Victron Multiplus II & Pylontech Home Storage Battery. A real Tesla Powerwall alternative

Does the Victron system perform as I hoped?
Was my list of wants and needs fulfilled?

Battery has been live during May so I now know how it really performs compared to what I hoped for. Is it still the ultimate Home Storage Battery solution and can it compete withe the brilliant Tesla PowerWall?

System / Components and links / referrals
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Ecoflow Delta Mini 882wh 1400w portable battery power station

Ecoflow Delta link:

Solar config
PV all JA solar 9.2kwp
14X280w (3.68kw Solis)
8X300w (2.0kw Solaredge)
4x450w (1.8kw) Solis
3x370w (1.1kw) Solis

Myenergi Zappi 1, Eddi and Hub

Battery:
Victron Multiplus II 48/5000
Cerbo GX
5 x Pylontech Us3000C
ET112 meter on the solar AC out

EV: Mini Electric Cooper SE Level 3 in midnight black and Chester grey leather

OCTOPUS energy referral link....
share ** £50 credit each **

⚡Instavolt App referral : £5 free charging each

Twitter: @EVPuzzle

My recommendation for solar/battery installer:

Power Different
Hethel Engineering Centre
Chapman Way
Hethel
NR14 8FB
Tel: [phone]

[davidsteele]

I'm planning on building a similar setup (but without the PV at this stage) and use Octopus Go to charge the battery. A video on battery capacity and a more in-depth video of how it all bolts together would be most useful.

[timf]

Thanks Nigel - very informative as usual. Would definitely like a video on how to calculate battery storage - have had a couple quotes from installers but their estimates seem a bit random. Cheers

[GrahamRead]

Very interesting video and set up. I can understand the desire to minimise grid import to zero, but in reality I find it adds up to little cost with my "cheaper" system vs the additional cost it would take to remove the issue - a cost benefit thing to take into account really. On days where the battery lasts all day (almost always at the moment) I import between 0.8 and 1.5KwH a day (not counting off peak use). About 20p at current rate, or say 45p when rates go up. It's a trade off.

[nigelworwood]

Just about venture into the world of solar. Haven't done it before as it was a "new" tech. I have your obsession with data so useful to get a realistic view of the performance of your system. Thanks

[jean-marcgruninger]

ive just had 3 of those batteries installed on a 3kw pv system. so much fun fiddling with the app.

[RupertHair]

I think the CT clip is what's missing for the inverter to 'feed back' to the loads that are 'outside' it on the grid side, like your EV charging. Right now it can't tell the usage other than what's on your 'protected' side of the inverter.

[blobstrom]

I have the Multiplus but the GX version. I'm just playing at the moment and it is wired purely on the input only, I only have a 4kW array of solar PV.
I am using a CT clamp to measure the total mains input and found that if the Victron batteries are fully charged and am producing enough solar to allow the Zappi to start charging on Eco++ then when a cloud comes over then the Victron will keep the minimum charge rate on the car going, so by moving the CT clamp to measure just my consumer unit and not the Zappi it stops the Victron from powering the Zappi. Somewhere in that explanation could be the solution you're after

[GrantVisserUK]

Extre3mely interesting and YES please do the sizing video. I am right at the start of my journey and sizing is exactly what is boggling my mind 🙂

[linlithgowcc]

Fantastic update. thanks. Wonder if you could share a diagram of how it’s setup and explain the various blue boxes. Looking forward to some seasonal updates to see how it performs.

[anthonycain]

Hello I have just added a further 4 kW solar PV system to give us 8 kW combined. It is liberating have so much electricity generation ( during the summer period)

[Earlonics]

Good to see your getting the Pylon batteries Modular design gives you great flexibility.

[kevinpreece]

Fantastic update, I’ve been following your channel for a long time and it’s great to see your progress. I’m trying to spec a similar system, so the how spec a system guide would be most welcome. Thanks again for the update.

[schrodingerscat]

You will find that those battery packs are in reality well over the stated KWH capacity, this is how they can boast 95% discharge which would actually kill a lithium battery cell. Similarly charging to 100% will be well under 100% in the internal cells. This is done to reduce stress on the cells and increase lifespan. Cheap battery packs don't do this for obvious reasons and their lifespan is severely reduced because of it. You have a pretty good setup there, quality components that cost more but will be far more reliable. The Victron inverter is also one of the best with many useful features not found on cheaper alternatives.

[christhompson]

Thanks for such useful information. I have an almost identical system (off grid in Portugal) and am just starting to use it so your videos are so helpful for us. Keep up the great work 👍🏻

[lynnfisher]

Welcome to the big battery club Nigel

Our Powerwall takes 1.4 kw from the grid each month as it checks connection to the grid daily. It gives 5 kw peak power but doesn’t give you much control on when you want to charge the battery from the grid during the winter (as John Tisbury referred to)

You have more capacity, (you can’t have too much), you have similar peak output and far more control over it and can add even more capacity if you wish.

As soon as the solar starts to diminish in the autumn you will soon escape from your current ‘lazy’ ways.

[ivornotion]

Interested in the battery storage video. Just moving into a house with air source heat pump so I will be all electric heating which must be a big draw on capacity

[anthonybowes]

I certainly would be interested in those figure as we are about to go down that road and you have sold me on the batteries.

[markgilder]

It makes sense now to go the battery storage route. Really can’t see energy prices falling anytime soon, if at all.

[bseddonmusic]

Another requirement some users may have is location of a supplier. I live in SW London but there seem to be no local Victron product suppliers the nearest being in the Medway area (75 mins), Hampshire (60 mins) or Essex (90 mins). It has surprised me that in the south east (~20 million potential customers) there are just 4 suppliers. The midland and north have many suppliers and there even 2 in your neck of the woods. I wonder if this will have an impact on the availability of people available locally to help with an install.

[ianrobins]

Great video Nigel. yes please to a battery sizing etc vid, the winter will be a big test for battery sizing and to have an option increase if need be will be key in my view and to bare in mine your inverter selection /capability or even to have 2 inverters if your demand is to high for one inverter. there is so many things and maybes. was it hard to find an installer to install a Victron, i spoke to one and it was a sharp intake of breath response. i won't be having solar but invested in a wind turbine. fingers crossed my Niro will arrive in a few months. thanks