EG4 Heat Pumps?

[emptyspaces]

EG4 Hybrid Solar Mini-Split Air Conditioner Heat Pump AC/DC | 12000 BTU | SEER2 22 | Energy Star Certified | Plug-N-Cool Do-It-Yourself Installation

Signature Solar provides solar panels, off-grid solar systems, grid-tie, and hybrid systems. Quality solar inverters, bifacial solar panels, complete solar kits, solar batteries. Featuring brands such as EG4 Electronics with their solar battery, LifePower4 and EG4 LLifePower4 and EG4 LL

signaturesolar.com

Anyone know anything about these? Looks like you can connect directly to solar panels too.

 

[eXodus]

EG4 Hybrid Solar Mini-Split Air Conditioner Heat Pump AC/DC | 12000 BTU | SEER2 22 | Energy Star Certified | Plug-N-Cool Do-It-Yourself Installation

Signature Solar provides solar panels, off-grid solar systems, grid-tie, and hybrid systems. Quality solar inverters, bifacial solar panels, complete solar kits, solar batteries. Featuring brands such as EG4 Electronics with their solar battery, LifePower4 and EG4 LLifePower4 and EG4 LL

signaturesolar.com

Anyone know anything about these? Looks like you can connect directly to solar panels too.

Nothing really new when you are from Australia or Asia
Those things had been sold for a while. You can go on Aliexpress and buy the 230V version for much cheaper.

So basically - proven old technology - just now available with 120V American Voltage.

In general a good idea when most of your cooling / heating load is during the day and you don't want to bother with grid tie.

 

[SignatureSolarJames]

The hybrid function adds some cost, but hey, adding solar for daytime heat/cool as well as backup is a value add

 

[eXodus]

The hybrid function adds some cost,

permitting also adds cost A Solar A/C Hybrid would be probably best in regions where you got cool night time temperatures, and use the A/C primary during the day. Like my Florida home.

80% of our electric bill is A/C and most of that is during the day.

 

[SoakedUp]

Can these be installed with no battery or AC input. Purely ran off solar panels. I have a shipping container with some goods in it in Southern California desert which see 115-120 degrees in the summer. Would nice to be able to keep the container cooled off below 90 during the day using the solar panels I already have installed on top of the container.

 

[sunsurfer]

If someone comes up with a DC 1/2 TON unit / variable output, thats water source to water I will buy 12

 

[sunsurfer]

If someone comes up with a DC 1/2 TON unit / variable output, thats water source to water I will buy 12

I also would not mind a couple DC 1/2 TON water source mini splits.......

 

[robby]

If someone comes up with a DC 1/2 TON unit / variable output, thats water source to water I will buy 12

What exactly do you mean by Water Source to Water?

 

[sunsurfer]

What exactly do you mean by Water Source to Water?

Instead of using air to bring or remove your heat with an outside fan unit, you use water (usually ground source). Imagine if in the summer your dumping your room heat to 54F deg water vs 100F air or in the winter, pulling your heat from 54F water vs 10F air. WAY more efficient, much higher COP

 

[SoakedUp]

Easy enough to make your own. A radiator with a dc fan and pump. Feed the pipes into your water source.

 

[sunsurfer]

Easy enough to make your own. A radiator with a dc fan and pump. Feed the pipes into your water source.

Very true! Sometimes you don't need to move the heat via refrigeration. I did this in an old house with water coils in the HVAC duct. I had about 8,000 BTU's of cooling, enough for lots of the should seasons. Water was 54F. Scale is a mega issue since it was a pump and dump. I had to clean the coils every season.

First though, I'm building a cooler/dehumidifier - water heater. Fractional HP. Some nights in the summer and shoulder season even a 5,000 BTU a/c is to much. Just something to take the edge off and why not heat up some water vs dumping it outside?

 

[robby]

Instead of using air to bring or remove your heat with an outside fan unit, you use water (usually ground source). Imagine if in the summer your dumping your room heat to 54F deg water vs 100F air or in the winter, pulling your heat from 54F water vs 10F air. WAY more efficient, much higher COP

Sounds very similar to what i was told most Hotels use to use back in the 1990s.
The big difference is that they super cooled the water in large containers and then circulate it to the various AC units and then the warm water returned to the central cooling tanks. I think they used Ammonia based compressors to cool the big tanks.

