• Have you tried out dark mode?! Scroll to the bottom of any page to find a sun or moon icon to turn dark mode on or off!

diy solar

diy solar

Oops, I did it again...

MrSparkle said:
Who was your first dealer?
Click to expand...

For these blue prismatic cells, and not for some project/company but for me personally, there was a seller 6 years ago on Alibaba called 'Shenzen Haomi Electronic', now long gone.

Definitely not free though - €3215.5 for 32 x 280Ah cells, shipped. For reference, these new ones are better quality and have more capacity and would come in at around 2400 Euro including shipping if you buy 32.

Things were the 'wild east' 'back then'.
 
upnorthandpersonal said:
So, the thing is... after this is one is installed I won't have space for more... which means I really need to get started on my 1MWh container soon.
Click to expand...
I've got a 40ft container of Lithium batteries on deck...

I couldn't talk the captain into making a detour to eastern Washington on our way from Japan to Guam... 🥺
 
houseofancients said:
Have them in 19" full size server racks that in their previous life hosted SAN 'S ( basically the were full of harddisks).
Created my own busbars from copperstock
Click to expand...
I didn't have access to any server racks - even though I get to work side by side with some IT-companies, just never worked out.
When I decided the solar power plant was going to be a long term part of my shop, I figured best to set it up to hold the packs I have now, x2 for future expansion. I built my own 'rack' using angle iron and shallow unistrut, and followed standard rack sizes - ESS 1 is up and running, ESS 2 to the right remains under construction - angle supports on the strut is next step, then fabricate steel frame and doors to enclose it.
IMG_6328.jpg

Each pack slides in on steel angle iron supports set 10.5" apart 270mm like a server rack, with 10 spaces per tower.
This is only possible for me because the shop has a dedicated fork lift to hoist these heavy packs into position. In fact, the forklift access is what drove the design decision to put the ESS facing the open shop area rather than turned 90-degrees and facing into the electrical room to the right.
My packs are 280Ah and 304Ah (- except the two factory packs you can see in the pic.) - each pack is heavy.
I am always watching to see what other members do with their packs, open shelves or racks, wall packs etc. Always interesting to see the solutions.
 
OffGridForGood said:
I didn't have access to any server racks - even though I get to work side by side with some IT-companies, just never worked out.
When I decided the solar power plant was going to be a long term part of my shop, I figured best to set it up to hold the packs I have now, x2 for future expansion. I built my own 'rack' using angle iron and shallow unistrut, and followed standard rack sizes - ESS 1 is up and running, ESS 2 to the right remains under construction - angle supports on the strut is next step, then fabricate steel frame and doors to enclose it.
View attachment 269558

Each pack slides in on steel angle iron supports set 10.5" apart 270mm like a server rack, with 10 spaces per tower.
This is only possible for me because the shop has a dedicated fork lift to hoist these heavy packs into position. In fact, the forklift access is what drove the design decision to put the ESS facing the open shop area rather than turned 90-degrees and facing into the electrical room to the right.
My packs are 280Ah and 304Ah (- except the two factory packs you can see in the pic.) - each pack is heavy.
I am always watching to see what other members do with their packs, open shelves or racks, wall packs etc. Always interesting to see the solutions.
Click to expand...
Very nice work..
As our company was moving to the cloud , the racks became obsolete, and , provided I'd remove them, they were free, I picked up 3 ..
To put them in I'm using APC battery rails, man power , and a hydrolic shop liftkart

Do have a question though, because I still need to make "sliding rails" , so I more easily open a box up when maintenance is required..

Isn't the unistrut too weak to hold the 115 kg ( 330 pounds) per box ?
Thinking of buying the wheels available for unistrut , but always doubted if it would be strong enough
 
houseofancients said:
Very nice work..
As our company was moving to the cloud , the racks became obsolete, and , provided I'd remove them, they were free, I picked up 3 ..
To put them in I'm using APC battery rails, man power , and a hydrolic shop liftkart
Click to expand...
very nice - I wish I could have got some IT-racking, but the timing was just not lining up - by the time they were taking away the racks, I was off-site on to the next job.
houseofancients said:
Do have a question though, because I still need to make "sliding rails" , so I more easily open a box up when maintenance is required..
Click to expand...

You can go with full-extension heavy duty drawer glides - I looked at some, but decided the cost was too much for the benefit in my case. I wax the rails and the bottom edges of the boxes, and it all sildes quite well as it is. The steel angle supports are all cleaned up, prime and painted left to cure a good while before any packs go in, so the paint doesn't try to become an adhesive !
houseofancients said:
Isn't the unistrut too weak to hold the 115 kg ( 330 pounds) per box ?
Click to expand...
The strut I am using is the low profile 13/16" (21mm) and it is bolted to the column between each and every pack - ie the strut doesn't carry the load - the columns do.

houseofancients said:
Thinking of buying the wheels available for unistrut , but always doubted if it would be strong enough
Click to expand...
Strut comes in various thicknesses - heavier stuff costs more.
It can be sourced in galv. steel, stainless, aluminum. And there are double strut options -two strut factory welded together.
For a rolling cart you may be better off with a heavy duty base and wheels and just build the strut on top of this base.
If you can fabricate - build a frame from hollow box tube sufficient to carry the loads you have.
If fabrication is not available just get a square of heavy plate steel cut for you from a shop - attach the wheels under it and the strut above with bolts - pick the plate thickness you need to do what ya want to do.
 
Last edited:
houseofancients said:
Very nice work..
As our company was moving to the cloud , the racks became obsolete, and , provided I'd remove them, they were free, I picked up 3 ..
To put them in I'm using APC battery rails, man power , and a hydrolic shop liftkart

Do have a question though, because I still need to make "sliding rails" , so I more easily open a box up when maintenance is required..

Isn't the unistrut too weak to hold the 115 kg ( 330 pounds) per box ?
Thinking of buying the wheels available for unistrut , but always doubted if it would be strong enough
Click to expand...

I thought of doing that aswell, but i ended up with three stacks of three boxes on a plate with wheels instead. Even though i had the racks already.
Could you share any pictures of your setup?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Am I get EVE MB31 314Ah Grade A?
Replies
20
Views
796
upnorthandpersonal
upnorthandpersonal
Jalle19
EVE MB31 higher discharge than 0.5P consequences?
Replies
7
Views
200
robbob2112
robbob2112
J
Can I build a 16S2P LiFePO4 battery (32 cells) with one JK 200A BMS?
2
Replies
29
Views
416
42OhmsPA
4
R
New 16c LifePo4 cells how to be balanced
Replies
19
Views
627
goldserve
G
B
Where to Source Cells w/ Tariffs now
2 3
Replies
66
Views
1K
Brucey
Brucey

diy solar

diy solar
Back
Top