diy solar

diy solar

Signature Solar EG4 in RV. Bad or good idea?

See what you think of this line of reasoning....

My battery choice in 2019 was a single 12v 100Ah Battle Born (with 4x100watt panels). It has worked just as excellently as you'd expect from any well-executed lithium application. But with our new travel trailer we're gearing up for multi-month travel and want the option to occasionally run our 15k BTU AC unit for 1 to 3 hours in a 24-hour period. Doing this at Battle Born pricing makes that out of the question for our budget.

Enter the EG4. The rack mount was incidental. What I saw when looking at the EG4 was a power dense form factor with 5.12kW capacity from 16 A grade cells weighing 101.4 pounds for $1500.

I am looking at the 24v option to escape the trappings of high-amperage 12v operation. https://www.signaturesolar.com/products/24v-200ah-lifepower4-battery-by-eg4

Here's the (approximate) numbers that have my attention when comparing EG4 and SOK against my Battle Born. A single EG4 is compared against 2 SOK and 4 Battle Born in order to get roughly equivalent capacity:

Battery Options1 of EG4 24v 200Ah2 of SOK 12v 206Ah4 of Battle Born 12v 100Ah
Capacity5.1 kWh4.9 kWh4.8 kWh
Storage Volume1931 cu. in.2087 cu. in.3153 cu. in.
Weight101.4 ibs106.4 lbs124 lbs.
Cost1,4992,0583,196 (the old, non-heated)

Even against the excellent SOK option, the EG4 holds a strong position. For me, the EG4 pricing means the difference between sizing a system to include AC or excluding AC completely. In such a case I'd either just run a single SOK and be done with it or buy a second Battle Born. Either would easily fill our electrical needs without including AC. When choosing between these three options there are many other factors to consider I know but these foundational comparison points have started to build a compelling case!

I am also looking at using the EG4 24v 200Ah batteries in my fifth-wheel; however, while everybody seems to be focused on their large capacity (5.1 kWh), it seems like a lot of people are overlooking their maximum continuous power output ratings which is 24v x 100 amps = 2400W.

I don't think that 2400W from one EG4 is enough to drive a 3000VA/2400W inverter (which has 95% conversion efficiency) plus the other 12v loads in the RV without tripping the overcurrent protection inside the EG4, so I think you would need to have at least two EG4 batteries which would give you a total of 4800W output. (Similarly, you would need four of the SOK 12v 206Ah batteries to get 4800W output.)

Here's the comparison chart after switching to 2 EG4s and 4 SOKs:

Battery Options2 of EG4 24v 200Ah4 of SOK 12v 206Ah4 of Battle Born 12v 100Ah
Capacity10.2 kWh9.8 kWh4.8 kWh
Storage Volume3862 cu. in.4174 cu. in.3153 cu. in.
Weight202.8 lbs212.8 lbs124 lbs.
Cost$2,998$4,116$3,196 (the old, non-heated)
Max continuous output amps per battery100 amps100 amps100 amps
Max continuous output watts per battery2400W1200W1200W
Total battery bank watts output4800W4800W4800W


I still think the EG4 batteries look like a great choice since we get double the capacity for the same cost, but we need to pay attention to how many we need to get the needed power output.
 
I am also looking at using the EG4 24v 200Ah batteries in my fifth-wheel; however, while everybody seems to be focused on their large capacity (5.1 kWh), it seems like a lot of people are overlooking their maximum continuous power output ratings which is 24v x 100 amps = 2400W.

I don't think that 2400W from one EG4 is enough to drive a 3000VA/2400W inverter (which has 95% conversion efficiency) plus the 12v system in the RV without tripping the overcurrent protection inside the EG4, so I think you would need to have at least two EG4 batteries which would give you a total of 4800W output. (Similarly, you would need four of the SOK 12v 206Ah batteries to get 4800W output.)

Here's the comparison chart after switching to 2 EG4s and 4 SOKs:

Battery Options2 of EG4 24v 200Ah4 of SOK 12v 206Ah4 of Battle Born 12v 100Ah
Capacity10.2 kWh9.8 kWh4.8 kWh
Storage Volume3862 cu. in.4174 cu. in.3153 cu. in.
Weight202.8 lbs212.8 lbs124 lbs.
Cost$2,998$4,116$3,196 (the old, non-heated)
Max continuous output amps per battery100 amps100 amps100 amps
Max continuous output watts per battery2400W1200W1200W
Total battery bank watts output4800W4800W4800W


I still think the EG4 batteries look like a great choice since we get double the capacity for the same cost, but we need to pay attention to how many we need to get the needed power output.
the Growatt inverters have no capacitance trouble getting watt-for-watt. with 2 packs you should also be able to run Magnum 24v and Schneider 24v
one more benefit of the EG4 is the PC comms that get you a ton of monitoring data, and BMS closed loop for growatt
 
I am also looking at using the EG4 24v 200Ah batteries in my fifth-wheel; however, while everybody seems to be focused on their large capacity (5.1 kWh), it seems like a lot of people are overlooking their maximum continuous power output ratings which is 24v x 100 amps = 2400W.

I don't think that 2400W from one EG4 is enough to drive a 3000VA/2400W inverter (which has 95% conversion efficiency) plus the other 12v loads in the RV without tripping the overcurrent protection inside the EG4, so I think you would need to have at least two EG4 batteries which would give you a total of 4800W output. (Similarly, you would need four of the SOK 12v 206Ah batteries to get 4800W output.)

Here's the comparison chart after switching to 2 EG4s and 4 SOKs:

Battery Options2 of EG4 24v 200Ah4 of SOK 12v 206Ah4 of Battle Born 12v 100Ah
Capacity10.2 kWh9.8 kWh4.8 kWh
Storage Volume3862 cu. in.4174 cu. in.3153 cu. in.
Weight202.8 lbs212.8 lbs124 lbs.
Cost$2,998$4,116$3,196 (the old, non-heated)
Max continuous output amps per battery100 amps100 amps100 amps
Max continuous output watts per battery2400W1200W1200W
Total battery bank watts output4800W4800W4800W


I still think the EG4 batteries look like a great choice since we get double the capacity for the same cost, but we need to pay attention to how many we need to get the needed power output.
You are correct on one EG4 battery not being enough to run larger inverter to full capacity by itself. I have two of the 200 ah EG4 24v, but only carted out and hooked up one to my Growatt 3000 to test some things out. Ran everything in my skoolie (including the microwave) fine - but tripped the BMS over current protection when I flipped on the AC. When this odd one day cold snap is over, I plan to get the second one out there, wired up in parallel and see how that works.
 
You are correct on one EG4 battery not being enough to run larger inverter to full capacity by itself. I have two of the 200 ah EG4 24v, but only carted out and hooked up one to my Growatt 3000 to test some things out. Ran everything in my skoolie (including the microwave) fine - but tripped the BMS over current protection when I flipped on the AC. When this odd one day cold snap is over, I plan to get the second one out there, wired up in parallel and see how that works.
watch the 24V DC Cable as well, 2AWG minimum
 
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