 

[AJB]

Can these be installed with no battery or AC input. Purely ran off solar panels. I have a shipping container with some goods in it in Southern California desert which see 115-120 degrees in the summer. Would nice to be able to keep the container cooled off below 90 during the day using the solar panels I already have installed on top of the container.

With a little insulation I imagine it would. These units as well as a few other ‘brands’ are products from Deye. I have a 24k model that runs great on solar alone. In my research I found some required the grid to operate, definitely confirm that with your source.

 

[mentalarson]

I purchased 4 of these EG4-12K Heatpumps from Signature Solar for my new barndominium.
I also purchased 4 x 355W panels for each one.
However, the PV from those panels will not have any place to go when the units cycle off.

What would it take to split the output of the PV arrays so the excess PV can be dumped into my batteries when the heatpumps are not running?

I have 2 x LV6548 inverters that will be connected to my main array of 32 x 395W panels with 6 x EG4-LL 5KwH batteries.

 

[eXodus]

I purchased 4 of these EG4-12K Heatpumps from Signature Solar for my new barndominium.
I also purchased 4 x 355W panels for each one.
However, the PV from those panels will not have any place to go when the units cycle off.

What would it take to split the output of the PV arrays so the excess PV can be dumped into my batteries when the heatpumps are not running?

I have 2 x LV6548 inverters that will be connected to my main array of 32 x 395W panels with 6 x EG4-LL 5KwH batteries.

Are the heat pumps single stage? On/off or inverter type? The variable speed inverter will probably run all year run depending on the climate

Anything you do to the a/c unit will make a simple system complex. It is okay to waste excess solar.
Just buy more panels they are cheap.

You have so much solar on the primary system. And the panels for the a/c are a different size. So difficult to connect

I would try it out for a year or two and see if you need the additional power from a/c array.

 

[timselectric]

However, the PV from those panels will not have any place to go when the units cycle off.

It doesn't need to go anywhere.
I agree with exodus.
Keep it simple.

 

[mentalarson]

@timselectric @eXodus Thank you for the feedback. That sounds like the best move.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

@Will Prowse did a review on the EG4 Heat Pump a few days ago.

Looks like a great unit, and the ability to run AC and heat %100 off solar during the day will be awesome!
I’m considering getting one this spring before summer hits, but I do really wish they came with pre charged quick connect hoses like Mr Cool units do. That would likely open the appeal up to many more diy’ers.
I’d rather not have to pay an hvac technician and I’d rather not buy an evacuation setup to use just once, as I have enough stuff laying around already.
Seems like they are kind of blowing it on that issue, and they could just option different hose lengths to remedy the coiled up hose issue Will mentions in the video.
If you are in a remote-ish “away from it all” location, an hvac co will charge dearly for the service due to time and mileage. And in my experience, plumbers, electricians, and hvac companies are not eager to come work on someones diy project. Liability issues for one reason.

Thanks for doing the review Will!

Edit: imagine if just half the homes running AC from the grid in So CA, NV, AZ, NM, UT etc were able to run their ac off the grid in the daytime, and just 25% of those had battery systems to run the units at night. No more rolling black outs.
Of course the Utility Co’s would likely scream for more fees and rate hikes though.
To me, this technology looks to be game changing, exciting stuff. Thanks EG4.
I look forward to seeing more of these type units hit the market.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

Seems like ?Crickets? ? ? on this product, really?
Seems like a game changer to me…
Am I missing something?

 

[eXodus]

Seems like ?Crickets? ? ? on this product, really?
Seems like a game changer to me…
Am I missing something?

Really depends on the climate you are in. It's $1300 + shipping.
The usecase is limited.

While you can grab a regular 12000 BTU heatpump local usually around $600.

Then you just get el cheapo all in one inverter for $500 and you got a much more useful system for similar cost
More wiring but hey we are a DIY board here.

 

[Danke]

@Will Prowse did a review on the EG4 Heat Pump a few days ago.

Looks like a great unit, and the ability to run AC and heat %100 off solar during the day will be awesome!
I’m considering getting one this spring before summer hits, but I do really wish they came with pre charged quick connect hoses like Mr Cool units do. That would likely open the appeal up to many more diy’ers.
I’d rather not have to pay an hvac technician and I’d rather not buy an evacuation setup to use just once, as I have enough stuff laying around already.
Seems like they are kind of blowing it on that issue, and they could just option different hose lengths to remedy the coiled up hose issue Will mentions in the video.
If you are in a remote-ish “away from it all” location, an hvac co will charge dearly for the service due to time and mileage. And in my experience, plumbers, electricians, and hvac companies are not eager to come work on someones diy project. Liability issues for one reason.

