System too small. Looking for advice.

[Mountain Matthew]

I've got the Battle Born Energy Off-Grid 24V 400Ah Kit. It actually works great except for it's a bit small. I am lacking in enough panels (1600w total) and that will be resolved soon. However, I realized that I am going to want to expand it quicker than I had originally planned. The issue is that Battle Born Batteries are pretty expensive compared to other options on the market. Sure, they are a great company and easy to work with but I am finding hard to justify buying new batteries at $0.72/watt when EG4 server rack batteries are $0.29/watt. At the very least, I think I need to invest in a few EG4 server rack batteries. Is there any viable option in connecting them in parallel with the Battleborn batteries or should I buy enough to replace the battleborn batteries and sell them? Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[SolarHead]

I'm assuming you have 4 of the battle born batteries. I would suggest you sell the battle borns , RV'ers will buy 1 or 2 at a time probably if you want to get best price for them selling few at a time until all gone. Wait and sell them after you install the new batteries. I would suggest the SOK rack mount batteries. You didn't say what your inverter was or capacities or any math or energy needs so not sure how many batteries. I would not mix battery chemistries in your battery bank. Run 48V system if possible.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

lacking in enough panels (1600w total)

Lacking 1600W? Or you have 1600W?

1600W is an ok match for 400Ah of LiFePo imho. Are you flattening the batteries every night in other words? Or you have too much sun-time loads for 1600W to support?

I’m not convinced on server rack batteries yet. In 6 months or so any significant flaws will show up is what I’m thinking.

 

[Rednecktek]

The 100a BMS's the rack mounts and AmperTime/Chins/PowerQueen/Etc batteries use really cuts into the actual usable capacity of the inverter too. A 6Kw inverter sounds great until you trip the BMS's every time you fire up the AirCon.

 

[Mountain Matthew]

I'm assuming you have 4 of the battle born batteries. I would suggest you sell the battle borns , RV'ers will buy 1 or 2 at a time probably if you want to get best price for them selling few at a time until all gone. Wait and sell them after you install the new batteries. I would suggest the SOK rack mount batteries. You didn't say what your inverter was or capacities or any math or energy needs so not sure how many batteries. I would not mix battery chemistries in your battery bank. Run 48V system if possible.

Thanks for the info. I have 8 12v 100ah battleborn batteries with a Victron Quattro Inverter Charger 5000W 24V. I wish that I had gone 48v. I might have to upgrade the inverter charger first before I upgrade the batteries if I go that route. I'm still fairly new to off grid systems but am learning a ton everyday. What is the advantage of 48v over 24v?

 

[Mountain Matthew]

Lacking 1600W? Or you have 1600W?

1600W is an ok match for 400Ah of LiFePo imho. Are you flattening the batteries every night in other words? Or you have too much sun-time loads for 1600W to support?

I’m not convinced on server rack batteries yet. In 6 months or so any significant flaws will show up is what I’m thinking.

I have 400ah @ 24V with 1600w solar. Somewhere I read that you should have at least 1/4-1/3 panel wattage to battery capacity. So I should have somewhere between 2000w and 3200w solar capacity. I've only run the batteries to empty once on a set of cloudy days. I finally got the device I need to setup AGS on the charger inverter.

 

[E. Cho]

Wow, I live extremely comfortably with many appliances, gadgets, tools, etc with a 24V, 100 Ahr LiFePO4 battery and a 4 kW inverter. Baking 2 loaves of bread at the moment, computer on, other devices charging.

Now if only I had the cash you put into the BattleBorns and will be putting into "upgrades"?

Seems like your trying to spend money faster than your knowledge or user experience accumulate?

Living off grid is said to be more about conservation than more power, the latter which is very expensive in comparison.

 

[Mountain Matthew]

Wow, I live extremely comfortably with many appliances, gadgets, tools, etc with a 24V, 100 Ahr LiFePO4 battery and a 4 kW inverter. Baking 2 loaves of bread at the moment, computer on, other devices charging.

Now if only I had the cash you put into the BattleBorns and will be putting into "upgrades"?

Seems like your trying to spend money faster than your knowledge or user experience accumulate?

Living off grid is said to be more about conservation than more power, the latter which is very expensive in comparison.

I lived for a few weeks off of one 12v 100ah battery and a 500w inverter before I had finished my solar shed and got the system set up. Sure, I was inexperienced when I bought the system 5 months ago. It's still a great system. Just the batteries are a little on the $$$ side for the plans that I have. I didn't even know server rack batteries existed when I bought my system. And yes, this is my first system so there was 0 experience and only a little knowledge when I ordered it. I went from using 20+kw a day to using on average around ~6kw a day when I moved off grid. I have a 9600kw system with only 1600w of solar. So, it's a little small. I am a software engineer by trade and work from home, so the majority of my use is currently during working hours, while the sun is out. But if there is no sun for more than a day or 2, the generator has to come on. Your system wouldn't even last me half a day. I also have plans on adding an AC (It's currently 85 inside... where I work) as well as being able to run a small welder and other machines in the coming years. Conservation is great but I am an engineer. As such, I want a system large enough to meet my demands. And I make plenty of money to throw at. Now I am thinking minimum 48v 30kw battery bank with 10kw solar array. That is more than enough to meet my most current needs.

 

[SolarHead]

That is more than enough to meet my most current needs.

Solar is like the song Mr Brownstone. "I used to do a little but little wouldn't do so a little got more and more"

 

[GLC]

Thanks for the info. I have 8 12v 100ah battleborn batteries with a Victron Quattro Inverter Charger 5000W 24V. I wish that I had gone 48v. I might have to upgrade the inverter charger first before I upgrade the batteries if I go that route. I'm still fairly new to off grid systems but am learning a ton everyday. What is the advantage of 48v over 24v?

Yep, I built my setup a few years ago. Went all Battleborns back then, best thing on the market at the time for a newbie. I am running 12 of them. At some point I will change them out for server rack batteries but since all of my other stuff is set up for 24 volt, and working fine, i will probably just stay 24 volt. If I was just starting out, I would look a little close at 48 volt.

 

[Mountain Matthew]

Yep, I built my setup a few years ago. Went all Battleborns back then, best thing on the market at the time for a newbie. I am running 12 of them. At some point I will change them out for server rack batteries but since all of my other stuff is set up for 24 volt, and working fine, i will probably just stay 24 volt. If I was just starting out, I would look a little close at 48 volt.

Yeah, I am good with my current system for the next year... one way or the other... I hope. But I will be investing in used panels in the mean time until I upgrade next year. As long as I can keep the batteries charged, I should be fine. I'm working on setting up an auto generator start which I'm sure I will need for those long winter nights here in Washington state.

 

[Rednecktek]

long winter nights here in Washington state.

Nights? There's only 1 night and it's from October to March!

Just ask my panels...

 

[Mountain Matthew]

Nights? There's only 1 night and it's from October to March!

Just ask my panels...

ha ha I live on a south facing mountain and I do think that I can manage 4-5 hours of direct sunlight on clear winter days. Probably 4ish on the shortest days. Before winter, I actually have to move it from one end of the property to the other so I can get this sunlight and only bring down 10ish trees to do it. But I've secured the cash for the 48v system replace so that's a plus.