EASIEST Off Grid Solar Power System Battery Bank
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- This is the easiest off-grid solar power system battery bank we have ever installed. If you are looking for a simple yet powerful DIY solar power system, this is for you. Our off-grid electrical system is easy to install, uses top-quality components, and requires very little maintenance.
Check Prices and reviews of the solar components used in this video with the links below.
Batteries amzn.to/34mSKFP
Inverters amzn.to/3VCBpT8
Load Distributor amzn.to/3CDVQq2
Battery Monitor amzn.to/3EN35hX
Battery Monitor Touch Screen amzn.to/3MCAX2U
Charge controllers ebay.us/9bFh2H
TOOLS USED IN THIS VIDEO
Lug Crimper Tool amzn.to/2EUhwnZ
Heavy Duty Cable Cutters amzn.to/2SlYhXi
3-Pound Sledge Hammer amzn.to/3jso9No
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00:00 Introduction Off Grid Power
00:40 Solar Battery Bank
03:49 Solar Charge Controllers
06:00 Solar Buss Bars
08:11 Inverters
10:48 Cerbo GX Instalation
11:26 Wiring Solar System
27:49 Why Choose Battle Born Batteries
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Looks pretty good. Looking forward to seeing how well it performs this winter. Thanks!
Hi Mr Johnson, I enjoy watching your videos and all your efforts and positive enthusiasm. Do you think you can share some of the things you did in order to make such a move and the costs associated with that. Thank you, much appreciated.
Hello Martin. I was wondering if you could share the costs (approximately) with all of your solar system. My wife and I are thinking of moving to another state and I am very interested in putting in solar.
so thinking of yours and mine, i found that i have some issues, im using 6awg after the first series batterys, so i paired using 6awg and about 7 ft of it. so i have voltage drop of ,3 volts. and some of my 10awg wires from controller are 10 ft long. so i got to go bigger and shorten things up
can i ask you, if i put my batterys like yours and hook panels for 48 volt and 12 batterys 48 volt, i dont mind a 48 volt controller, or re hooking my panels, but dont want to buy new inverters, so i have a 2500 and 1000 watt but 12 volt. would i have any battery life being hooked to one battery in a group like yours is what i want to know???
The real hero of this video is that shelf!
yes got a lot of faith in that shelf I would have a much stronger shelf even though liuthium batteries are much lighter than lead acid. (and better)🐸
I wont life, my arse was clenching when i seen the like 16 100ah batteries all resting on that small little rack....
Absolutely! My immediate thought seeing them on that shelf, scary. I'd really like to see a third diagonal brace in the middle.
Back in my installing days of off grid systems, I'd prefab the batteries (flooded lead acid back then) in a welded steel enclosure, made so it could be picked with my boom truck. Some with casters if they needed to be rolled into place, these new batteries are a game changer for sure.
@@portnuefflyer Me too
As an electrician for 50 years, l am quite impressed by your setup. I will use the same setup except I will make individual shelves for the rows of batteries just incase I have to remove one for maintenance or replace. Nice job!!
My point exactly…going to be a bit of a problem changing out a dud as it’s setup now.
In this instance, it is both cheaper and easier to maintain server rack batteries. Instead of this glob of 12 batteries, you could do 4 server rack batteries that you could slide in or out of the system.
@@JustinPratt1😢😢😢
Same. I prefer rack mounted batteries myself.
I think he should run wires into pipes and mount a junction box splice with bug (number 2 size) connectors instead of leaving it exposed
I love solar technology. Its the future of powering our homes. Off grid power, no power company required.
I think so too
A thing to note to the DIY installer for safety:
Not all wiring is rated for the 450 volts mentioned, or even the 300 volts he is using as mentioned near the beginning (after the 4 minute mark). Ensure you use wiring with insulation rated for 600v if you're doing the High voltage/Low current setup mentioned. The code is easy to find online and will help protect you and your investment.
Yeah solar panels lifespan is around 15-20 years. Solar is NOT yet ready, too expensive still
@@PrimeraRSTKD That is usually 20 years guaranteed to be producing at least 80% of their capacity. Solar panels can still produce power for at least 50 years (per NASA), though at an ever reducing rate.
