EcoFlow Stream "plugin" solar

Martyn1981

I've gone down the same route, but no solar panels (yet).

So, last October I got an Ultra X (3.84kWh) and two pro's to daisy chain with it (1.92kWh each). Plus some freebies, including the Ecoflow management unit to match the batteries to grid import/export.

Sounds like I was lucky, all delivered quickly on a nice 12mm plywood pallet, that was used immediately to reinforce the floor panels for the HW tank being installed that week.

I was watching/learning the many varieties of the Stream series batts, which is confusing, and waiting for a cheap package, as they seem to do deals non-stop, but the vary in price.

All working well, just as cheap import batts for winter use. This reduces the work the Solaredge DC batts (I have) have to do, and therefore grid import, which goes through a bi-directional FiT meter, and knocks a bit off my FiTs (due to net battery losses).

Hoping the PnP rules get approved soon, then maybe add some PV panels to them next spring. The Ultra X has 4 built in MPPT's and came with 8 PV panel extension leads.

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033819#Comment_82033819

I can see two possible problems:

• The first as you note is the different aspects. For an apex roof shed with a low angle like mine, this is less of an issue since the difference i performance between the panels will be relatively small for most of the day, but yes it will limit your output.
• The second is startup voltage. Your inverter won't produce any output unless the PV panels can exceed its minimum voltage. The ratings label on your inverter should tell you the startup voltage; if it's like this one then it's only 50 volts, which shouldn't be a problem but this one wants 80 volts which you might not get from two sunny-side panels, depending on exactly what panels you buy.

Cheap 60-cell 250-watt panels from a decade ago like these ones only manage an open-circuit voltage of ~38 volts so two of them in sun and two in shade might not wake up an 80 volt inverter.

You could suck it and see (being sure to run the PV cables from the two sides back to the inverter before joining them to make one string); if it works, great, if it doesn't, well you've already mounted the panels and just need to swap the inverter.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033846#Comment_82033846

Good points. The inverter voltage range is listed at 50-550v and 'start output voltage' is listed as 60v, so I assume that's the startup voltage (not sure why they are different).

I need to see if I can find some slightly smaller panels, then maybe I will able to squeeze 3 panels per aspect on the roof. I'm pretty sure I can't quite fit 3 modern 500W panels per side without overhanging the ends. I'll keep an eye on the panel voltages.

Ectophile

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82034041#Comment_82034041

I think I know why the startup voltage is higher than the minimum one.

My first inverter was a Power One Aurora. It had a design flaw which meant it failed after 6 years. Imagine it's a cloudy day. There's just enough light for the panels to start generating. The inverter wakes up and goes through its self tests. It then starts drawing current from the panels. This makes the voltage drop a bit, below the minimum. So the inverter shuts down again. With no load any more, the voltage goes up a bit. So the inverter wakes up again… Eventually the relays in the inverter failed from turning on and off again so many times.

Newbie_John

What's the set up before it's allowed to be plugged to a socket?

Panels - battery - then plug in to battery whatever you need?

After the government approval:

Panels - battery - inverter - mains?

QrizB

Quoting doesn't want to work for me, sorry.

> What's the set up before it's allowed to be plugged to a socket? Panels - battery - then plug in to battery whatever you need?

I'm not an electrician so this is only my opinion. At the moment, legally you can either (a) hardwire it into a dedicated circuit at your consumer unit or (b) operate it off-grid, drawing power from the battery via the two AC sockets on the top of the battery.

> After the government approval: Panels - battery - inverter - mains?

If the Gov approval is what everyone is expecting, yes you'll be able to plug a system like this (hopefully *exactly* like this) into a spare 13A socket.

QrizB

Coming back to this thread after a month with a bit of an update.

As of today, total generation since I placed that first panel on my patio in April has been ~252 kWh.

Total outputs by month, per the EcoFlow app:

• April - 20kWh (one panel, lying mostly flat and shaded for all morning, for half the month).
• May - 164kWh (all four panels on the shed roof from the 12th).
• June - 206kWh (the first real full month).
• July - 88kWh to date.

They have very occasionally generated more than 9kWh (a Hawaii, I think I've had three in total so far), more typically 8.something kWh on a clear day. (I'm aware that this is the prime solar generating season and that output will fall off a cliff in September/October, even if it remains sunny.)

@jaybeetoo wrote:

EcoFlow are a nightmare to deal with … I’m considering whether to start a Section 75 claim as I’ve had enough of these jokers. They’ve had my money for 2 months.

Any news? Have you resolved your delivery problems?

QrizB

Here's a blog post (in English) from someone living in France who's running a bigger Ecoflow Stream system than I am:

https://infrageeks.com/post/2026-07-09.tangents/

Even with French electricity prices they seem to be on track for a fairly rapid break-even.

PS my Ecoflow generation total for July is now 159kWh.

QrizB

I mentioned in a PW3 thread that I'd set my Ecoflow battery to export as much as possible. Rather than post over there, I thought I'd share my settings here.

I don't have an Ecoflow power monitor (what they call a "smart meter") so I can't make it follow house load. That's not the idea here; my rooftop system and Sofar/Fogstar battery handles all the heavy lifting, I want the plug-in system to optimise generation not support specific loads.

This is what I've been running for the past six weeks or so

2330-0530: zero export (that's the IOG cheap rate period)

0530-0800: 150W (to cover base load and try to get the battery empty (25% SOC) before the sun hits the panels)

0800-1600: 800W (to try and stop the battery filling up and the system clipping)

1600-2330: 150W (to cover base load)

Im generally happy but there is some clipping (when the battery is full and the solar controller reduces generation to 800W to match the inverter) on good generating days - and we've had several of those recently. I might extend the daytime discharge but 30 minutes and see if I can get the battery more reliably down to 25% by 0800.

Edit to add: here's today's generation curve. You can see the clipping (two dips) at about 1430 and 1500.

QrizB

If anyone else was interested in doing something like this, EcoFlow have a bit of a promotion on refurbished examples of the Stream Max (with two MPPTs).

£799 discounted to £629.10 after promo codes.

https://ebay.io/m/AXtC1d

One of those plus two 4-500 watt panels and some cables and you're in business.

Note the refurb units only get a 2-year warranty, not the 10 years they offer on new ones.