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UL Batteries

It's not California thing, its NEC 2020 for UL9540 requirements, which is currently in force for 28 states with another 7 or so states to be updated by the end of this year.

This is the source for those that wish to know current NEC adoption status for all states.
In Alabama it only applies to new homes built basically and only if your paying someone to do the work aka licensed professional.

If you do your own work to your own property your free to do whatever you want basically. Especially if your not feeding to the grid. I'm not sure about large cities though. Rural like I am its wide open.
 
I am sorry to have to bring this up as a reminder, but the regional requirements for solar system and all related goodies do vary an awful lot. This is even made worse when you cross into other countries and this is a global site with people from Australia to Zambia and everything in between. The end result is that this is a Huge PITA for everyone.

But then not to make things already overly difficult, Insurance Companies add their say into it as well. This is one place that can become very sticky situation indeed, because Insurance Companies can demand inspections etc which may come with their own stipulations for coverage. In areas like California which is "heavily regulated" with a lot of "code requirements" and whatnot, Insurance Co's will just take the standard inspection and all is good. Other regions where rules/regs/codes are less "regulated" that's where insurance companies can become difficult. I have personally seen 2 claims (people I know) which had nothing to do with a "solar system or component failures" get denied because Insurance Co did not have paper on it... 1 claim was a fire that started in a kitchen... crap to do with power either and the house was a loss. Sorry to say but Do Not Trust and make no assumptions that you'll be covered, make sure for yourself that you're covered. BOTH of those homes were inspected & approved by provincially licensed electrical inspectors with non-grid connected solar.
 
I am sorry to have to bring this up as a reminder, but the regional requirements for solar system and all related goodies do vary an awful lot. This is even made worse when you cross into other countries and this is a global site with people from Australia to Zambia and everything in between. The end result is that this is a Huge PITA for everyone.

But then not to make things already overly difficult, Insurance Companies add their say into it as well. This is one place that can become very sticky situation indeed, because Insurance Companies can demand inspections etc which may come with their own stipulations for coverage. In areas like California which is "heavily regulated" with a lot of "code requirements" and whatnot, Insurance Co's will just take the standard inspection and all is good. Other regions where rules/regs/codes are less "regulated" that's where insurance companies can become difficult. I have personally seen 2 claims (people I know) which had nothing to do with a "solar system or component failures" get denied because Insurance Co did not have paper on it... 1 claim was a fire that started in a kitchen... crap to do with power either and the house was a loss. Sorry to say but Do Not Trust and make no assumptions that you'll be covered, make sure for yourself that you're covered. BOTH of those homes were inspected & approved by provincially licensed electrical inspectors with non-grid connected solar.
Thank you for these words of wisdom.
 
The report for SOK's UL 1973 certification for their cost effective 48 Volt (51.2 Nominal) 100Ah, 5.12 kWh server rack battery has been released in draft form. Final version expected this month (October 2022).

The report & ETA are discussed in the web based owner's manual on page 1-4:

The actual draft report linked on page 1-4 above is really interesting with lots of details including schematics and what not and I found it a pretty fascinating read & it can be found at this URL:


The link to buy it at a competitive cost of $1,789.99 can be found here:


I updated the spreadsheet denoting the drafted UL status with caution (yellow) and ETA (this month) for final status:


If I see that it has changed from draft to final/full status I will endeavor to update that.
Great thread.

I believe 5.12kWh for $1790 would be a new low point for a UL 1973-certified LiFePO4 battery ($0.35/Wh) if it materializes as expected.

Appreciate your efforts to keep us updated through the thread.
 
It's not California thing, its NEC 2020 for UL9540 requirements, which is currently in force for 28 states with another 7 or so states to be updated by the end of this year.

This is the source for those that wish to know current NEC adoption status for all states.
Also a Canadian thing, even though the governing body acknowledged that when they adopted the new requirements, no BES on the market met those requirements.

Then there is the Size restrictions. It's all getting a bit much.
 
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The Pytes E-BOX 48100R is on the CA list and shows $1200 ($23.4/wh) but I don't know how much shipping is. https://www.globalsources.com/LiFePO4-battery/Solar-Battery-1190910609p.htm
I can’t find Pytes anywhere on the CA battery list - can you provide a link to the list you are referring to?