Agreed. As a former lineman, I would also never recommend that crimper. You already spent thousands on a system, spend another hundred and get a crimper that wraps the entire connector for a nice cold weld that won’t come off.
Absolutely I'm not and electrician but I'm good at figuring things out and each wire needs to be rated for what it goes and comes from. Like panels runs 7 amps at 600v but batteries diff wires so is ac in and out. I hope everyone pays attention to that
@@PrimeraRSTKD what?? 15-20 years was 20 years ago, now is 40-50
874.00 per battery for a simple easy solar systems. $13,984 just in batteries not including the high end equipment. You guys are one of my favorites off grid channels, but $13,000 isn't simple or easy for most homesteads.
I agree. Most would be better off going with a 48v server rack battery.
Remember they didn't start off with that out the gate...they've upgraded as they went.
Yes, but the battery company sponsored this video, so They were either giving these batteries or highly discounted. All I'm saying is Wal-mart sell a 29DC battery with a 122ah for $99.00. That's 8 walmart batteries to 1 battleborn with enough money to take your wife out for a great dinner afterwards. I feel alot of homesteaders like me, don't have that kind of income.
I don't know how the guys from Battle Born batteries recommend this configuration... 4 48 VDC battery banks in parallel??!! Really?? It's almost impossible to balance out all 16 12 VDC individual batteries to a similar voltage among themselves... not to mention the individual LiFePO4 cells within them... much sooner than later some battery(ies) will become unbalanced with the whole bunch and will start acting "weird"...
Maybe I'm being OCD, but even as light as those batteries are, that shelf gives me the heebie jeebies. I'd like to see two legs, (2x4s), in the front, all the way to the floor.
Or strapped up to the roof so the cats can't climb up the legs.
Why not just on the floor?!
They are so light though, no need
I was more worried about the small foldable table the inverters were on. A little wably
At $875 each, I’d have more support.
Just an excellent instructive YT video on explaining all the pieces and parts to an off grid setup. Looking forward to see you grow the solar panel, how you wire them & the finished setup.
As an electronic tech, I've got to give you top marks for wiring cleanliness, a word that may seem odd to some, but it is *always* (with rare exceptions in audio and RF work) good practice in electronics and electrics for your wiring to be geometrically 'harmonious'. It means a tech can follow it at a glance. It also indicates 'zen' on the part of the installer, and therefore the function is much more likely to be same.
A note though on having especially your inverters mounted so high up: they produce a lot of heat. Being so close to the ceiling indicates need, especially in Summer, for through-wall fan assisted circulation, thermostat optional. In the winter, block off the external venting, and channel the heat down to you cats' sleeping area. You can use surplus 12VDC computer cooling fans, (series connect them to the right voltage) and connect them to a thermostat. A cheap surplus house thermostat will work just fine. The inverters et al will thank you, and maximum output will be increased. They work best close to run close to the freezing point. Your cats work best somewhat higher!
As a former radar tech, then 20 years in broadcast TV I take mild exception to your exception 😄 RF and audio (especially analog audio) really need to be properly routed, for the audio avoid running it near AC power as much as you possibly can, unless you enjoy some 60 cycle hum along with your Metallica. Martin did do a very clean install, the only possible issue I saw, and I may have just missed it is, the positive and negative runs from the batteries to the bus bar should be the same length.
@@michiganengineer8621 Can you explain why the positive and negative runs should be the same length? The only thing I can think of is so they have the same resistance.
@@bruceritchie7613 From what I understand that's exactly why. Now with 1/0 or larger cables a foot or so shouldn't make THAT much of a difference, however I know Will Prowse harps on cable length a lot in his DIY builds.
@@michiganengineer8621 yeah I can only agree with Will Prowse on his dedication to equal lenght wires. Weird things will happen sometimes, one is that the inverters will read different battery voltages (although the battery monitor helps a bit with that) the low cut-off will be different etc. Easily fixed in this case cause of the neat cabling just make a second pair that is the same length as the furtherest one and let it run along the wall a bit longer before it turns back to the closest one. Vic Quattro has a probe port built in to off-set the voltages if needed.
