Is anyone using a powerstation as a home battery for savings with Economy 7?

JKenH

Just deleted a post as I put it on this thread by mistake rather than the Alternative Green Energy thread - link below.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6071905/the-alternative-green-energy-thread/p163

Qyburn

nappy501 said:

However, I am confused at timestamp 10.35 to 11.30.  This video is two years old is this still the legal situation for this size of powerstation?

The legal situation is that anything connected to the house electrical system needs to be an approved device, and must be not be connected to a circuit also carrying loads. RCD must be bidirectional and the circuit breaker should switch both L and N.

wrf12345

Lower end powerstations have very limited solar input (and cr.p solar panels when bought as a package) so getting 1800W in from four panels will only work with the bigger wattage powerstations, ie the more expensive ones. Separate components and battery are another route to go and actually cheaper though not so convenient if you need to lug them around. Fast falling battery prices make it an interesting proposition, though.

QrizB

nappy501 said:

However, I am confused at timestamp 10.35 to 11.30.  This video is two years old is this still the legal situation for this size of powerstation?

Even at that time, it was not the legal situation in England and Wales. And Ecoflow knew it wasn't, which is why in the UK their inverters are supplied with a hard-wire adapter and the instruction that it needs to be wired into a dedicated breaker at the consumer unit. I don't know where thay YouTuber got their info, but it's wrong.

See here:

https://uk.ecoflow.com/products/stream-microinverter?variant=51045578735955

Can I install the STREAM Microinverter myself?
The system can be installed and maintained by users themselves. However, if you are in the UK, due to local regulations, the BKW DIY cable used with the Stream Microinverter must be connected to the distribution board. This operation requires a professional installer or electrician.

nappy501

After much researching, my decision came down to something I hadn't thought of.... weight.
I can lift a 25kg bag of potatoes, but it is no fun.  I can comfortable lift 12.5kg.  So anything I am taking when I go away, I need to be able to lift in.  So I have decided to go for a powerstation that is about 1000wh.  I'm glad I got that sorted in time for the Black Friday sales.
On other matters, I am still intrigued by saving money in the house.  I have moved towards the idea of having some solar panels in the garden to go with a battery set up, but I still do not want to feed into the grid.  I was thinking about 4 x 400 watt solar panels, but they are taller than me and weigh about 25 kgs.  I have also looked at planning permission and the panels have to be 5 metres away from the boundaries, I don't think I have that in my garden.
I am also going to have a chat with an electrician about a switch, so I can go from grid power to battery power.
I have spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos.  I have been looking at Will Prowse, solar channel and I am intrigued by the idea of building a solar system with a 48v battery and all in one inverter.
I have also started to use my 300w powerstation as a charging station in the house for tablet, phone and rechargable lights, after Will Prowse information on how to maintain and use LiFepo4 batteries.  I haven't been doing mine any favours, leaving it unused for months.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions.

QrizB

nappy501 said:

On other matters, I am still intrigued by saving money in the house.

This all sounds like an interesting project and I'd love to hear how you get on, but I suspect you're not going to save any money.

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81657984#Comment_81657984

I eventually bought a Bluetti 100v2 in the Black Friday sales. In the end it came down to the weight of the power station that finalised my purchase. My fridge is plugged into it, I also use it for my microwave, slow cooker and air fryer. Once I had taken it off Eco mode the fridge was fine.

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81658286#Comment_81658286

Thank you for your response, I did purchase a power station in the end. It's in the kitchen running some appliances. I will also beable to take it away with me in the summer.

It is plugged into a mechanical timer, so it charges up on Economy seven

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81659322#Comment_81659322

Yes, I'm still on it. Thank you for your comments. I ended up puchasing the Bluetti Elite 100v2 in the Black Friday sales. It's in the kitchen running the fridge, I use it during the day to run the microwave, air fryer and slow cooker.

I then bought an Bluetti EB50B (700w, 448wh) for the freezer as I worked out it used about 250w per day. This was a mistake the freezer initial surge was about 2000w. The washing machine is the same, so I use it to run several small appliances.

I am now looking into some solar panels for the garden, to charge them over the summer.

nappy501

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81689087#Comment_81689087

I have a powerstation now for camping, I got the Bluetti Elite 100v2, in the Black Friday sales. In the end it came down to what I wanted to pick up. I went to the local farm shop and picked up 5, 12.5 and 25kgs bags of potatoes. Yes, I could lift the 25kg bag, but the thought of doing this for camping put me off. Whereas, I could lift the 12.5kg bag comfortably, which is about the weight of the power station I bought.

I have been watching Will Prowse and I am really tempted to do something like this, but I don't see anyone in the UK with this set up. This set up works out so much cheaper than a power station. Replacing the All in One inverter would be a lot cheaper than replacing a large power station. It would just be for the house, but could be moved around on the hand cart.

https://youtu.be/4m7jiNTrBjQ?si=ubLz53CYH9Z_jY9o