You could NOT charge an EV at 40 amps then, correct? You would only have 30 amps available for the whole house? IF you put three of them in series with their smart panel 2 would you still only have 30 amps available or would you have 90 amps?
Does this have dark start like the Hysolis Apollo?? In other words, if it shuts down on 0% and solar comes up in the morning, can it start up at a designated percent power available?
Yes, DPU has a 'lab setting' that's in the app being tested currently where the AC output is 'always on' and will be enabled automatically with solar once it starts charging.
Excellent vid 👍. I'm doing the exact same thing with a Reliance 50A transfer switch and plugged into the 30A outlet on my Ultra. I am going to purchase the 50A hub and another DPU with battery soon. Can I use a split MC4 cable to charge both batteries? If not, do I have to purchase a set of dedicated panels to charge the new battery? Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks!
I haven't tried splitting the solar array between two machines, you could always try to see if it works.
@@Jasonoid Thanks.
I can see the brand new Delta Pro 3 in the background at 8:50....
ua-cam.com/users/shortsLbBVQJs3StM?feature=share
hey Jason, what is a decent size power source for a 2-bedroom condo? In case of a blackout. How size soler generator would I need? Thanks!
What loads are you looking to run? It's all based on what loads you need to have going when the power is out.
as jason mentioned what are you tring to run,
however i would suggest nothing smaller than a 2 kwh power station,
there are several out there, and they will run almost any 120v appliance,
some of them have additional attachable batteries if you need longer run times.
I`m trying to decide what`s the best thing to get before hurricane time here which is almost always August. I got a 20 ft 8 gauge MC4 cable to get more amps to my 60 amp mppt charge controller because I cannot decipher the badly written manual to use anything but 12v input. I can`t risk a mistake. I only have an 8 gauge cable to my battery. I only need 500-600w charging because that`s all I have room for and my AC is 380w. Shade moves in by 4pm and begins shading panels so parallel is the only practical thing here.
I had planned to be on an open lot without pine trees but that isn`t what happened so sun here is 10am to 4pm max. I have 6 gauge cables to eventually upgrade to my battery but they have to be cut properly and I have a knife and hack saw blade.
I`ve been considering a power station with 500w solar input so I can power my AC with it but for that price I can get another 300ah battery...but it will need charging. So....a power station is probably the most practical way to get air conditioning during the hottest part of the day without buying a complete new system or damaging something trying to upgrade mine while trying to break the broken English code in my manual. If there was a way to quickly charge a big battery with a gas generator it would be nice but any charger over 20 amps is very expensive and risky. I wonder...can you use three 20 amp chargers at the same time? Or even two? Or will a whole lot of things get ruined real fast?
Certain models have really dropped in price like the Pecron E1500LFP, the Bluetti AC180, the Anker C1000, and the EcoFlow Delta 2. Each of those have decent solar input and would run an AC unit.
I have current consuption of about 130kwh per day. How many units you think i need if i use your same number of panels you are using? Thanks
In a power outage you only run critical loads so you can get a longer runtime. I'm not sure this unit is capable of 130kWh at all. You'd need 10X the panels I have for that.
@@Jasonoid tks!!
Theoretically, if you bought a 130kwh F150 Lightning and used it as a massive battery bank, could you run the DPU for days if not weeks at a time?
Yeah, that's a BIG expansion battery haha
It sure is haha. Reason I asked is I had a solar guy try to sell me a 3.5kw system with a 10kwh back up battery for $42k. When I mentioned I could get a used F150 Lightning (98kwh), a DPU, and a few solar panels for the same price he seemed very perplexed lol
I have used the Vehicle to Load feature of my Hyundai Ioniq5 to recharge my Ultra via the 120 volt input while the Ultra is outputting 24 volts (running my dryer).
Great work and thank you for sharing!
Worst case scenario, can you charge the delta pro ultra with a gas inverter generator while still powering your house at the same time?
Yes, you can definitely do that!
Does the app log or count the cycles charge ?
Yeah it does actually. Pretty neat!
I didn’t hear you say you were running your air conditioner from it?
I run a window unit off this setup.
the transfer switch must be 50amp or 30amp? thanks
You can have a 30 amp model, I just wanted to go with a 50 amp model so I can future proof my setup.
No air conditioning? No heat?
Jason, obviously your ROI is not great at this point, however, it should be easy to calculate your monthly savings, so how much have you saved off of your monthly electric bill?
