feedback: this forum has convinced me not to build a solar system.

[1201]

Ok I'll look deeper into it. Is there a particular model number you're referring to? Any idea if it is capable of passing a generator through, and/or charging the batteries using grid power?

Search for threads started by @42OhmsPA

As for short ROI- yes, but I'm willing to give up $1400 extra for a battery pack that is purpose built with everything nicely tucked inside.

You could buy a specially made box for another $500, or cover anything exposed with plexiglass and tape.

$1400-1600 buys a lot of pv. Or a mini split for your garage so you can put the parts inside. Etc etc.

But I understand if you would rather just buy a battery

 

[Brucey]

And please, battery inside where it was designed and made to be. Honestly your lawn mower is more dangerous.

But surely the eg4 all weather pro is designed for the outdoors?

 

[Quattrohead]

But surely the eg4 all weather pro is designed for the outdoors?

Yes it is but I don't know about the heaters in Maine in winter, I've been there and I'm not going back

 

[Andrewr05]

Power was 20 cents/kWh here a few years ago, next year it will be 30 cents.

I pay 23 cents per Kw here in New Hampshire.

 

[Bananaman321]

I pay 23 cents per Kw here in New Hampshire.

Check out my janky *ss solar array

2.2kw

 

[robbob2112]

Not sure that LiFePO4 batteries generate much heat, charging or discharging. FET BMS to have I^2R power.

The LFP batteries generate very little heat when charging or discharging at high rates and pretty much none at low rates.

Ok I'll look deeper into it. Is there a particular model number you're referring to? Any idea if it is capable of passing a generator through, and/or charging the batteries using grid power?

As for short ROI- yes, but I'm willing to give up $1400 extra for a battery pack that is purpose built with everything nicely tucked inside. I'm a very paranoid person, especially about high-current wiring (due to a previous career of mine). Every exposed wire/terminal I see is another nightmare I have about arc, visitors who get injured due to ignorance, father-in-laws accidentally putting a shovel across battery terminals, etc. The $1400 buys me both peace of mind, and many hours back in not having to build it myself, and then build a shell for it myself, and then build a bracket for the shell myself, and on and on.

I plan to DIY batteries, but that suits my temperment - and you are making the right choice for you from what I read. It takes minimum 3 months obsessing over battery building to learn all the ins and out of doing it perfectly. Anything less than perfection is a risk. Oh yes, when building a DIY battery you must chant "be the borg, I am a borg, resistance is futile" the whole time. Channel your inner borg.

Enclosing it isn't required - it has an inbuilt heater to keep the battery cells at 32f - It does consume power so it might make sense to keep it from getting sooo cold, so that 224w (5Khrs per day) stays in the battery or available for use. Or put out another 1200w of panels to offset that in a day. Like any heater I am sure it cycles off and on so it isn't actually running all the time, just depends on temp.

https://eg4electronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EG4-14.3kWh-PowerPro-WallMount-AW-Spec-Sheet.pdf

 

[Zwy]

Winter starts Nov 1 here, so I need to get the thing together pretty quick. I love DIY too, but the scale of this project demands some $ exchanged for expediency. Also if I tell my wife I DIY'd the batteries she is going to get upset.

Try this instead, not hard to do.

Getting cells top balanced with an active balancer is easy too.