You would not be happy with my wiring. I am so sorry!
What a great system Martin!! I'm amazed, you made it look so easy too.
9 months later and I'm hoping things are still going good with this install Martin. you did a great job with this install and with this video!
A very thorough and easy to understand tutorial. Your neatness is also commendable. Thank you so much.
Thank God you found out about the ground wire 😊
Good Job Marty. Looks neat and professionally done. I am very interested in seeing the additional 16 panels go up and the complete system demonstrated along with interior sub panel.
This video made me an instant subscriber. Such a well thought out and concise explanation on the setup. My wife and I are moving to Hawai'i hopefully in the next year or so and we will be fully off grid as well. I might just have to use a similar set up to this. Can't wait to watch more of your videos as you continue your adventures. Cheers!
I keep coming back to this video to make sure I am getting all my components ready for my 12v system for minimal power needs on my property. At least until I build up my 7.5kwh system. Thanks Martin for the awesome videos.
That's amazing you have been able to run a house with only 3,000 watts of solar panels!
I think all they're using the electricity for is lighting, computers, phone chargers and their freezer with the occasional instapot dinner. Heating is a wood stove, hot water and most of the cooking is with propane.
@@michiganengineer8621 Gotcha! They will be able to a lot more now, but definitely need more panels. 🌞
instead of mounting the batteries on top of each other it will really help to increase the life and safety by leaving space in between them to allow for better cooling during periods of high load. surprised to see this step missing seeing that this guy seems super well versed
Have to say I am totally impressed with your whole set up. Great job Marty and the simplified explanation on how they work together and the putting up of it all. Great job and great video
I have zero solar installation experience, but I want to learn, and this video makes me feel like I can do it. Definitely need to understand the figures and what that means for my homes sockets and electronics but fam, this is nice.
Hello Martin! A big thank you! for all super useful information. I am from Sweden and i am in the process of building a houseboat. I have just started designing my solar-battery system and found you and your family here on youtube. I will keep following you and " look and steel" all good ideas 🙂.
Great job and love the detail and links to the equipment you used. Just one thing I see wrong. MAJOR CODE VIOLATION THAT MUST BE FIXED. You cannot bond the neutral and ground together anyplace but the first disconnect, usually the main panel!!! They are bonded in your subpanel. You need to separate the grounds and neutrals in the sub panel and remove the bonding strap. This is a major safety issue that can cause current flow in the ground path.
I noticed this .
Love your solar videos! Awesome configuration and clean facility to house your power plant.
Very impressive. Some things might get some improvements of course. Your hard work and determination give me inspiration to start my own solar projects.
The ‘square’ heads on the screws are called Robertson screws, popular in Canada, and are gaining popularity in other countries as patents expire. They put Phillips and slotted screws to shame for tourque and grip without stripping the head. Loved the video and clear steps; you are a natural story teller 😁
That smoke check is always the most stressful thing with solar, even though you check all the wiring 1000 times! Great video!
as a Turkish immigrant if someone would like an example of true American life and family example I will send a link of your channel. you and your family, sir, you are America. Sending blessings.🙏🏻❤️🇺🇸
Best video so far of simplifying the hook up & explanations. Thanks
You've make my day. What a great viedo. Clear, complete, good timing. Just perfect.
I've seen a lot of your videos, you report without clickbait - I think that's very good. Very interesting reports - keep it up! Greetings from Germany
An excellent video. Anybody planning to do this will benefit great from watching your install.
Wow, this Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series sounds amazing! The massive capacity and fast recharging time make it perfect for outdoor adventures. Plus, the waterproof technology is a game-changer. It's definitely a reliable choice for all your power needs. Thanks for sharing this recommendation!
Sent to family in Hungary and Canada. Highly positive comments received back. 🙂
You have installed a top shelf system which should meet your needs. You're quite fortunate to be sponsored, as the cost is over $20,000.00 for the components alone (copper wire and connectors extra). It's plain to see you have a working knowledge installing the solar array and a strong grasp of the concept, job well done Martin and family, good luck and God bless..
What components are included in your $20,000 estimate? Are the solar panels included? Thank you in advance for your answer!