The main purpose of this setup is to have emergency power. The secondary benefit is cost savings over time. During the three months of use I have saved about $25 - $35 a month on my power bill.
@Jasonoid would you save more if you Powered the water heater or ac, or do you not advise powering those loads?
Great video.. thanks for making it!
Well done, appreciate the detail. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the information!
Awesome Video Brother!!🤘
Im going to get the same setup as this. Anyone have any recommendations on where to get my solar panels? looking for 8 to 10 panels.
I find my solar panels locally on Facebook marketplace. I just picked up another three 400w panels for $150 each. Heres a video on how to find them:
ua-cam.com/video/pLRKljjaqMA/v-deo.html
Don't go with used panels, you can find brand new panels at this same price.
@@Jasonoidthanks for the advice. I'm going to check it out right now
Can use a radio too
So how much does this save on electric bill?
I save around $40-50 a month. Depends on how much solar you have and how often you power loads.
@@Jasonoid plus blk out protection. A good buy thanks
Great Video Jason. You remind me of the Motor Trend Editor Carlos Lago. Any relation? Again great video and thank you!
Thanks for checking out my video :) No relation that I am aware of haha
Is it safe to use it on townhouse?
Yes, if you can install a transfer switch.
Do you have your system grounded?
It's grounded when it's connected to the transfer switch. It shares the ground with your home.
Can you set up the charge percentage example max 80% some type of battery life saver as Samsung phone
there is a setting where you can set charging parameters on the device, I think the default is 10% low 90 % max
I have had a few issues with mine and would love to find someone that can help me find some answers, would you be willing to help?
Not looking for a freebie
I don't have any special connections with EcoFlow (other than a non technical marketing rep). I have always used the normal support system for my issues. If you are interested I offer basic consulting and advice here: asqme.com/@Jasonoid
I can't guarantee I'd be super useful since my use case with this unit is very simple. What you see in the video is how I use this thing. Solar In - AC Out. I don't charge with grid power ever. If I do charge with AC power, it's from a separate power station like the AC500 seen in the video.
I have 2 Bluetti AC300 & 24kwh worth of batteries & am running my kitchen & living room 24/7 rather than using the batteries as backup in case of an outage. I figured since I paid a lot of $ for all this hardware, I wanted it to save me money since electricity is very expensive here in California. Is that an inappropriate use for these systems?
And I really drool for that Ecoflow inverter. My son is running a machining business out of my home & his machines use a lot of juice. I'm trying to convince him to buy the Ecoflow for his shop.
It's probably frowned upon since it's not really to code.... But that's how I use my system. Some renegade off grid setup haha
I have both of them, and I use it to maintain a next to nothing light bill. Until I manage to sell my AC300 I use the DPU 100 percent and for those cloudy days or emergency situations where a power outage comes along and I have no juice in the ecoflow I hook up the AC300 system. Sometimes I run partial loads on it if I know the weather is gonna be crappy the next day
This thing looks great! How long do one of these units last before major maintenance is needed or completely replaced?
Website says 10 years of use. I don't know of any needed maintenance. Battery replacement after 6000 cycles probably? That's a LONG time.
I spy what appears to be a Delta Pro refresh...
I'm looking at options for back up power. Been looking at generac propane, and the Ecoflow system. I really like the ecoflow but one thing you brought up was a firmware update. That concerns me in the event folks can't get future updates for whatever reason.I dont want to sink a chunck of money into a system that may not be able to function properly because I cant get an update. Other than that, I really like the ecoflow
Didn't EcoFlow just update these systems?
This is the latest option.
I’m stunned to see “refurbished Ultra units” on sale so soon
Power is still down from Hurricane Beryl. Does anyone know of a generator that can take advantage of the Max AC Charging: 200-240V~12.5A 3000W Max:
[ ] 50/60Hz? Please save us lol!!
Ok, but you don't say how much the sistem cost.
What would this system cost…installed…estimate , ball park. Professional electrician
The transfer switch is about $450, installed professionally I've heard around $1200 out the door. Someone could do it by themselves. The install instructions are really good.
The DPU itself is around $5800 for the base model, +$3000 for a second battery (maybe cheaper in a bundle)
The solar panels cost me around $1200 out of pocket probably. The costs definitely stack up but you just take it step by step, month by month.
Is that a Xbox 360?
Only way to still play Rockband with my 800+ custom songs lol
fake review ..! this is nothing but a paid comercial