Looking for feedback on my choices for inverter and batteries

[Electronic]

You need to find the UL listing docs for UL9540 2020 2nd edition for an ESS, it will list the inverter and the batteries that were tested together. Then you need to look at the CEC list. Some Ess's have this particular flavor of UL listing but are not on the CEC list yet although they could be soon. Last I checked ;None of the lower cost (solark,schenider,eg4) Ess's are on the CEC list yet... but I think soon. The Solark and Scheider have UL9540 2nd ed ESS documents, Eg4.. not yet

Thanks for the info! So where do I find what batteries the Sol-Ark inverter is UL9540 certified with? Looks like the more suitable 5kW Sol-Ark (for me) inverter is not on the CEC list yet.

Sol-Ark 15K Hybrid Inverter on CEC List

The Sol-Ark™ 15K solar hybrid inverter has been approved for the CEC list and is a huge expansion opportunity for this new product. Learn more.

www.sol-ark.com

 

[damo green]

It's a pain to get access to the UL database, usually it's the battery manufacturer that gets the testing approval, so go to the battery manufacturer and ask them for a link to the doc. Also google the keywords "UL 9540 +pdf + SGS+Intertek+ the battery maker or inverter" SGS and Intertek are just two of the common testing companies that they use for the procedure. Then when you get to the doc make sure it says " UL9540 2020 2nd edition" and look at equipment combos that are on the doc. Usually a company uses the same testing houses, so if you can find ANY document you can then find out their preferred testing house and use that name in the search. Best to just ask the battery peeps for their dox, but sometimes it's faster to search. Also sometimes their is more then one doc, listing different amounts of batteries tested with a certain inverter. Try "ul9540 sgs pytes pdf" for practice

 

[Electronic]

It's a pain to get access to the UL database, usually it's the battery manufacturer that gets the testing approval, so go to the battery manufacturer and ask them for a link to the doc. Also google the keywords "UL 9540 +pdf + SGS+Intertek+ the battery maker or inverter" SGS and Intertek are just two of the common testing companies that they use for the procedure. Then when you get to the doc make sure it says " UL9540 2020 2nd edition" and look at equipment combos that are on the doc. Usually a company uses the same testing houses, so if you can find ANY document you can then find out their preferred testing house and use that name in the search. Best to just ask the battery peeps for their dox, but sometimes it's faster to search. Also sometimes their is more then one doc, listing different amounts of batteries tested with a certain inverter. Try "ul9540 sgs pytes pdf" for practice

Got it thanks. I will be running some google searches and will be checking SOK and EG4 battery pages.

 

[damo green]

Got it thanks. I will be running some google searches and will be checking SOK and EG4 battery pages.

EG4 and SOK have no 2nd edition listed ESS's yet, I'd be excited if I am incorrect. Pytes and Solark, Connext PRO and Kilovault have 2nd ed. approvals. Look at AltE site under UL9540 approved ESS' I think Kilovault is approved wwith both Connext PRO AND SOL Ark

 

[Electronic]

EG4 and SOK have no 2nd edition listed ESS's yet, I'd be excited if I am incorrect. Pytes and Solark, Connext PRO and Kilovault have 2nd ed. approvals. Look at AltE site under UL9540 approved ESS' I think Kilovault is approved wwith both Connext PRO AND SOL Ark

Yeah I saw the AltE listing UL9540 compliant energy storage. The cheapest battery + inverter option is $11K and that is more than I want to spend. I will wait for others.

 

[zanydroid]

Yeah I saw the AltE listing UL9540 compliant energy storage. The cheapest battery + inverter option is $11K and that is more than I want to spend. I will wait for others.

I think the next “budget” one will be the 18k plus EG4 server racks or battery wall. Price is already up for it and you can buy the unlabeled or UL9540A only hardware. I doubt prices will go up after listing.

 

[damo green]

I think the next “budget” one will be the 18k plus EG4 server racks or battery wall. Price is already up for it and you can buy the unlabeled or UL9540A only hardware. I doubt prices will go up after listing.

yeah I'd already have bought that if it was listed.... don't want to buy anything until it's actually listed

 

[Electronic]

I think the next “budget” one will be the 18k plus EG4 server racks or battery wall. Price is already up for it and you can buy the unlabeled or UL9540A only hardware. I doubt prices will go up after listing.