@@riconjos I just looked up the price for the batteries alone, at an average of $875 per 100ah unit, He shows 16 x 875 = $14,000. The Victron Quatro unit he shows on the video runs $5,250 per unit, not including taxes and I am pretty sure he has 2, then of course there are the other components, so yeah, Not a system for the light of wallet LOL Have a great New Year
@@angelcastro3129 thank you for your response! Very helpful!
Did the guy hit the youtube lottery? New house... camper... dirt bikes... tractor... etc. Sadly "simple" and affordable are not synonymous.
@@angelcastro3129 yep every time I see any system with battle born batteries I automatically assume it was free or sponsored. No normal person would ever buy those batteries unless it's a sponsor deal, you could get the same capacity and warranty for that matter with a number of different server rack batteries for less than half the cost. I honestly don't know why BB is still in business they are a rip off to the unknowing diyer
Very clean setup, great job 👍
Glad you showed how light those batteries were up front. All I could think about to that point was how the heck that shelf and the studs were going to hold that perceived weight. Also that bracket/hanger system is called a French clear Great video 😊
DUDE this was such an informative and well made video!! Keep up the good work on the homestead!
Marty, super job explaining how you built your solar system but, I really
don't understand why anyone would want to spend the huge cost for BattleBorn batteries for a 48V home solar system batterybank. They are primarily designed and used for RV solar systems of 12V or 24V. With the new server rack style batteries you could have had twice the amount of stored power at 20.4kW VS 10.2kW and up to 8K cycles VS 3-5. Additionally, you would have saved almost enough for one more 48V 100AMP battery. Granted, the batteries are heavier due to 4 times the size of power and storage but they also have serviceable cells that can be replaced down the road 10 years from now and will never degrade below 80%. Additionally, Vitron is well made however, for off grid use there are new hybrid inverter systems that have the chargers and inverter inside one unit. They are cheaper than Vitron and plug and play with battery monitoring built into them. You can build a system over 10,000 Watts for $17K that will give you 61.2kW of battery bank storage. This includes solar panels, hybrid inverters, batteries and racking, wire, switch boxes, switches, combiner box, and miscellaneous. To buy a system like this installed by a solar sales & installation company would probably cost $60K. You can do it for less than a third of that and get a tax credit for 30% of your costs. That's $5,100.00 so it would net cost under $12k if you have paid in at least that many dollars in taxes. Oops, I forgot, BattleBorn probably gave you the batteries for the endorsement!
whats the system u speak of ? Can u explain more, which hybrid systems u speak ?
Yes, could you plz elaborate some more about the system plz ?
Very new to this kind of stuff...
Thanks in advance !
Do you not follow this channel? He has had Battle born batteries for years. Where was EG4 two years ago bud!
Where can I find the hybrid inverters you are referring to?
@@jasonenglish8236 signature solar has the inverters and server rack batteries
Martin, you must be commended for creating this most comprehensive, detailed orientated set up for the Victron system. This video should be the gold standard for someone just starting to review the the Victron solution. I know the costs for this system are the highest of any other system out there, but this sets the benchmark for off grid solutions. Well done..
What is the current cost to do this off-grid system as I am looking to do an off-grid system for Our remote Cabin in Ohio
Yes! I totally agree with this easy to understand tutorial and breakdown. I know some things may be sponsored, but given that, what would you guesstimate this setup cost? (Minus anything beyond your shed panel going to the house. This estimate would be greatly appreciated and understand it would only be a guesstimate. Thanks Martin!!!
@@marknack7816 Just the batteries are about $14k.
How much is 5kva 48v vickron inverter with 100Amps charge controller?
Each inverter/charger is $2,700 and solar charger is $1,300 . Expensive, but Victron is the best in the business. I settled on Victron after seeing some of the frustration in other’s equipment. I also went with Signature Solar‘s rack mount battery system instead of battle born. I ready now to assemble the system..
Man that shell holding those heavy batteries is something else
Stumbled across this video stayed till the end. I followed along easily and your style of video is straight to the point , entertaining, and informative. Subscribed. Thanks for the content and i aspire to be able to achieve some wonderful accomplishments as yourself one day. Cheers from AZ !
