On-grid domestic battery storage

Zarch

Can anyone clarify for me the charge on discharge rates in the Pylontech's with different battery configs please?
ie

• 1 battery
• 2 batteries (2.5kwh I think? from seeing mine)
• 3 batteries
• 4 batteries

When and how many batteries before it reaches its peak?  I'm assuming 3.68kwh for DNO compliance?

Thanks.

EVandPV

Zarch said:

Can anyone clarify for me the charge on discharge rates in the Pylontech's with different battery configs please?
ie

• 1 battery
• 2 batteries (2.5kwh I think? from seeing mine)
• 3 batteries
• 4 batteries

When and how many batteries before it reaches its peak?  I'm assuming 3.68kwh for DNO compliance?

Thanks.

1.2kw per 2.4kwh Pylon for charge/discharge.
You'd need 3 to get the max 3.6kw that the Lux controller supports although you can connect 2 controllers in parallel for up to 7.2kw output.

Solarchaser

joefizz said:

Solarchaser said:

If you read the pylontech manual,  you will note that at no point does it mention any kind of air gap, and also says they can be put on their side.

Been away for a couple of weeks but thought Id come back to this.

Yes you are correct that the manual doesnt mention any air gap. The manual assumes you are using brackets to separate them and the brackets are designed as the air gap. The manual also says you can stack 4 horizontally and 2 vertically.... Read into that what you will.

The manual also says the batteries should be more than 0.5m from the inverter heat output.. I dont know what the distance you have is from the top of the inverter.

You look like you have enough room on the shelf to put a bit of an air gap between the batteries. May do nothing but cant hurt and might prolong the life of the batteries somewhat.

Skimmed through the last 2 weeks posts and someone mentioned operating temperature. The pylontech techincals say around 25C/26C (IIRC dont recall exactly) for optimum operation (which isnt the operating range) so whilst maybe not much appreciable difference, like the air gap thing mentioned above in or around 26C ambient will be the optimum for operation/longevity etc.

We will only really know (as with any battery product) in 10 years time whether the specs were right or not.

The manual assumes using brackets does it?
So does it also assume you cannot put them in a rack without those brackets?
Technical manuals do not assume!
Anything required for safe storage and usage is detailed, thats how these things work.

But hey, since we are assuming, id assume the load rating for the bracket buckles is 100kg, hence only stacking 4.
Why 2 on their side, id assume thats due to vertical instability due to the brackets not allowing the batteries to sit flat on the floor / shelf.

My manual mentions nothing about distance from the inverter, what version do you have?
If its saying 500mm in yours, then my 450mm plus 18mm of insulation in the form of the mdf shelf will be more than enough.

I understand, you view this with "why not" do this, that and the other, my view is more, test for a while and see what issues arise.
Ive tested the system with 3 batteries for over a year, so im well aware the temperature is not an issue.
If i tracked the battery temperatures above 35c, id be adding an air gap.
According to the manual page 13 "The optimal temperature range for the battery pack to operate is 0°C to 50°C."
So my temperature going from 21c to 26c while the inverter goes from 22c to 62c all of this week proves there is no issue. (This week being a typical patchy week of sometimes 6kw of gen. 2.5kw load, then cloud cover means 200w of gen and still 2.5kw of load, meaning the inverter/batteries going from 3kw charge to 2.3kw discharge etc etc, so both getting a good work out.)

You are indeed correct, i have space to air gap just now, but the shelf was built for 8 batteries, not 7, so when i stack the last one, there will be no room for an air gap at that point, so no point adding one now.

Solarchaser

EVandPV said:

Zarch said:

Can anyone clarify for me the charge on discharge rates in the Pylontech's with different battery configs please?
ie

• 1 battery
• 2 batteries (2.5kwh I think? from seeing mine)
• 3 batteries
• 4 batteries

When and how many batteries before it reaches its peak?  I'm assuming 3.68kwh for DNO compliance?

Thanks.

1.2kw per 2.4kwh Pylon for charge/discharge.
You'd need 3 to get the max 3.6kw that the Lux controller supports although you can connect 2 controllers in parallel for up to 7.2kw output.

I cannot create an arguement based on roi for purchasing these parallel inverters.
The sofar is doing a decent job.
But.... when i see 2kw getting sent to the grid because the sofar is max out charging, and then now its evening and the mrs has washing machine, tumble dryer and iron on (while i sit of the couch messing about if my phone lol) and its drawing over a kw from the grid.... i just have to have them....

EVandPV

Solarchaser said:

I cannot create an arguement based on roi for purchasing these parallel inverters.
The sofar is doing a decent job.
But.... when i see 2kw getting sent to the grid because the sofar is max out charging, and then now its evening and the mrs has washing machine, tumble dryer and iron on (while i sit of the couch messing about if my phone lol) and its drawing over a kw from the grid.... i just have to have them....

Yeah, been having a similar debate about adding a 3rd Pylon to get up to 3.6kw which doesn't make much financial sense for us either.
Keeping an eye out for a 2nd hand bargain.

Solarchaser

I see there is a couple 2nd hand on ebay just now, but that particular seller, ive not had a great experience with.
Plus they seem to think a 3 year old pylon is worth only £100 less than buying brand new🤔

EVandPV

Solarchaser said:

I see there is a couple 2nd hand on ebay just now, but that particular seller, ive not had a great experience with.
Plus they seem to think a 3 year old pylon is worth only £100 less than buying brand new🤔

Yeah, saw those and thought the same. Did think about making a cheeky offer but now you've said that about the seller, maybes not.

Zarch

I got my Lux / Pylon package from Jake at Infinity Innovations as they are local to me.
https://www.pvpro.co.uk/battery-storage/pylon/
Feel free to mention me or the energy stats site if you ask him for a quote.

EVandPV

Wee tip for faster monitoring of the Lux via the app, if you connect your device to the Lux wifi module's hotspot then login to the app with LOCAL CONNECT, the app refreshes about every 10 seconds as opposed to 2 minutes via the Lux servers.

Solarchaser

Zarch said:

I got my Lux / Pylon package from Jake at Infinity Innovations as they are local to me.
https://www.pvpro.co.uk/battery-storage/pylon/
Feel free to mention me or the energy stats site if you ask him for a quote.

That IS interesting, are they listing the parralel, and did you find them cheaper than think renewables?