My New Net Zero Home Battery Surprised Me

Would you want something like this for your home? Use code UNDECIDED50 to get 50% OFF your first Factor box plus 20% off your next month at bit.ly/3R5fOSk If you liked this, check out Tesla Solar Roof vs Solar Panels: Which is Worth It? https://youtu.be/glgsGjvxvz8?list=PLnTSM-ORSgi7FwYRnWkpCSkAeFOzrgh5h

We need a standard for interfacing all of this together. So many of these systems are propriety and you are in a walled garden.

All of these battery puns have left me completely drained.

We installed two Tesla PW2's in 2018 for $15k to complement our existing 2012 installed 13.2 kW Solar PV system with microinverters and have been operating as a microgrid for ~8 months of the year in Edmonds, WA, while suppling our energy needs to our all electric home, charging two Tesla's and exporting ~50 percent of our excess energy back to grid via Net Metering. Last year we produced 474 percent (Solar production: 12,197 kW versus Net electric use: 2628 kW). We also have electric heat pump and heat pump water heater, and have done lots of other things to increase our energy efficiency. Our home was certified as being a Net Zero Energy building in 2016 by the International Living Future Institue. Our setup as been exceptionally satisfying for us, and we have weathered many power outages successfully with our system.

Love that impact barrier in front of your wall batteries. Very smart, as well as clean-looking.

"One throat to choke" is what we called it when we chose a single vendor solution... Time will tell and we all know you WILL tell how it works out in time! Thanks.

Lots to think about when I do something like this in a year or two. Thank you Matt I feel informed about what I going to be getting into.

@Matt F. Its amazing how far you have come,I have been watching you since you started this channel and a few others since then, yes back in the old OG Tesla phase of our life lol, anyways congratulations on the new house and solar setup. Just a few things to note, many modern solar panels has built-in power optimization tech, and for cheaper new panels you can buy Tigo power optimizer with rapid shutdown, so basically using string or micro inverters does not matter much any more since each panel performance will no longer affects each other, also DIY installation gets full access to the 30% credits as well, and the best solution for me has been a grid-tie systems with critical load and zero export, basically self consumption with TOU schedule charging time etc.. as far as cost EG4’s 14kwh external wall mount batteries cost little over $3k each with free shipping, I don’t really care what it cost others i only care what it cost me, my total setup cost $13.5k after 30% tax credits, (42kWh battery, 28 550w panels 15kPV and a EG4 18Kpv inverter), grid-tie setup with no export (zero export), just basic electrical permit needed as i am not back feeding the grid with a grid-tie setup, all this living in crazy NY, DIY with grid-tie zero export is the only way to go up here

I see news articles talking about how cell costs have gone below $100/kWh but then home batteries are selling for over 10x that cost...

😂 I just went through that inspection here in LA County. I had to install and hard wire a smoke/heat detector less than five feet from my Enphase Batteries. And I feel you about the timing. Sometimes I wish I got the delta ultra instead of my Enphase 10T.

I really wait for sodium base ultra-cheap batteries! In a home, i have space, weight is no problem, but money is. Also, they could be saver as well, if I understand correctly.

I wonder if the newer batteries that you showed on wheels would be considered stored vs installed for the purposes of requiring the sprinkler system when over a certain capacity. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some legal loophole to slip through like that.

Thanks for the detail on the SPAN integration it was very helpful.

I'm a big fan of the EcoFlow modular system because it's so easy to expand as your need and/or budget grows.

If parts are not readily available for consumers to repair or if working on it yourself voids the warranty that is an immediate no-go. Enphase website pricing is not transparent requiring you to hand over personal data to get a rough estimate. This is the same reason I refuse to purchase a Mitsubishi mini split. I'd suggest people keep looking for a product that isn't anticonsumer. I really hope that Right to Repair outlaws these business models.

Matt we really like your videos, very clear and well explained. We are Enphase Platinum installers in the Yucatan Peninsula and all our clients with batteries were sooo happy to have them when Hurricane Beryl knocked out power in the region and you are absolutely right about the safety of LFP chemistry, the excellent 15yr warranty and the all-in-one app. Keep up the great content!

I've got the Span panel tied into Enphase with their junction box too. Make sure that Span's `Remote Meter Kit-Enphase` circuit is setup in the "Always On Circuits" section specified in the Settings and not just the "Backup" pages between nice to have sections. I learned the hard way when the power went out and the Span panel didn't know it had battery power to tap into. Nice... The only way to resolve was to call Span support which only after they changed something could I then put it into Settings->Always-on circuits.

20 Kwh isn't remotely enough for an off grid system, particularly if you have an ev to charge. I currently have 60 kWh of batteries with an sol-ark18 kW inverter and a combination of Big Battery which I don't recommend and eg4 batteries. I really need to double this system before getting a cybertruck. You drive your vehicle mostly during the day. You need to be able to charge it at night while you sleep. You can only do that if you have a really large battery at home. But you also need a large battery to get through winter storms without having to run a generator. Of course my situation is quite different to most people. The local coop does not allow solar so I refused to hook up to them. I am truly off grid on a small ranch. I heat and cool with a heat pump and cook on an induction cooktop. I haven't had to use a generator in over two years. I have a separate system at a small farm with an eg4 18K inverter and 30 kWh of eg4 batteries. Again I need more batteries on this system for nighttime operation of hydroponic systems. I currently have to shut them down at night which isn't ideal. The solar energy world is improving but the cost of batteries is still too high. It needs to drop by at least 50%.

I am pretty excited for sodium ion batteries. They are getting more and more close to the energy density of LFP. But even if they stay below it, you don't need high energy density for home storage.

Thanks, Matt. I’ve had an Enphase system that I got before CA changed their Net Metering rules, but a year later hasn’t been installed yet. And that’s just the panels and microinverters. My head swims with battery options, but I need to lean toward grid-tie as 1.) I’ve got great rates for my contribution and 2.) I don’t have an electric car to charge yet. A lot to think about, but you’ve helped clarify it for me.