Electrical/Solar help needed

Initially, I decided to buy a factory-made 16 kWh battery pack and sell my existing one, but I was told that they could be combined into a single system. Since I could only sell my old battery for a very low price—even though it contains high-quality CATL cells—I decided to connect the two battery packs, which have different capacities and different BMS units, via an electrical busbar.

The original Victron busbar is very expensive, so I decided to build one myself.

In addition, I constructed a sturdy, insulated platform using 15 cm of polystyrene foam, and provided space heating via a film-type heater with a thermostat, as well as an electric convector heater, also equipped with a thermostat.

Once the battery arrived, I connected everything into a single system.

Next, it was necessary to start the entire system; I charged both batteries, ensured the voltage readings at the terminals were identical, pre-charged the capacitors using a light bulb, and then started the system with both batteries.

It was a bit scary, but everything worked out; the system is up and running. I also added a 12V battery and set up backup lighting.

I have an inexpensive inverter with limited functionality. I replaced the stock Wi-Fi logger with a custom one based on an ESP32. We have a preferential (lower) electricity rate at night, and—provided there are no blackouts—I can make efficient use of the system thanks to my 21 kWh battery bank and this smart logger. The custom logger allows for integration with Home Assistant and also enables the control of Tasmota-based devices.

bogdan smith wrote:I have an inexpensive inverter with limited functionality. I replaced the stock Wi-Fi logger with a custom one based on an ESP32. We have a preferential (lower) electricity rate at night, and—provided there are no blackouts—I can make efficient use of the system thanks to my 21 kWh battery bank and this smart logger. The custom logger allows for integration with Home Assistant and also enables the control of Tasmota-based devices.

Looks like you've made great progress since last winter. I wish you a warm,safe, outage free winter.
Cheers,    David

David Baillie wrote:

bogdan smith wrote:I have an inexpensive inverter with limited functionality. I replaced the stock Wi-Fi logger with a custom one based on an ESP32. We have a preferential (lower) electricity rate at night, and—provided there are no blackouts—I can make efficient use of the system thanks to my 21 kWh battery bank and this smart logger. The custom logger allows for integration with Home Assistant and also enables the control of Tasmota-based devices.

Looks like you've made great progress since last winter. I wish you a warm,safe, outage free winter.
Cheers,    David

Unfortunately, electrician services are very expensive these days, so I have to do the work myself. As for the data logger, I’m happy with how it performs; it’s convenient to control the inverter from my phone, and I can even set up automated scenarios. It’s a product from a Ukrainian development team solcloudy.com. Thanks for the kind words, David; wishing you a warm winter and peaceful skies.