When will LG Chem RESU 16h batteries be available?

[SunEagle]

If you are saying that using batteries with no way to charge them, then I would agree it would not make sense. I also agree it depends on the daily kWh you might use. It all depends on where you are standing.

Even having solar panels to charge the battery system may not work out every day due to clouds or smoke. Unless you have a very good plan not to use too many kWh from the battery system each day they will last much longer and for some have a pay back. But for others (like myself) where electricity is about $0.08/kWh even a grid tied system has a very long payback and batteries just do not make financial sense to me. As I have said for others a battery system works provided they understand the limitations on how much they can use each day.

[Ampster]

Using batteries when you are on a TOU rate which is high makes sense and has a payback. But to only have batteries when you have no other power source usually causes the batteries to run out or can get very expensive depending on the amount of daily kWh you could use.

If you are saying that using batteries with no way to charge them, then I would agree it would not make sense. I also agree it depends on the daily kWh you might use. It all depends on where you are standing.

[SunEagle]

Not all homes in the US have cheap electric rates & cheap natural gas. The residential rates for me are 33.5 cents/kWh. A LG battery will allow me to either load it from solar or the grid at 10 cents/kWh if I go with TOU. A 16 kWh battery would allow me to ridge the 5-10p period where TOU rates are 48.5 cents/kWh. In some places batteries make more sense than in other places.

Using batteries when you are on a TOU rate which is high makes sense and has a payback. But to only have batteries when you have no other power source usually causes the batteries to run out or can get very expensive depending on the amount of daily kWh you could use.

[Murby]

Hawaii ended net metering in Oct 2015.

You might want to consider some Trojan SIND batteries.. Flooded lead acid, they will last a good solid 10+ years if you take care of them..

[Steeler.Fan]

Hawaii ended net metering in Oct 2015.

[Murby]

Not all homes in the US have cheap electric rates & cheap natural gas. The residential rates for me are 33.5 cents/kWh. A LG battery will allow me to either load it from solar or the grid at 10 cents/kWh if I go with TOU. A 16 kWh battery would allow me to ridge the 5-10p period where TOU rates are 48.5 cents/kWh. In some places batteries make more sense than in other places.

Are you on solar now? From the limited reading I've been doing over the years, it seems that the locations with the highest electric rates also tend to be the most friendly with net metering laws..

Our rates are about 18 cents per kWh, but our net metering contract is set up so that the grid acts as my battery.. I give them a kWh, they have to give it back when I want it.. no money changes hands.

If cost of electricity is the issue, I think that should be your starting point.

[Steeler.Fan]

Not all homes in the US have cheap electric rates & cheap natural gas. The residential rates for me are 33.5 cents/kWh. A LG battery will allow me to either load it from solar or the grid at 10 cents/kWh if I go with TOU. A 16 kWh battery would allow me to ridge the 5-10p period where TOU rates are 48.5 cents/kWh. In some places batteries make more sense than in other places.

[SunEagle]

We have a small portable Coleman 5500 generator that I converted to use our Natural Gas.. before the off-grid solar, we lost power for 8 days and I ran it constantly, only stopping once a day for an oil change (2 hours). Our natural gas bill went up about $30 that month. That works out to less than $4 per day, and it runs the entire house.

I like my off-grid battery system, I hated listening to that generator, but I didn't spend $20k to build it, I spent $6k, and it wasn't for the occasional power outage, I installed it when the short fat guy in North Korea was launching ICBMs and screaming "death to the America"..

Tesla has the best system for the lowest price, and even that's too expensive if you ask me.

I am glad your battery provides enough power for you. But as noted in the previous post most battery systems can provide maybe a small percentage of the kWh that most people in the US use. If you want more kWh then you get a bigger battery and shell out the $$$ to do it.

Oh and for less than $500 you can build an enclosure that will greatly reduce the sound made by a generator yet still allow it to be serviced and provide air and venting.

[Murby]

Welcome to the world of false dreams. I keep telling people that a battery system is very expensive and just about never pays for itself. For that $15k you can install a whole house generator and include a lot of fuel to keep it going.

We have a small portable Coleman 5500 generator that I converted to use our Natural Gas.. before the off-grid solar, we lost power for 8 days and I ran it constantly, only stopping once a day for an oil change (2 hours). Our natural gas bill went up about $30 that month. That works out to less than $4 per day, and it runs the entire house.