You are the best instructor ever! You explain and show everything in detail so the next person should have no issues setting up a solar system like you have. Thanks for all the great content I have learned allot about building by watching your videos!
I an not talking about setup acual repair . Board diagrams ,test points ,and chip level diagnostics and replacement.
Biden Right Repair Act. Says Companies must provide full layout and repair procedures for products sold in the U.S
If I'm dependent on a system.that has the battery chareger,DC to DC converter,and inverter are in one system? Now remember the failure of economy is what we are talking about. So your completely dependent on a system that you can not repair or diagnose and all 3 essential devices battery charger,DC to DC converter, inverter. Are all in 1 box. Doesn't sound very promising!
I really enjoy your videos and I’m happy that you now have a 48 volt system with lots of power to your home. May God bless you and your family. 🙏
this is absolutely perfect. 100/100 for sure
WATCH YOUR VIDEO 3YEARS AGO, BOUGHT EVERYTHING FOR MY SYSTEM 10X 100 PANALS , OUTBACK 80, AIMMS 3000, 8 battle born 100, PREDITOR 9500 GEN PROPANE OR GAS , WAITING ON THE POLE MOUNT ROOF IS TOO FLAT, PATIENTLY GOING THROUGH STEP BY STEP TREE REMOVEL, AND FIREPROOF SYSTEMS ROOM JUST INCASE. THANKS FOR INSTRUCTION.
Wow that’s a big solar system probably $40K plus. Looks so organized like the way you mapped it all out for us. Good job
that is not organized it's a mess and unsafe
WOW what an awesome upgraded solar system Marty. You have really come a long way on this system especially with the new type of batteries. Very proud of you for sure putting that all together When you install your new panels it will really improve everything. God is blessing YOU and your family for sure.
Hey Martin, I was living and working on Exmoor back in 2008 through to 2014. I was designing ,installing & certifying domestic, agricultural electrical installations . Some totally “Off grid” & Remote to any National Grid supplies.
I exclusively utilised “Victron Energy” systems.
Back in the day, I was using gel batteries .
And boy they were heavy just like the Lead Acid!
To date , those installations are still working happily & to date no issues.
That is a testament to Victrons excellent design.
Live your videos! Keep it up 👍
Take it easy , great descriptions , great equipment & that’s a proper tidy installation 👀⚡️⚡️
I always love a sense of humor inserted into videos. The music with the "wire creature" from the floor made me LOL.
Great, comprehensive video - thanks very much!
I used Battleborn & Victron components in my RV and cannot speak highly enough of the superlative support that Battleborn provided for my DIY setup. I’ll use them again for my off grid house.
Just one little thing to change in the inverters : Take the data cables away from the mains as the way you have then coiled up may introduce EMS in the data cable leading to errors in the data or a loss of data packets.
Just watched your video from 2 years ago. Was happy to see you decided to use some heat shrink this round.
Nice and clean setup. I would recommend running each bank of four batteries to a bus bar and then to your distribution block. That will cut down on heat and the amp load. Easily verified with an ammeter. Take care.
This is an awesome setup and props to you guys for installing the wiring so cleanly and efficiently, makes my automation side very proud. I have one question about the super surge protector, what is its make an model? I'm looking everywhere for it but I can't seem to find it. Otherwise the load specs for a similar one would be appreciated! Keep up the hard work!
😮 looks so crazy and difficult. Watching to see how easy it is.
😊 Hopefully you find Marty’s explanation helpful.
@@juliejohnson9531 ❤❤❤
@@juliejohnson9531 just Subbed to your channel. Excited to check out your content ❤️❤️❤️
Very detailed visual explanations. His verbal skills are top notch. I wonder if he had a lot of previous electrical experience.
Love it , might try and DIY my own , its looks fairly straight forward.
You should have your battery bank paralleled via a bus bar and not through each terminal one by one. The way you have it now will result in the closest battery being discharged first and the furthest ones discharged last, and charged last, this results in uneven wear on the batteries which of course is not optimal. This has been tested by DIY Solar Power With Will Prowse on his "Current Sharing 101 w/ Large LiFePO4 Battery Banks" video. please do give it a watch!
