After I composed my thoughts here are my answers
My Phase 2.0 of my 20 year ago system began in 2019. I wanted a very large battery bank but not break my bank. When I found EVTV and his solution I spent months watching all Jack's videos (at 1.5 or 1.75 speed). Being a software geek I loved the ESP32 and whole model.
People do dismiss the NMC Tesla battery (nickel-maganese-cobalt) because of its low thermal event level (some 185 degrees C). Most of that is because people do not respect those batteries nor respect what the Tesla engineers did to protect the batteries. What Jack did was to reverse engineer the software protocols of the battery modules BMS and then monitor and control the interfaces to the batteries.
Effectively Jack uses the exact protocols that Tesla uses in protecting the batteries in the vehicles. To me that was brilliant. Others quickly dismiss the Tesla battery as a viable storage because they don't understand. Once bias, always bias.
I found the cost per energy density of tesla to be a great deal: Around $300 per kwh, once one had 4 modules AND the JITB (Jack-in-the-box: nick name for the ESP32).
Verses $700 per kwhr for Fortress, Simplify and other commercial batteries on the market.
So for me, the JITB and the modules became:
1) Safe
2) cheaper per kwhr
3) well protected from dangerous events
Luckily, I had 22 year old inverter that could fully handle the tesla battery charge profile.
A Trace SW4024, would do a CUTOUT at 16 volts, this allowed me to set actual cutout at 18.5 volts on the teslas.
It allowed me to use the full spectrum of the battery's range.
Later I upgraded to 48v inverter a Xantrex SW5548 and it too allowed for the low cut out (I now use 38.5 volts for cutout and 49.5 volts for bulk charge - thus cycling 80% of battery capacity in order to get more life cycles).
I understand, an inverter is the major component in a system - got to get that right
I had first thought I would end up with the schneider inverter - that is why I did the schneider charge controllers. But upon reflection I could see that schneider was like the GM of the industry. Good system, complete functionality, but a bit aged. Originally based on the Trace/Xantrex models. Big company solutions.
SO I expanded my options. Kept my old inverter for awhile, and used the teslas in 24v mode. As mentioned I moved to Xantrex for 48v because it could handle the charge profile of the teslas. The Schneider could not. Neither can all the other inverters. Growatt, MPPT, Victron, etc all cutout at 42 volts, or maybe 40 volts.
They can NOT utilize the full range of the teslas
But the Sigineer could. It is massive, heavy and $3500 (with Shipping) and 15kw
I am still aiming to go with that - I am invested in the Teslas, I have half of my planned battery capacity. (I am preparing for grid down state in the coming months/years
So many people are telling me that the Tesla batteries aren't safe.
True if not properly handled
Gas cars are not safe either if not properly handled
they seem to work fine in the vehicles using tesla's BMS and controller
I think that using EVTV controller would look after any issues like this.
That is exactly how I view the ESP32 (JITB)
it is my monitor, protector, and barrier to "bad events"
It is amazing.
Even so I would have liked to have placed my power house in a separate building like Erin and Jost did - I love their YT channel
I love the modular ability to add more batteries should I need to.
THAT also is a major attractant to this for me as well
Looking at eBay as a source for batteries do you know if all of the Model S batteries are compatible ?
Yes, get the same capacity. I use the 5.2 kwh modules, there are 6.2 kwhr modules but there are fewer of them
2013 to 2018 at least I know of
I have 2017 - 4 of them
and some earlier years, which I don't know which ones I have
older years use 6 individual BMS leads, that you can see through the plater cover
new years use a flat ribbon cable fr the BMS leads
Anything that I should look for ?
MAKE sure the modules comes with the great Tesla BMS card as that is required for the JITB to work
I am sure you read my experience when I failed to ensure that
Once you get a good seller, reuse them
I now buy from the seller in New York
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174654844336?epid=25021027276&hash=item28aa3d6db0:g:CZAAAOSwLsxbNp4B
For sale is an Clean good Condition Tesla S 85 1x modules with pigtail and bms and wiring plug if asked for. All listed amp hours, volts, KWh, are Tesla ra tings and will slightly be different depending on actual battery usage and conditions, load, ect .
www.ebay.com
Seeing that the Singineer makes inverters specifically for Tesla's I'm leaning this way but..
No real user feedback on their gear, probably minimal support,
Since Will and others on this site avoid teslas one won't find much support info hee
Sigineer did flash their firmware with the charging profile for teslas - that indicates they understand that market
NOTE: The sigineer has an idle consumption of 200 WATTS all the time. You need enough solar to cover that as well as battery
It i intended for BIG system, just keep that in mind
therefore Victron would be a better choice due to support ?
Again the cutoff limit of 40 to 42 volts reduces use of the battery's capacity between 38.5v and 42 volts
Read EACH inverter's cutoff limits and bulk charging numbers
The EVTV inverter can be used with other inverters like your Trace/Schneider, SMA.
Inverters?
maybe, but I will be swapping my Xantrex inverter out for the sigineer
or are you referring to the charge controllers?
if so, they work find. The Charge Controllers (CC) charge the battery, the inverter drain it. well at low charge the inverters have a battery charger from Grid or GenSet
Any issues with the interface with your Trace and EVTV ?
No, or can you explain your thoughts
I'm not computer savvy by any stretch, does the EVTV controller/display work well ?
I LOVE the Raspberry Pi Display
great information
I use a computer (linux - maybe available under windows) call VNC where I can remotely view the 1 Display from anywhere
Thanks very much for your time, really appreciate it.
Mike Ruegamer
N Vancouver , BC
In the past few years I see that choices of good inverters and cheaper batteries have grown
Growatt, MPPT
and other inverters have gone down in price and up in features, even though they do not support the Tesla charging profile
Can stack multiple Growatts to get more wattage
video from Will or DavidPoz show the capabilites
Batteries like the EG4 from signature Solar look great
The patent on the LiFePO4 batteries expired in Sept 2021 and I think we will find many new batteries coming in from China (well at least until we get a war) like the EG4
EG4
48v 5.12kwh 100amphr
very similar energy density to the tesla (24v, 5.2 kwh, 232 amphr)
$1500 vs $1250 for tesla
Nice stacking box, with disconnect, etc
Today, I would consider a Growatt 6k/8k/12k inverter, 48v
EG4 batteries, will support upto 15 modules, 75kwhr
Things are much better with options than just 3 years ago
You have more options now.
I suggest write your requirements, and develop 1 or 2 solutions for those requirements
look at price
flexibility
future growth
understand ability
kinda fun though, isn't it?