Thanks for doing the review Will!

Edit: imagine if just half the homes running AC from the grid in So CA, NV, AZ, NM, UT etc were able to run their ac off the grid in the daytime, and just 25% of those had battery systems to run the units at night. No more rolling black outs.
Of course the Utility Co’s would likely scream for more fees and rate hikes though.
To me, this technology looks to be game changing, exciting stuff. Thanks EG4.
I look forward to seeing more of these type units hit the market.

?

“If you live in a dark, cold, cloudy place, I recommend you leave…humans did not evolve in those climates.” -Will P

Seriously Will, you need heating in Vegas!?

 

[Danke]

Really depends on the climate you are in. It's $1300 + shipping.
The usecase is limited.

While you can grab a regular 12000 BTU heatpump local usually around $600.

Then you just get el cheapo all in one inverter for $500 and you got a much more useful system for similar cost
More wiring but hey we are a DIY board here.

Ya, I’m not going to dedicate panels for one appliance. All of them connect to my inverters.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

Really depends on the climate you are in. It's $1300 + shipping.
The usecase is limited.

While you can grab a regular 12000 BTU heatpump local usually around $600.

Then you just get el cheapo all in one inverter for $500 and you got a much more useful system for similar cost
More wiring but hey we are a DIY board here.

Please post a link to the 12k btu heat pumps for $600. I’d be very interested in buying a couple.
And limited use case?
Maybe if you’re in a cold dark place as @Will Prowse mentioned in the video ?.

Most of the western US could use this system nearly year round. And the rest of the country could likely benefit as well, just not as often.

I have a place near LA at about 4000ft elevation that this will be perfect for. 27f last night, snow expected later today, and it is commonly 90-100+ in summer. No shortage of sun except when it rains or snows.
This unit would give me free heat probably 50-75% of winter days if I panel it aptly. That’s more than acceptable to me.

A portion of the garage was converted to a rec room years ago before I obtained it. It will be a shop / mancave room once the rest of the place is updated and improved.
It’s a 330 sq ft room, with a south and west facing gable roof. New R 30 cieling insulation, and so called “cool” roof (4/12 pitch) with vents, R15 walls (old 2x4 construction), new dual pane windows (2). Thermostat bluetooth controlled gable attic vent fan.
That room absolutely BAKES in the summer and is cold ? in winter.
I look forward to keeping that room cool in the daytime this summer with FREE solar energy, and no inverter loss. Keeping it cool all day for FREE will make it easier to be cool in the evening when temps drop. And I can heat that room for free in winter, and in both hot or cold seasons let the conditioned air migrate to the adjoining areas. I figure the payback period will be under 2 years compared to running window ac units. Maybe less.

When I see this system works well for that room, I’ll buy another for another area of the house, or the 24k btu unit if I can configure 3 air handlers like mr cool and other manufacturers offer.
Hopefully members @SignatureSolarJames and @SignatureSolarAdam will consider developing and marketing multi air handler units, and make ALL these units with quick connects like others do. That would make them soooo much more DIY friendly, and eliminate or greatly reduce most faulty install issues.

Imnsho there must be literally millions of use cases for this type of unit in the US.
Pretty much all of So Cal, and significant areas if AZ, NV, NM, TX, and UT for starters.


PS ultimately I’d like to power these units after solar hrs with an all in one inverter and a server rack battery bank.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

?

“If you live in a dark, cold, cloudy place, I recommend you leave…humans did not evolve in those climates.” -Will P

Seriously Will, you need heating in Vegas!?

View attachment 124311

I found the “I recommend you leave” comment ? as well.

Contrary to popular opinion, Las Vegas does get a bit chilly at night 6 mos or so a year, as does the rest of the desert.

 

[timselectric]

It's probably good for some situations.
But, I'm going completely off grid/solar.
If I have to power it from my system at night. Then it will be powered by my system during the day. All of my solar panels provide power all day long, to my system/batteries. Not just if one appliance is running.