At any rate, until there is US inventory and the batteries have shown up on Amazon or at least a US distributor where in-country shipping can be estimated, it really isn’t ‘available’ yet.

But $1200 for 5.12kWh is probably a good asymptotic reference point for where things are headed over the coming 2-3 years…

[EDIT: these guys claim to have US stock and free shipping: https://generationecostore.com/prod...MI1rv4ko-j_wIVYyytBh0R2wwhEAQYBCABEgL-I_D_BwE

$2000 for 5.12kWh is $0.39/Wh, so 12% more expensive than the SOK offering…]
 
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I can’t find Pytes anywhere on the CA battery list - can you provide a link to the list you are referring to?

At any rate, until there is US inventory and the batteries have shown up on Amazon or at least a US distributor where in-country shipping can be estimated, it really isn’t ‘available’ yet.

But $1200 for 5.12kWh is probably a good asymptotic reference point for where things are headed over the coming 2-3 years…

[EDIT: these guys claim to have US stock and free shipping: https://generationecostore.com/products/pytes-lfp-battery-pack-5-12kwh-e-box-48100r?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1rv4ko-j_wIVYyytBh0R2wwhEAQYBCABEgL-I_D_BwE

$2000 for 5.12kWh is $0.39/Wh, so 12% more expensive than the SOK offering…]

2000 local or 1200 from China + shipping = (?) would be worth reaching out and asking. Here is the California approved list.

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Got an email from GSL energy today. Might be a new low price. It says it's UL certified but it's not on the CA list... yet anyways.

I picked up 4 of their 14kw "powerwall" batteries that are UL and on the ca list. Immrrally impressed with the build quality. Haven't hooked them up yet, but dealing with GSL was painless for me.
 
I picked up 4 of their 14kw "powerwall" batteries that are UL and on the ca list. Immrrally impressed with the build quality. Haven't hooked them up yet, but dealing with GSL was painless for me.
What did those cost you delivered?
 
3600usd each + 3000. Ordered DDP

Heavy suckers. 300lbs each. It was an expensive purchase but they'll meet my local code requirements.
Wow, each battery weighs 300lbs???

How did you move them to where they need to be?

$3600 + $1000 shipping/etc isn’t bad for an approved 14kWh battery.

$4600 / 14336Wh = $0.32/Wh.

That’s getting close to EG4 pricing..
 
Wow, each battery weighs 300lbs???

How did you move them to where they need to be?

$3600 + $1000 shipping/etc isn’t bad for an approved 14kWh battery.

$4600 / 14336Wh = $0.32/Wh.

That’s getting close to EG4 pricing..
3 of us got them in my truck, then I had a neighbour with a tractor come lift them out of the truck and into storage for me.

When I've got the utility building built, I'll use an engine hoist or a beam trolley to get them up onyo the wall.
 

So I was shopping around and I found that for Arizona peeps, this company carries the Pytes Ebox for $1750 with free pickup in flagstaff AZ Unfortunately shipping is not free. Not cheaper than the deal you got from GSL but I know sometimes ordering from China can be troublesome. I'm still not seeing E4 or SOK on the California list but if E4 gets placed on the list it would likely be cheaper than the other options.

1750 for 5.12kwh is 0.3417/Wh

 
So I was shopping around and I found that for Arizona peeps, this company carries the Pytes Ebox for $1750 with free pickup in flagstaff AZ Unfortunately shipping is not free. Not cheaper than the deal you got from GSL but I know sometimes ordering from China can be troublesome. I'm still not seeing E4 or SOK on the California list but if E4 gets placed on the list it would likely be cheaper than the other options.

1750 for 5.12kwh is 0.3417/Wh


Ruixu 1299 ...
UL1973
 

Ruixu 1299 ...
UL1973

Where to purchase? Also, I didn't see that on California's approved list. Pytes and GSL are on the list which is why I was asking. I guess being UL certified isn't enough by itself to meet the CA requirements.

*Edit* I was reading California's requirements and I think it's the warranty period of most of these batteries that doesn't meet the CA requirements. Here is a excerpt from the Joint Appendix 12 from the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards that batteries have to comply with to meet CA standards. E4 batteries are 5 year and Ruixu are 7 year. So maybe that's why?