I like my off-grid battery system, I hated listening to that generator, but I didn't spend $20k to build it, I spent $6k, and it wasn't for the occasional power outage, I installed it when the short fat guy in North Korea was launching ICBMs and screaming "death to the America"..

Tesla has the best system for the lowest price, and even that's too expensive if you ask me.

[SunEagle]

I don't fully understand some of the battery systems these companies are offering. Among the larger models of 11 to 18 kWh's, the prices are crazy high.. but the part that gets me is that even the most expensive, which run up near $15,000 or more, they won't even run your home for a full day on their own.. they entirely depend on the sun being there every day.

I live in an average ranch home with a small family and my system is 25kWh and it barely lasts an entire day. Of course, we run as if nothing is wrong as there's no critical loads setup.

Welcome to the world of false dreams. I keep telling people that a battery system is very expensive and just about never pays for itself. For that $15k you can install a whole house generator and include a lot of fuel to keep it going.

[Murby]

I don't fully understand some of the battery systems these companies are offering. Among the larger models of 11 to 18 kWh's, the prices are crazy high.. but the part that gets me is that even the most expensive, which run up near $15,000 or more, they won't even run your home for a full day on their own.. they entirely depend on the sun being there every day.

I live in an average ranch home with a small family and my system is 25kWh and it barely lasts an entire day. Of course, we run as if nothing is wrong as there's no critical loads setup.

[Ampster]

Ecodirect. is a known reputable supplier. I bought my first Ouback Radian from them in 2015 and this week will pickup 23 solar panels at their warehouse in Sacramento.

[Steeler.Fan]

ecodirect.com is sell SolarEdge StorEdge BI-NUSGN-01 > Backup Interface for Energy Hub HD-Wave Inverter with with main lugs - For Partial Home Backup (breaker not included) for around $1400.

[Ampster]

.....
I am thinking about replacing the older SE7600 with new SE7600 energy hub inverter & adding SE backup interface so that I can add storage battery, islanding & power my backup circuit.

Check your assumptions. I thought the Resu16H only worked with the Solaredge Storedge inverters. Last I heard the backup interface was not yet available in the USA. My information is six months to a year old.

The advantage to using LG Chem RESU batteries are ability to do DC-DC coupling (2-3% more efficient) and charging them from DC side of inverter. The latter will let me add more pv panels and produce more power without having to ask my utility to allow me to increase my export limit of 17.6 kW. Alternately, I may not add more panels but instead switch to TOU. TOU would give me less expensive grid power to charge my battery with on cloudy days and a cheaper source of grid power when my consumption is much greater than my production. My consumption is much greater when my home is being rented (6 mo/yr) than when I occupy it.

Makes sense

Can I charge PW 2 from grid with latest software? Here is one answer that I found online at tesla.com, "When Powerwall is installed without solar, it can charge from the grid if in Backup-only or Time-Based Control to support you during grid outages and to help you save money on your electricity bill. When Powerwall is installed with solar, it will not be able to charge from the grid."

I have not heard of anyone being able to convince Tesla to allow charging from the grid when there is solar connected to the Powerwalls. The Tesla Motors Club Forum would be your best source for workarounds if any.
If that is an important issue then the Solaredge would give you greater flexibility

[Steeler.Fan]

Good point about apples & oranges. I currently have 2 Solaredge HD Wave inverters, SE10000 & SE7600 with built in EV charger. I am thinking about replacing the older SE7600 with new SE7600 energy hub inverter & adding SE backup interface so that I can add storage battery, islanding & power my backup circuit.

The advantage to using LG Chem RESU batteries are ability to do DC-DC coupling (2-3% more efficient) and charging them from DC side of inverter. The latter will let me add more pv panels and produce more power without having to ask my utility to allow me to increase my export limit of 17.6 kW. Alternately, I may not add more panels but instead switch to TOU. TOU would give me less expensive grid power to charge my battery with on cloudy days and a cheaper source of grid power when my consumption is much greater than my production. My consumption is much greater when my home is being rented (6 mo/yr) than when I occupy it.

Can I charge PW 2 from grid with latest software? Here is one answer that I found online at tesla.com, "When Powerwall is installed without solar, it can charge from the grid if in Backup-only or Time-Based Control to support you during grid outages and to help you save money on your electricity bill. When Powerwall is installed with solar, it will not be able to charge from the grid."

I have another home with a SE6000 inverter that I would replace with the older SE7600 inverter mentioned above. Then, I would try to sell SE6000 on Craigslist.