DIYrich
Solar Wizard
I would do two separate 24v packs (two BMS's). You could do one 24v pack. It would be the equivalent of eight 608ah cells and loose the redundancy.
TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION ON TO BUILD MY OWN BATTERY BANK, OR JUST BUY THE EG4-LL SERVER RACK STYLE.
- Thread starter JJJALLOFFGRID
- Start date
Okay, if you own any valuable property, then you should at least install a battery that is UL9450A certified and hopefully matched to a UL9540 inverter or other high quality inverter. Together this combo can pass all codes and adds a large layer of fire safety to your property and family members. If you install electrical components that lack any accepted certifications, don't expect to get any insurance claims paid and you may one day be very sorry if a loved one is injured in a fire. And first responders injured trying to help you will sue you big time.
External shut off is a consideration here. Key thing does your inverter allow for this? First thing responders do is pull the meter. A master shut off should be able to turn off the inverter so there is no ac running through wires regardless of UL rating.
featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
I presume, as a practical matter, you mean that using UL9450A certified batteries rules out all manner of DIY builds using raw Lifepo4 cells.
JJJALLOFFGRID
New Member
Thanks for the insight. Honestly I know about the code and compliance BS. I used to be a class A contractor for 18 years until I sold my business. Besides this place is off grid for various reasons. It's secluded and I built a solar cabin that is all by itself away from live in cabin. So there is no need for the C.C to be inspecting and or document what I have or don't have, or control my life or cost me money for various permits to control what I can and can't do. 5 miles deep in the woods from hard surface rd. Canvas Camouflage netting covering structures " to avoid Satellite imaging. Including other various setups in place. Anyways thank you for your concern I'll be sure to relay the message to others who don't do like I have.
JJJALLOFFGRID
New Member
Thank You Sir for all your information and I will stick to Redundancy. I'm all about a back plan to another back up plan.
hwy17
Anti-Solar Enthusiast
It's actually quite rare for fire claims to be denied, no matter the cause. It would be quite a public story if people's houses were burning down and being left uncovered, and unpermited work and uncertified plug in devices are so common fires do happen from those sources.
Your insurance will probably drop you after the claim, but they basically always pay out for major fire damage.
Respectfully disagree with you. The goal of all insurance companies in the USA of any kind is to collect a premium and not pay claims. When a homeowner performs work that needed a permit, needed a licensed professional or required codes and certified listed products to be used and then property damage results in a claim, they will not pay. And even in the case of a solar install lithium battery fire, in California the inspectors will want to know exactly what happened and why due to the large number of battery installs. They won't miss it. legitimate fire claims are paid. Fire claims from your meth lab are not.
If you have property of value that you want to add value to and may one day sell to others, then do it right. If that's not the case, then do it DIY however as long as nobody else gets injured by your work. I do a ton of DIY, but my goal is always to do it to code with listed and approved product and to have the job finished indistinguishable from the pro. For example, I don't use white teflon tape on gas line connections.
Rednecktek
Solar Wizard
Building is more fun and more cost effective by far so totally worth it.
Does UL and insurance matter for ANY hobbyist project in the long run?
Does UL and insurance matter for ANY hobbyist project in the long run?
hwy17
Anti-Solar Enthusiast
@glandpuck Being that unpermited work is pervasive in California, I believe if that were true we would see evidence of it in local news stories about homeowner's denied claims after fires. It would be a story, people being left homeless after a denied fire claim. There is a complete lack of such stories, it doesn't happen. People being denied insurance, or dropped, before a fire, yes, but after fire claim denials would represent an existential crisis for homeowners and lenders. It's not a thing. Insurance will fight you on water damage and other maintenance issues, but fire coverage is the grandest singular duty of insurers to cover and regulators do not tolerate them weaseling out of it no matter the cause.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
This is absolutely not true.
Alkaline
Solar Wizard
Well the UL people keep coming out with NEW ULS like every 2 years, so how does this work if a new UL regulation comes out and your equipment doesn't meet this requirements that means you are no longer compliance?
Seems like a money pit.
I fretted for many months about installing home built Lifep04 batteries in my basement, on a rack next to a cement wall. Did my investigation of the risk and reached a conclusion.
My conclusion is that as long as you connect them correctly and the device they are connected to is fused, or has a circuit breaker (Sol-Ark 15k inverter in my case).
The risk of fire is no different vs any other electrical appliance in my home, and not as much risk as the large wood stove in my basement that I use in winter months.
Of course a squirrel could decide to pick up a wrench, sneak into basement, climb onto the battery bus bars, and then create a cell to cell short circuit...and possible fire.
But I can live with the likelihood of that event, and not lose any sleep at all about the 32 280ah LifeP04 cells sitting on shelves in my basement, next to my Sol-ark, and my cut off switch, and my main 200A panel, no "critical needs panel" runs the entire house, (4 ton Heat-pump, Well pump, and everything else) and I don't even notice if the grid disconnects.
The setup just works, and makes me happy to have installed same.
Of course I grew up in the day's when children played outside without supervision, rode bicycles without helmets, and adults smoked cigarettes in small meeting rooms for meetings that lasted 90 minutes with little or no ventilation.
Thank god we have cigarette's under control today.
My conclusion is that as long as you connect them correctly and the device they are connected to is fused, or has a circuit breaker (Sol-Ark 15k inverter in my case).
The risk of fire is no different vs any other electrical appliance in my home, and not as much risk as the large wood stove in my basement that I use in winter months.
Of course a squirrel could decide to pick up a wrench, sneak into basement, climb onto the battery bus bars, and then create a cell to cell short circuit...and possible fire.
But I can live with the likelihood of that event, and not lose any sleep at all about the 32 280ah LifeP04 cells sitting on shelves in my basement, next to my Sol-ark, and my cut off switch, and my main 200A panel, no "critical needs panel" runs the entire house, (4 ton Heat-pump, Well pump, and everything else) and I don't even notice if the grid disconnects.
The setup just works, and makes me happy to have installed same.
Of course I grew up in the day's when children played outside without supervision, rode bicycles without helmets, and adults smoked cigarettes in small meeting rooms for meetings that lasted 90 minutes with little or no ventilation.
Thank god we have cigarette's under control today.
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featherlite
Solar Enthusiast
Yeah, the good old days riding in the car as a kid in the winter time with the windows closed and two adults chain smoking Pall Mall cigarettes. I had no idea that this situation might be a problem. Made our clothes smell good too.
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
could you please direct me to a UL9540 listed inverter?
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