Wanting off-grid Plug and play in Ontario

[colgil]

We just bought an island cottage in the Kawarthas, Ontario. We will be using very little juice/day (less than 3kv) and the site looks very well situated re solar input. No winter usage. I'm as green as they come so pardon me if I stumble. After watching a ton of Will Prowse's videos I really want an ultra-simple plug and play 120V system like the EG4 6500EX 24V with a battery bank of two EG4 LiFePO4 batteries. Solar installation guy I was consulting says both those components not ESA certified though I see the former for sale on some Ontario retail sites.

Question: Does anyone have any idea when or if EG4 LFP batteries will be approved in Ontario (or where I can find that info) or, failing that, would it be just as simple to set it up with SOK LFP batteries which do appear to be certified here (but significantly more expensive)? I will be using a certified electrician.

Thanks in advance.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

will be using a certified electrician.

So why plug’n’play, then?

really want an ultra-simple plug and play 120V system like the EG4 6500EX 24V with a battery bank of two EG4 LiFePO4 batteries. Solar installation guy I was consulting says both those components not ESA certified though I see the former for sale on some Ontario retail sites.

they still work whether they are ‘certified’ or not. In an off grid circumstance why does it matter?
Just do it, have power. Enjoy ?

 

[zanydroid]

What does ESA certified mean? Is it a similar process as HECO or California Energy Commission where both UL listing is needed, and paperwork needs to be filed.

Or does ESA accept anything with the appropriate UL or CSA listing.

For most products you can look at the listing certificates on the manufacturer website.

Does 6500EX have any listings? Beyond that, does it have UL9540 (the one for batteries), and what are the batteries that listing (if any) covers?

Does ESA allow mixing and matching of batteries and inverters with separate UL9540 listings? (This is complex because the listings have to be of the right format to explicitly allow mixing, and in more recent building codes in US states you need the latest UL9540 which does not allow mixing)

 

[zanydroid]

I would recommend hanging out on the forum until you figure out who the local Canada/Ontario code experts are and then ask them.

 

[colgil]

I would recommend hanging out on the forum until you figure out who the local Canada/Ontario code experts are and then ask them.

Thanks zanydroid. Seems right. I just beginning this journey. Apparently in Canada there are provincial regs as well as Federal ones so same eqpt may not be certified based on province. It's hard to get verifiable feedback. Most solar installers still want to sell Lead/Acid. Why? Thanks for commenting.

 

[zanydroid]

Most solar installers still want to sell Lead/Acid. Why?

Might be less complexity for keeping the battery warm enough to charge, but other stuff is more complex. Might be if compliant batteries are otherwise way too expensive to have much volume for installer to have enough install experience on.