Basic questions before ordering

[Bluedog225]

Good morning,

I’m trying to place an order today with Docan and/or Signature Solar and had some very basic questions.

What is the approximate weight of 16 Eve 304 cells? I’d like to pick up in Houston. And it looks like the EG4s are about 109 lbs each, correct? Need to manage my trailer capacity.

It looks like (3x) EG4’s are about the same capacity as (16x) Eve 304’s. And roughly $4,500 for the EG4’s versus about $3,000 for the EVE’s. Am I in the ballpark?

Can I mix battery types using one system? That is, have an EG4 and a DIY pack on the same system? And add someting else later? Are there considerations or drawbacks here?

I’m thinking about three EG4’s to get me up and running and 32 EVE’s as a summer diy project.

I am assuming the respective charge controllers would care for the cells but don’t want to screw this up.

Any advice appreciated.

Many thanks!

 

[timselectric]

Yes, you can do this.
You would also still be able to use the communications with the EG4's. The diy battery would just add storage capacity.
I personally wouldn't recommend adding different types together. Stick with Lithium phosphate, for all.

 

[Solar388]

You might want to make sure the 304's are in stock before you take off to Houston. I just ordered some last week and while there 'were' on the website ( now removed ) however they were not in stock when I ordered and paid, and I was contacted by Amy 5 days later that even China was out of 304's right now. Even substituting for 280's seems difficult right now as I have no yet received confirmation this is going to happen.

So the EG4 might have to be your up front plan for now.

 

[Bluedog225]

Thanks. I was noticing that. I’ve got an email in to Docan but no response yet.

 

[joanna_lannie]

The premise of mixing batteries is that your batteries need to be of the same chemical properties, such as lead-acid or LiFePO4. In addition, you need to connect the EG4 with the DIY battery pack in parallel, don't think about using the series, you will have an accident. Of course, if you're a battery guru, you can connect the batteries however you want, because you always have a way to deal with all the jitters, but if you're just a battery novice, use the parallel method.