Dala's solar-powered workshop (+DIY powerwall coming)

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Okay finally getting started on constructing a powerwall! Gonna make this one a real step-by-step incase someone wants to copy the setup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr7vzq8PW70
 
The Victron Inverter is IN! In this video, I test it out before mounting stuff permanently. Now I just need to add the safety stuff, fuses, contactors, precharge, CAN comm, etc. But that's for next week :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCo0QkNMqrs
 
Dala, I can't thank you enough for posting up your journey. Your excitement is infectious as you step through the process :)

Please keep the videos coming as you connect up to the grid!

My question is on the cell clamping. On three of your cells, you're using the OEM, very stiff cast aluminium end caps. I'm assuming they are stiff like this to resist deformation in the body, which in turn would allow the cells to expand. On the other packs in your setup, you're using a different setup which does not look nearly as stiff. So expansion won't happen at the corners, but can it still occur in the middle of the cell packs?
 
denwood said:
My question is on the cell clamping. On three of your cells, you're using the OEM, very stiff cast aluminium end caps. I'm assuming they are stiff like this to resist deformation in the body, which in turn would allow the cells to expand. On the other packs in your setup, you're using a different setup which does not look nearly as stiff. So expansion won't happen at the corners, but can it still occur in the middle of the cell packs?

Cell expansion is more of a phenomenon at really high and really low SOC. So by staying out of the extremes, it doesn't matter as much. The other slimmer compression plates are actually from a LEAF battery pack.
 
Today I turned on a LEAF pack connected directly to the grid. :cool: This was a separate side project to get 30kWh of storage at my main garage.

7ZdM8FU.png


More info on the project here: https://github.com/dalathegreat/BYD-Battery-Emulator-For-Gen24

This is a gamechanger for how easy it is to re-use old LEAF packs as-is for stationary storage.
 
denwood said:
Simply awesome... I suspect a lot of LEAF packs will end up used exactly in this manner :) Is this something you might sell as a plug and play solution?

Even better, if you follow that link you see that it all is open source, with instructions on how to get it working on 15$ hardware!
 
MIght be the best "battery recycle" program - If you can work with Tesla on something similar?
Quick calc on purely SWAG estimate:
- 4 million Teslas on road in US by end of 2022 - all available for "spent" use by 20XX - 2030??
- Average remaining energy for grid support (or off grid) - 35 kWh from 65% to 15% on average "spent" 70 kWh batteries
- 4 million X 35 kWh = 140 billion Watt-hours (just to make it look ridiculously big :mrgreen: )

Do your own math :lol:

PS, hopefully by 2030, Tesla, et.al., will figure out how to recycle highly Li rich spent batteries. Guess we'll see.
 
Marktm said:
MIght be the best "battery recycle" program - If you can work with Tesla on something similar?
Quick calc on purely SWAG estimate:
- 4 million Teslas on road in US by end of 2022 - all available for "spent" use by 20XX - 2030??
- Average remaining energy for grid support (or off grid) - 35 kWh from 65% to 15% on average "spent" 70 kWh batteries
- 4 million X 35 kWh = 140 billion Watt-hours (just to make it look ridiculously big :mrgreen: )

Do your own math :lol:

PS, hopefully by 2030, Tesla, et.al., will figure out how to recycle highly Li rich spent batteries. Guess we'll see.

Way ahead of you. Tesla Model 3 battery support is in the works, we have it working on a POC setup, will port it to the standard branch!
https://github.com/dalathegreat/BYD-Battery-Emulator-For-Gen24/commit/df6706709982fab7eb5372dd020d5a592a8558ab#diff-d43a7a81c252ce5bc81e7a0a831d4fee7da7f754e4c51fd53cda4522a19ac419
 
Elon is already counting heavily on recycled lithium as part of the master plan.

@dala open source and $15 sound pretty compelling :)

So you mean these bits:

This code fits on the LilyGo ESP32 T-CAN485 devboard , see https://github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/T-CAN485

You will also need a Nissan LEAF battery, any model year will do

Finally, you will need a hybrid solar inverter that accepts the BYD battery communication standard, for example the Fronius Gen24
 
This is neat--thanks again Dala. SMA fan here, so it is good to see SMA battery inverters talk with BYD HV batteries.

Question--any concerns about holding the Leaf main contactors closed essentially full time? Generating heat?
 
MikeinPA said:
This is neat--thanks again Dala. SMA fan here, so it is good to see SMA battery inverters talk with BYD HV batteries.

Question--any concerns about holding the Leaf main contactors closed essentially full time? Generating heat?

The contactors draw ~5W each, so very little thermal load! No worries whatsoever!
 
I made a quick walkaround video on my LEAF battery here:

https://youtu.be/XHZWGLzT7gg

It has now been in service for 2 months, and I haven't bought any electricity at all! :cool:
 
Just found the above video today! A great excuse to keep my LEAF and use the 24kWh pack. Well, provided I ever find a 62kWh pack at reasonable cost, that is! Otherwise, I'll end up removing the pack and parting out my LEAF! :?
 
Dala said:
I made a quick walkaround video on my LEAF battery here:

It has now been in service for 2 months, and I haven't bought any electricity at all! :cool:

Hi Dala. Maybe a naive question - why not using V2H by Nissan? Then you still have a car.

Using V2H, owners of Nissan LEAF can use their cars as a power source for the household to save money on electricity bills, or as backup power during blackouts or emergencies and support the adoption of renewable energy.
 
Andrey said:
Hi Dala. Maybe a naive question - why not using V2H by Nissan? Then you still have a car.

Using V2H, owners of Nissan LEAF can use their cars as a power source for the household to save money on electricity bills, or as backup power during blackouts or emergencies and support the adoption of renewable energy.

V2H chargers cost a lot of money. That money can instead be spent on a stationary battery. For example, the Quasar DC V2H box costs the same amount of money as a 65kWh Tesla battery. Not economical at all!
 
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