Great work! You are going to have a ton of power for winter, you could even have a small cheap electric heater to keep the batteries from freezing
With insulation in the shed, the idle consumption itself is probably enough to keep the batteries from actually freezing. It's gotta get really cold to actually freeze them with this setup.
He doesn't show the generator he uses to charge the batteries in the winter.
The inverters are going to throw off plenty of heat to keep that from happening
Very impressed, excellent build and explanations!
Brilliant explanation - circuitry & devices nicely setup ! 👌👌
Very nice. You laid everything out in a well organized fashion. It all made perfect sense. I would have like to see battery voltages before hooking up everything in series to know if any huge differences. I’m sure they were all match pretty close and didn’t need to be top balanced. What are your plans for old inverters?
The batteries are self balancing.
I also would emphasise the importance of adequate ventilation in summer for the inverters. I run a 10kw Quattro and a 5kw Multiplus here in the temperate climate of the UK. To use 75% continuously (as we do for EV charging) extra ventilation was required. As well as being high up your inverters are closer together than the recommended 100mm (4").
Do your 12v series connected batteries balance between each other? Usually the cells within the case balance each other out using an internal balancer but you do not appear to have balancing externally within each series line. This could lead to imbalance between individual batteries in a series run. This is one of the reasons why many system builders use 16 individual cells with a BMS with a 16S active balancer.
And you can even buy premade 48V lifepo4 batteries or if you want to maximize capacity per 48v you can buy 280-305 Ah cells and get over 14 Kwh's of capacity per 48v battery at a cost of about 2 of the premade 100Ah 48v batteries. absolutely no reason to waste time on the 12v batteries unless you started with a smaller 12/24v system and are now expanding to 48V.
This was the first of your videos I’ve seen. You did a fantastic job! Even if there are a bunch of weirdos freaking out over a perfectly fine shelf.
WOW! Such Kind of Pristine Installation! Thanks for Sharing Your Knowledge.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Nice shed and setup & very detailed on your solar system Martin…! You could be an instructor at a college or trade school… You are making me thinking on signing up to learn about solar & taking classes… I love the name you guys gave your cat… Watts…!!! Too funny that he is wanting to help with the installation crawling in your tool box.… His name is so appropriate. @ 17:02 that music was sooooo appropriate pulling in the wires and way too funny… Great choice!!! At 24:31 always good to go over your wiring catching the ground not installed yet… Nice catch…! LOL with the explosion at 25:25…! Too funny.🤣
I've got an off grid system in a shed like you 😀 Started off with regular LIFPO4 's like you. Then added 25 KWh of server rack batteries. Currently I'm running 100% off grid with around 50 KWh total storage capcity. In the winter I heat my insolated shed with a cheap wifi electric heater. To keep the shed around 55F I burn about 1-2 KWh of power during the night.
You can't heat with power, you have to use energy.
Power is an energy _ _ _ _ _? 😂
@@SkyNoris Power is the rate of doing work. That could be for a millisecond.
Energy is work done for for a period of time. You are ignorant of physics.
Your 25KW for 1second is 25/3600=.007kw-hrs.
Electrical energy sources are measured in watt hours. This has nothing to do with physics. I was only talking about how much capcity and power used.
@@SkyNoris No, you are totally confused. You cannot think or talk about an energy system if don"t know the meaning of the words or the concepts behind them. Power ans energy are two very different things.
I loved this video and it’s very encouraging to watch. Had quite a sticker shock at almost $1,000/battery when I visited their site though!! That’s a good sponsor to have!
Great explanation, clear and articulate! Look forward to more videos from you.
Wow, your video skills are getting better by the day! Love how neat that looks and how well you explain what your do and why! Awesome video Marty! ✌🏼❤️🙏🏼
Should have used separate LiFePO4 cells and appropriate BMS, not some wacky 12v battery
Nice job sir. I love the way you explain everything with clarity. Thank you 🙏
very well explained especially the wire connections from the 16 batts and the series thing. i was almost to give up yet, i jumped when you switched on. you area great teacher
I would just put my batteries on a more sturdy shelf, if that shelf gives in you're going to have really expensive bad day.
