After some rather unsuccessful attempts at reusing some large lead-acid batteries I got for cheap (which were not fully broken when I got them, but I managed to break them in the process), I caved in and bought a 5.2kW LiFePO4 battery pack (was 25% off at a local store).
Still needs some more hooking up, and due to some stupid regulatory reason I can’t install solar panels yet, but I hope to already use it as a backup power supply over the winter.
The hybrid inverter is quite cool as it allows hooking up two individual strands of PV and also export a lot of very detailed data to the open-source Home Assistant software. Also seems to have a built in UPS feature for connecting servers, but I need to test that first (by default the emergency backup power only kicks in after a few seconds).
So, not really offgrid living, but the system would allow an off-grid setup at least.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. :)
For me, this autumn should finally be the “get lithium out of living premises” time. I have an off-grid household with a considerable battery bank. The major risk factor is keeping lithium cells (from an unrepairable Nissan Leaf) indoors. They have redundant equalizers and redundant alarms, but if something should go wrong - if there should ever be a fire - it would be totally unextinguishable with domestic methods, and the battery bank is too large to quickly drag out of the house.
So my plan is a sturdy aluminum platform with wheels, about 2 x 2 meters, located about 4 meters from the house, capable of carrying hundreds of kilos, non-flammable thermal insulation (stone wool) around the batteries and a greenhouse polycarbonate exterior cladding. The battery bank will also have temperature control - during winter, a thermostat and silicone heating ribbons ought ensure at least +15 C battery temperature. Later on, I will also need to arrange remote monitoring, so I could read cell voltages and even later, balancing currents from indoors.
Curious to see the process and generation. Please update us for milestones or better yet energystones.
5.2 kWh? kW means nothing for a battery.