I hope there will be other inverter options. If not it will be a longer wait for me.

 

[zanydroid]

Which options are you interested in? You need at least the battery maker or the inverter maker to be interested in paying for the testing and certs.

Generally I assume if the inverter maker is tight with a big battery maker (ie inside the same company) they won’t pursue a listing. I have no special insider industry knowledge though

 

[Electronic]

Which options are you interested in? You need at least the battery maker or the inverter maker to be interested in paying for the testing and certs.

Generally I assume if the inverter maker is tight with a big battery maker (ie inside the same company) they won’t pursue a listing. I have no special insider industry knowledge though

I need a ~4kW inverter. Looks like Sol-Ark may have a smaller (5K) one to be CEC listed.

 

[zanydroid]

I need a ~4kW inverter. Looks like Sol-Ark may have a smaller (5K) one to be CEC listed.

They had a 5K version that got kind of blacklisted by both HECO and CEC. 120V single phase model.

CEC would not matter for off grid since code does not require it, but you would need it to be workable for your backup goals (capability wise) as well as UL9540

Is there a new one?

 

[Electronic]

Not sure if it is new. This is what it says on their website.

 

[zanydroid]

How old is this text? Other than the optimizer I’ve seen the other ones.

I was looking at the 5K-1P quite a lot a while back and I’m sure it’s questionable for grid tie in California. I believe some resellers even explicitly say it’s no good for CEC/HECO right before you place the order. So it would have to be a newly released updated hardware

 

[Electronic]

It is a year and 2 days old (it is on the Sol-Ark page I shared above). I guess that page is out of date. So I maybe in for a longer wait.

 

[Xmasterfunk]

I see Sol-Ark 15kW and Outback has UL9540 but those are an overkill for me.

Where did you see this? if you don't mind me asking for direct link...

I am currently using Outback Mojave (with EG4-LL batteries), but there are some firmware and general support issues I am trying to work with Outback on.

 

[zanydroid]

I don’t think Outback has UL9540 with EG4 batteries, though I haven’t checked in a while.

Outback is owned by EnerSys so I would imagine the only party interested (maybe) in getting it UL9540 would be EG4 if they want to sell batteries and don’t mind losing inverter sales to do it

EnerSys/Mojave getting UL9540 when paired with a battery competitor would be weird.

 

[Electronic]

Where did you see this? if you don't mind me asking for direct link...

I am currently using Outback Mojave (with EG4-LL batteries), but there are some firmware and general support issues I am trying to work with Outback on.

On this page: https://www.altestore.com/store/solar-power-systems/energy-storage-systems-ul9540-c4470/

 

[Electronic]

I don’t think Outback has UL9540 with EG4 batteries, though I haven’t checked in a while.

Outback is owned by EnerSys so I would imagine the only party interested (maybe) in getting it UL9540 would be EG4 if they want to sell batteries and don’t mind losing inverter sales to do it

EnerSys/Mojave getting UL9540 when paired with a battery competitor would be weird.

Not EG4. This page has the details

 

[Xmasterfunk]

I don’t think Outback has UL9540 with EG4 batteries, though I haven’t checked in a while.

Outback is owned by EnerSys so I would imagine the only party interested (maybe) in getting it UL9540 would be EG4 if they want to sell batteries and don’t mind losing inverter sales to do it

EnerSys/Mojave getting UL9540 when paired with a battery competitor would be weird.

This matches what I have experienced.
EnerSys does not want Outback Inverters to help any batteries compete with EnerSys batteries. I am dealing with this with Outback right now. Already having purchased a Mojave and working with them on issues, Outback is now telling me they are removing support for ALL lithium battery configs. This makes me sad because I already have Mojave and EG4-LL specifically because (at the time I bought them) Mojave supported "Custom Lithium" batteries.

 

[zanydroid]

This matches what I have experienced.
EnerSys does not want Outback Inverters to help any batteries compete with EnerSys batteries. I am dealing with this with Outback right now. Already having purchased a Mojave and working with them on issues, Outback is now telling me they are removing support for ALL lithium battery configs. This makes me sad because I already have Mojave and EG4-LL specifically because (at the time I bought them) Mojave supported "Custom Lithium" batteries.

Wow that is worse than I thought...