JA12.2.1 Safety Requirements​

The battery storage system shall be tested in accordance with the applicable requirements given in UL1973 and UL9540. Inverters used with battery storage systems shall be tested in accordance with the applicable requirements in UL1741 and UL1741 Supplement A.

JA12.2.2 Minimum Performance Requirements​

The installed battery storage system should meet or exceed the following performance specification:

(c) Usable capacity of at least 5 kWh.

(d) Single Charge-discharge cycle AC to AC (round-trip) efficiency of at least 80 percent.

(e) Energy capacity retention of 70 percent of nameplate capacity after 4,000 cycles covered by a warranty, or 70 percent of nameplate capacity under a 10-year warranty.

JA12.2.3 Control Requirements​

The requirements below are applicable to all control strategies.

(a) The battery storage system shall have the capability of being remotely programmed to change the charge and discharge periods.

(b) During discharge, the battery storage system shall be programmed to first meet the electrical load of the dwelling unit(s). If during the discharge period the electrical load of the dwelling unit(s) is less than the maximum discharge rate, the battery storage system shall have the capability to discharge electricity into the grid upon receipt of a demand response signal from the local utility or a third-party aggregator.

(c) The battery storage system shall operate in one of the control strategies listed in JA12.2.3.1, JA12.2.3.2, and JA12.2.3.3 except during a power interruption, when it may switch to backup mode. If the battery system switches to backup power mode during a power interruption, upon restoration of power the battery system shall immediately revert to the previously programmed JA12 control strategy.

(d) The battery storage system shall perform a system check on the following dates, to ensure the battery is operating in one of the control strategies listed in JA12.2.3.1, JA12.2.3.2, and JA12.2.3.3:

1) Within 10 calendar days before the onset of summer TOU schedule, and

Within 10 calendar days before the onset of winter TOU schedule. At the time of inspection, the battery storage system shall be installed to meet one of the following control strategies. The battery storage system also shall have the capability to remotely switch to the other control strategies.

JA12.2.3.1 Basic Control

To qualify for the Basic Control, the battery storage system shall be installed in the default operation mode to allow charging only from an on-site photovoltaic system when the photovoltaic system production is greater than the on-site electrical load. The battery storage system shall discharge only when the photovoltaic system production is less than the on-site electrical load.

JA12.2.3.2 Time-of-Use (TOU) Control

To qualify for the TOU Control, the battery storage system shall be installed in the default operation mode to allow charging from an on-site photovoltaic system. The battery storage system shall begin discharging during the highest priced TOU hours of the day. The operation schedule shall be preprogrammed from factory, updated remotely, or programmed during the installation/commissioning of the system. At a minimum, the system shall be capable of programming three separate seasonal TOU schedules, such as spring, summer, and winter.

JA12.2.3.3 Advanced Demand Response Control

To qualify for the Advanced Demand Response Control, the battery storage system shall be programmed by default as Basic Control as described in JA12.2.3.1 or TOU control as described in JA12.2.3.2. The battery storage control shall meet the demand responsive control requirements specified in Section 110.12(a). Additionally, the battery storage system shall have the capability to change the charging and discharging periods in response to signals from the local utility or a third-party aggregator.

JA12.2.3.4 Alternative Control Approved by the Executive Director

The Executive Director may approve alternative control strategies that demonstrate equal or greater benefits to one of the JA12 control strategies. To qualify for Alternative Control, the battery storage system shall be operated in a manner that increases self-utilization of the PV array output, responds to utility rates, responds to demand response signals, and/or other strategies that achieve equal or greater. This alternative control option shall be accompanied with clear and easy to implement algorithms for incorporation into the compliance software for compliance credit calculations.
 
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These are extremely new, and those "approval lists" are usually only meant for companies willing to shill out a redicoulous amount of "state sponsorship"

 
Wow that thing looks great, and its also physically smaller than EG/SOK.

CurrentConnected .... ? ...

Anyone have experience with support? They have a 30K setup with free shipping for under 8400.00 ?
 
These are extremely new, and those "approval lists" are usually only meant for companies willing to shill out a redicoulous amount of "state sponsorship"


Unfortunately some of us have to comply with the CEC in our local jurisdictions but what I've noticed is some batteries have been UL certified for quite a while and aren't on the list yet which makes me question what is the difference? For example SOL batteries seem to meet the warranty period and were UL certified over 6 month ago. Thanks for the link.
 
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