- Level 5 auto failover EPS – whole house powered during grid outage
- Increased battery inverter power to 10kVA
- Additional battery storage to total 28.4kWh
- Average total cost – £20,000
Our initial installation for this customer in 2020 saw us add a Victron inverter plus three Pylontech batteries to their existing SMA Sunny Boy Solar system.
The customer was happy with the system, and had added some batteries in the meantime, but wanted to increase power output, and increase their storage capacity further.
Upgraded Victron inverter, with batteries in cabinets below (Image: C. Brookson)
Recently we returned to upgrade the Victron Multiplus 5kVa/4.4kW inverter to a new Victron Quattro 10kVA/8kW. The addition of two new Pylontech batteries, for a total of eight, brought the total storage capacity to 28.4kWh.
The auto failover capabilities of this system are what we refer to as Level 5 – our most advanced Emergency Power Supply (EPS) system.
Victron Quattro inverter, with generator input bottom left (Image: C. Brookson)
You may not be aware, but all solar inverters need a power connection to operate, in this type of system the battery inverter provides power to the solar inverter so that it can continue running in a power cut even though the grid connection has gone.
A particular advantage of this system is that the solar inverter will provide power as long as there is sunshine not just to power the house but also to keep the batteries topped up. In good weather conditions this system has the potential to keep working indefinitely, however long the power cut, as every day the batteries will fill back up again. And in the event of a power cut, switching from grid to system is so quick that the power supply is uninterrupted, so electrical devices within the home continue to run as normal.
PS: The customer has written about his system here.