EP Cube Review

Adding battery storage for on-grid use with GT PV is important, as net metering gets killed off.
Backup performance, including starting A/C or well pump, is important.

Motor starting surge. Amps, and quote in terms of motor and A/C size it can start.
Continuous output.

Both when near full, and when near empty.

AC coupling with GT PV "Rule-21" inverters.
Behavior modulating PV production when PV exceeds loads and varies.

Load-dump response when large load suddenly shuts off while fully charged. e.g. with 7.6kW of PV and fully charged, power a 7.6kW load then shut it off. See if AC continues to be produced without glitching or shutting off.

Will Prowse said:

But I've had people call me insensitive for recommending victron and other more expensive off-grid products. Where do you draw the line?

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True, If you build a cheap no name/warranty system.

People will say it's garbage and you are being paid to recommend junk.

Same goes for the high-end components.

Will Prowse said:

But I've had people call me insensitive for recommending victron and other more expensive off-grid products. Where do you draw the line?

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I don't get how that's insensitive. DIY doesn't necessarily mean inexpensive. I put in a Sol-Ark 15K, but then did my own batteries, so both ends of the scale.

Will Prowse said:

Alright this thread is arguing what diy is and price point. That's the not point of this post. Is there testing of ep Cube and other similar stackable and code compliant systems that you guys want me to test. I'm not going to argue what constitutes cheap or expensive. I test products and do not care about price. Whether it's cheap or expensive I test everything

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Will be good to compare this to ecoflow Delta pro ultra and other systems.

I think it is worth reviewing, even if a number of us here on this forum may not go for it, other people may, and sometimes the "plug-n-play" type systems that just work with existing GTI is what some want, even if it costs more.

I don't have much to add in terms of specifics, but just here to say I'd enjoy watching your review of this system.
I watched the AveRage Joe video on it and it was fairly extensive install process but still good to watch.

Hedges said:

Adding battery storage for on-grid use with GT PV is important, as net metering gets killed off.
Backup performance, including starting A/C or well pump, is important.

Motor starting surge. Amps, and quote in terms of motor and A/C size it can start.
Continuous output.

Both when near full, and when near empty.

AC coupling with GT PV "Rule-21" inverters.
Behavior modulating PV production when PV exceeds loads and varies.

Load-dump response when large load suddenly shuts off while fully charged. e.g. with 7.6kW of PV and fully charged, power a 7.6kW load then shut it off. See if AC continues to be produced without glitching or shutting off.

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Very good ideas for testing!! The load dump response when load shuts off is a great idea.

Will, my personal take is it would be good for you to review/asses systems that can be either Complete DIY to Self-Installable commercial products. There are products that are not intended for DIY and if DIY installed will have no warranty etc... I think they are worth mention but no grand detail as it would be pointless.

The "PowerWall" (in a generic sense) is something a LOT of various companies offer, some DIY-able and many not. Not just the AIO but with battery families for them. These certainly are gaining a lot of traction and more coming available seemingly daily...

I would ask you to consider a simple truth: an increasing number of folks looking towards Solar Power out of necessity who have tight/limited budgets and I feel the need to cover low cost simple systems is just as important as more expensive systems.

Last point for consideration... AIOs are good to have available and they have sure come a long way over the past few years BUT Component Systems ar still as popular if not more in general, there are many use cases & budgetary cases where Component Systems are the proper solution...

Remember the folks trying to "survive" in Van's, RV's and busses etc and the vast majority of those folks are on tight budgets and restricted means... Think back to your situation in 2015 etc...

I don't know if you are considering things like the "Bluetti" Stackables to systems that can power your house & yard tools too but these "Battery Systems / Portable Electric Generators" & all the named variations is something pretty deep to get into as it's changing at a record pace.

For anyone who doesn't appreciate how many "Commercial" systems like Tesla Powerwalls etc are out there... let alone the variations, have a look at the link here... It was last updated May 2023 and is about to be "refreshed" again... Look at the sections and be AGOG !

Ohh I remembered so EDIT: There have been a few people referring to your older plans & links provided who have reported that links are dead or product is no longer available etc... I may be prudent to recheck the vids & plans etc to see if they are still relevant and such.

I leaned heavily toward this system until I discovered it didn't work with my 400-amp electric service unless I split it into two systems.

I would say part of DIY is to have some turn key components. Its good to have a variety of "tools" in your toolbox.

I have a DIY Victron system and 3 solar generators (2kw, 600w, 256w) that I really appreciate when I am working on the Victron system. I sometimes need something that just works.

This forum has a spectrum of people from pure DIY to those who want to buy a turn key system. I would appreciate the review of the EP cube.

I would love to see this reviewed. There is a huge market for this type of product, I believe

Just run it through the regular tests.
I'm not interested in it. but I'm sure that someone is. And you need to find content, somewhere.
You can't keep talking about the same old things.

I have a really fun idea for these types of systems actually haha just want as many fun ideas as possible. I'm also going to be charging it off peak hours because I have an EV charging agreement. Actually I probably need to find some more dump loads. Large inductive ones that cycle on and off all day. Running multiple air conditioners in Las Vegas is probably the best test on these.

These products do seem to be getting better over time. In the last year it's been all software related issues. But the software problems are now being fixed.

What we need is massive scale installation crews for those who cannot install their own system.