So excited to see the difference this solar upgrade makes this winter. 😊 #battlebornbatteries
Thanks for showing your details and tool choices... Links always help!!! :)
I'd like to see the actual hook up to the house panel- I have not found one video that shows how to do that.
Great video! Thanks!❤
I am a solar contractor and I am very impressed with how well you put this together. Gonna sub and follow you around. new stalker
Nice work Martin
Are you in the Chicagoland area?
With the price of this set-up, why not/what would be the difference with a Tesla powerwall?
I'm a noob so thank you for your answer.
@@farah-5538 Tesla PowerWalls are not suited or meant for an offgrid application. They are fine as a battery back up with grid tie. They cannot utilize a generator to charge batteries.
Martin, very neatly presented and wired. One thought; why did you go with the discrete shunt as opposed to the Lynx Shunt, which would have connected straight onto the busbars, thus easing the install further?
Martin your videos are so clean and inspiring 🙂
Martin you rocks. Thank you for making this great video. You must be a humble person i bet. Thanks again 👍
Nice setup, missing however are the solar disconnect switches underneath the solar chargers (you are not supposed to misuse the MC4 solar cable connectors by disconnecting them while current is flowing)
Great install and well-presented video.
A subscription earned 🙂
Question - how does the BMS handle being in series with another BMS?
Theoretically this should shorten the battery life of the batteries- as the BMS of the battery that charges first will turn off the BMS in the other batteries in series even though they are not fully charged?
Indeed. It is really poor design to put 12V lithium batteries into series... Multiple BMS'es in series that are not communicating between them is not good on the long run and will lead to decreased working capacity and early retirement of the weakest battery in the group.
Excellent...
Very nice setup. I'm still using AGM batteries but will convert one day.
Thanks for sharing,
James
Thanks for the helpful video.
I recently purchased a robust Victron system and will be installing it soon.
I got two 10KW Quattro inverters in split phase, two 450V 200A MPPT charge controllers, and 75KW hour SOK battery bank (all from Current Connected).
Should be fun!!
Since you have added the breaker panel in the solar shed, you need to make sure your neutrals are not tied to the grounds in the house breaker panel. The first panel is the only one that they should be tied together in. Any sub panel needs to have the neutrals isolated from the grounds.
Martin, I received a suspicious reply. This is the second reply I have seen like this on your channel. Please look at the replies. I am afraid someone is spoofing you. Thanks
@@rbartlett6606 Conforms to NEC
Exactly. I was also wondering if his generator has a floating neutral.. being a separate power source. It would be interesting to know if the automatic transfer switch that’s built into his inverters are switching the neutrals too… this would be an excellent topic for another video.
@@musicbox4022 Exactly, when a generator is connected as a power source to a building, it should be floating neutral system and the bond between the "Grounding conductor" and "Equipment grounding conductor" should be made at the first service disconnect of the building. When a generator is used as a portable power supply used with extension cords, the same bond should be made at the generator itself!
@@uhjyuff2095 right but in this case he’s switching his power source between his solar/battery inverters and a generator with another inverter… So some people run both the generator and the battery inverters with bonded neutrals and simply switch the neutrals in the transfer switch, similar to an RV set up… so I’m just curious if he’s got his house set up like this or if he just uses one bonded neutral and the transfer switch only switching the hot leads with the generator floating.
Looks very nice. Simple and clean. I have to say the price of those Battle Born 12v 100ah batteries (@ $874 each on amazon) is way more expensive than the EG4-LifePower4 48v 100ah (@1,499 each) at signature. Essentially one of the EG4 is equal to four of Battle borns making the price difference $3496 for four Battle vs $1499 for one EG4. Just to be CLEAR, that's $3496 for 5kwh of Battle Born capacity VS $1499 for 5kwh of EG4 capacity. That more than double the price. Could you explain your choice here, other than that they sponsored the video?
As soon as I saw all of those Battle Borns stacked up on the wall I had the same thought. Like why is he using all that space when 5 EG4s in a 5 stack server would have been cheaper and given him more power.
I considered this as well because that's $14,000.00 worth of batteries. My guess is that, since he mentioned BattleBorn sponsored this video, hence, he likely didn't pay this for the batteries. Just my speculation.
