Adding a home battery to grid tied home avoiding proprietary solutions?

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Talkiet

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#318761 18-Feb-2025 16:10

I've got a 6.6kw Huawei solar install and I am very happy with it. I can add a battery but of course, only a Huawei branded one. I haven't checked very recently - but last time I did check the pricing was way higher than offgrid targetted low voltage battery systems.

Do I have any options for adding a home battery that's completely separate from the Huawei install that would use the generic 50v LIFePo4 battery packs that cone in 4U(ish) rack packs? I'd be way happier spending the same money for more capacity... Based on my last 2 years of recorded use patterns, I would think 15-18Kwh would take a very sizable chunk of usage away from the grid over summer and probably still take 30% away in winter.

Obviously I''d like something that could be programmed to charge up at certain times of the day (that would allow a 100% elimination of paying anything but offpeak rates).

Is there an off the shelf solution for this use case?

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

neb

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#3344312 18-Feb-2025 17:39

I don't have specific knowledge in the Huawei case but it sounds unlikely, all solar battery packs have significant amounts of intelligence in them to interact with the PV controller, which is why each PV system comes with a list of batteries that'll work with it. Unless there's some open protocol spoken by both sides like the SunSomething one in Europe they won't be able to interact.

Talkiet

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#3344321 18-Feb-2025 18:10

I know it won't work with the Huawei inverter. I was meaning completely separate and in addition to the Huawei inverter.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

eonsim

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#3344407 18-Feb-2025 22:05

You would need to buy a second inverter that can manage batteries and ideally talk in some way to the Huawei inverter to track what's happening. If you want the system to run when the power is down you would also need to buy gateway as well (to disconnect from the grid when power is down). What you are describing it pretty much an AC coupled battery such as the Tesla powerwall.

The cost of the second inverter may well wipe out any savings from the cheaper batteries.

Victron may have suitable gear if they're usable in NZ.