Will Prowse said:

What we need is massive scale installation crews for those who cannot install their own system.

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Funny part of that, past 3 months I have been doing "field work" in my near area... demand (need) is increasing and people are approaching me for info & help... (small town nearby, many people know me and know I'm a "solar guy with answers"), so everytime I'm in hardware store, lumber yard etc I get asked questions, asked to visit & assess etc... Gee, maybe it's the Midnite Solar Hats, or T-shirts etc...

Any other testing that you guys want me to do on the system?

Generac's (whole home generators) are installed only by authorized dealers; any attempt to deviate from their installation guide, and warranty is lost. Any weird issues at the site, and warranty is lost. Units don't "complete" installation until the "owner/site" is registered. All adds up to massive headaches, and forums full of WTF threads.

This kind of system also mentions authorized installers & such, and many other solar gear suppliers seem to be following this route. I think I saw off-grid wording in the manuals, but I kind of doubt it, at least, not for rural folks.

The gateway is kind of a giveaway to "cloud-control", as in, the company owns it ... not the owner. Comms, updates, authorized-dealer-agreements & conditions ...

All of the above is just a big bucket of red flags for me ...

Not sure that told you what to test, but I'm sure you'll find possible issues with all of that as you bring in one of these systems.

It's quite a slog thru all the docs, to see what warranty ultimately looks like, but did notice:
- "take and upload photos of the successful commissioning and submit for final approval by EP Team"
- "Do not attempt to open, disassemble, tamper with, or modify the EP Cube without prior written
approval from the EP company"
- This equipment complies with rules of FCC Part15, any changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment"
- "EP Cube can only be installed, repaired, replaced, and maintained by the EP authorized personnel
for safety and warranty purposes"
- "Extended periods without an active internet connection will prevent firmware updates and may impact the product warranty"

And that was just one doc, the installation "guide". Just as in Generac's, this system can only be installed into the home right next to the "authorized dealer's home" ...

Will Prowse said:

Any other testing that you guys want me to do on the system?

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Not related to this system, but I'd love to see you do some more testing and demos on solar panels. What is the 'real' gain people can expect to get from bi-facial panels in various configurations, including on an RV roof? Where are the best places to buy solar panels now that prices are in free fall? Are there dealers that will ship less than 10 panels at a time? How do you extend the cables when your panels have cables for portrait installation and you're doing a landscape installation?

I'd also like to potentially see you do some reviews on Balance Of System components. Where is a great place to get DC breakers? What are some good rules of thumb on how to size them? The pros and cons of stranded versus solid wire in mobile applications would be interesting? What about ferrules with stranded wire?

Maybe get back to your roots and do a couple of segments on the state of solar in the RV world for the do-it-yourselfer. A lot has changed since you lived on wheels.

50ShadesOfDirt said:

Generac's (whole home generators) are installed only by authorized dealers; any attempt to deviate from their installation guide, and warranty is lost. Any weird issues at the site, and warranty is lost. Units don't "complete" installation until the "owner/site" is registered. All adds up to massive headaches, and forums full of WTF threads.

This kind of system also mentions authorized installers & such, and many other solar gear suppliers seem to be following this route. I think I saw off-grid wording in the manuals, but I kind of doubt it, at least, not for rural folks.

The gateway is kind of a giveaway to "cloud-control", as in, the company owns it ... not the owner. Comms, updates, authorized-dealer-agreements & conditions ...

All of the above is just a big bucket of red flags for me ...

Not sure that told you what to test, but I'm sure you'll find possible issues with all of that as you bring in one of these systems.

It's quite a slog thru all the docs, to see what warranty ultimately looks like, but did notice "take and upload photos of the successful commissioning and submit for final approval by EP Team" ...

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Yes same is true with Tesla powrwall and their warranty etc. That's why I don't like it. If you use it purely off-grid you'll have issues. Power cube is supposed to be fine off-grid and without internet. That's my biggest actual concern is what you just listed out.

100 Proof said:

Not related to this system, but I'd love to see you do some more testing and demos on solar panels. What is the 'real' gain people can expect to get from bi-facial panels in various configurations, including on an RV roof? Where are the best places to buy solar panels now that prices are in free fall? Are there dealers that will ship less than 10 panels at a time? How do you extend the cables when your panels have cables for portrait installation and you're doing a landscape installation?

I'd also like to potentially see you do some reviews on Balance Of System components. Where is a great place to get DC breakers? What are some good rules of thumb on how to size them? The pros and cons of stranded versus solid wire in mobile applications would be interesting? What about ferrules with stranded wire?

Maybe get back to your roots and do a couple of segments on the state of solar in the RV world for the do-it-yourselfer. A lot has changed since you lived on wheels.

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Yes lots of mobile system videos planned this year. Working on one right now actually.

The panels are tough because desert environments are not the best place for bifacials. Just doesn't justify the cost. I'm doing an array right now and I'm not getting bifacials. Ohh interesting point about portrait landscape and cable reach.

I need to make a new thread for new video ideas.

If something requires an internet connection to work, I don't want it.

My Chilicon micros have a gateway that connects to the grid for reporting and such, but the wifi on the gateway is garbage and is disconnects itself 99% of the time anyway for some dumb reason. Everything works fine, so I'm cool with it.