Frederic Hoyos -you are absolutely right. He is sponsored by battleborn and that's why he doesn't mention costs. This system and video is not for average Joe out there trying to save money.
Yup guys. Simply put this solution doesn’t make sense if Battle born isn’t subsidizing the costs. There is not quality difference and some would argue that EG4’s form factor is preferable for a non mobile system. I do understand and like Battle born for mobile installation in RVs etc. there are some cheaper options in that form factor, but without getting it to all that I would say for a fixed install, this in insanely more expensive for no gains.
I watched this video and said an average off grid person is not putting a $23k solar setup in an off grid home ? And that's without adding in the solar panel costs.
I have an off grid 50ft mobile home in Northern Arizona. When I am done rebuilding it. It will have a solar generator system for under $5k. Solar powered lights. Wood stove. Small swamp cooler for the summers. Easy peazy.
I love watching Victron in action! Such great products. Also, double points for the beautiful layout!
Great products but too expensive to be worthwhile.
Amazing,clean job.
Should have a separate buss bar for your copper grounds...separate from neutral bar...and why didnt you run your batteries off the end of the 1000 distribution buss?...the way you have it is actually wrong...Also, 125 amp for the batteries is not enough...Need a separate input for that with 300 amp minimum...I would have used the Victron Energy Lynx shunt ip22 VE Can 1000....Also you don't need 2 of those Lynx Distribuors...just 1 would have sufficed.
Just a minor note, typically people put up some fireproof backer boards/wall partition boards. They are really cheap and mount directly to the wall, then you just mount all your solar/electrical stuff up against that. I always assume it was code to have them, but, every state is different ;). It'd also be nice to see as little kindling in a room like this, e.g. probably should of opted out for metal rack for the batteries instead of wood racks hehe.
> EDIT: Maybe you have cement boards up? it's hard to see and I didn't hear you mention anything about it :)
Good point
It's generally in the instructions of the inverter to mount them on a Non-Combustible Surface.
Nice job in clear words. Thanks a lot for your nice video, Mr. Martin.
Beautiful and clean setup!
Hello Martin - good video, very clear. A question: How much did all this kit cost? Is there a spreadsheet somewhere? Asking out of curiosity, having started my own DIY off grid project but stalled for various reasons.
I envy you having access to so many products and suppliers. I live in eastern Europe and the tech hasn't reached this far yet - there's little choice of products, and what there is can be of dubious origin and quality (i.e. Chinese). Importing stuff from the US is prohibitively expensive, what with transport costs, Customs duty and VAT at 20%. Hoping to source lithium batteries but they are very expensive relative to incomes over here. Same with inverters, either old tech Chinese imports or very expensive UK or German kit.
I know the Battleborns are right around $950, each. Victron Inverters are $1250 or so each. Charge-Controllers vary from $120 to over $500. Make no doubt, this is a high-dollar set-up. But the quality is immense, and i have no doubt it will last a VERY long time and fit the needs he envisions. IT is a very well-done set-up.
The whole set up, only what he is showcasing here, is about $25K if you were to actually buy it. Not including the solar panels or anything else.
His battery choice is not great. Hes paying $4000 for 48v 100AH. a Server rack battery is the same voltage and AH for $1500. He has $16000 just in batteries and only has 19,200 Watt hours of power. If he bought server rack batteris he could have had 48,000 Watt hours of power for the same price.
@@enigma9789 just made a comment about this. He was no doubt given those batteries for free. I would hope nobody actually buys those at retail cost. Server rack batteries with same/similar warranty can be gotten for almost 1/3 the costs of these. For exactly the same capacity. And in my opinion would look way cleaner.
@@AcpEngineering So... where does one get these serving battery things? Who sells them?
Mad respect for living your life as you see fit not under the confines of the utility companies.. But holy cow the over all cost of that set up would be a mortgage of its own... 😳
Wow wow wow! The best explanation ever.
Outstanding informative video. I have been worried about doing something like this, until now. Thankyou. 👍
Best video on the topic! Thank you!
Excellent job
Thank you for your good advice.