Revolutionary Ecoflow PowerStream - DIY plug in grid tied Solar PV & battery system
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- A Solar PV and Home Battery system you can plug in yourself🤯
Easilly relocated so moves with you instead of being fixed to the house.
Reduces your reliance on grid energy by powering your home devices during the day on solar but also overnight using stored solar power in a home storage battery that's also portable.
Seems too good to be true?
Off the shelf kits
Self install
No approval delays
Plug and play
Balcony solar Power energy bills
Cheaper than a fixed system
Modular systems you can upgrade later
Smart control of your home devices and energy consumption
EcoFlow are offering something I personally thought was impossible in the UK , constrained with regulation, a solar PV and battery system that plugs into a domestic socket to power your home and can easilly cover a base load overnight seems unreal but here it is...
Update:
The missing tool for disconnecting the #PowerStream cables has been found under the cover with the fixing kit👍 Still think it's less than ideal.
#EcoFlow #Powerstation #Balconysolarsystem #Balkonkraftwerk #SolarGenerator
EcoFlow Website: uk.ecoflow.com/pages/powerstr...
5% Coupon code for EcoFlow’s website: THEEVPUZZLE
EcoFlow Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C4SWG4S...
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:40 Revolutionary battery plugs into a socket
02:17 Solar & battery for renters / apartment owners
03:10 Ecoflow Balcony Solar PV
04:30 Ecoflow PowerStream components
06:30 Flat solar connecting cables thru windows
08:03 How PowerStream works
08:57 Powerstream's continuous power output
14:00 What I didn't like about PowerStream
17:10 Ecoflow Smart App control & monitoring
20:08 Ecoflow PowerStream bundles
Ecoflow have provided this system for me to test, for which I am grateful for the opportunity. This video represents my own opinion of the system as tested at the time of filming.
All my videos are opinion based using my own experience but I am not a qualified electrician and hence am relying on Ecoflow having ensured this is approved for UK use.
Ive passed on this video Nigel to my friends who as a retired couple are in a rented house , but really want solar , primarily to cover thier base load. They have looked at ecoflow , and your video explains it well 👍
Many thanks Jonathan . I was sceptical to start with . Is it really possible etc?
But it definitely covers the baseload, sizing the battery is of course key and to put an ecoflow smart plug on the fridge makes sense
Plus you've got the portable battery in case there's a power cut 🤯
Great video! I'm extremely excited about this product!
Thanks for review, i have a similar setup using a grid tie invertor and have ordered this to replace it.
Thanks for the video. I live in France and have two BeemEnergy solar panel setups primarily to smooth the load during the day. I do however on certain days put power back to the grid (50Kwh in 4 months) and this would be ideal to trickle feed overnight devices.
Thanks for this...looks really interesting.
Be ideal for our summer house at the bottom of the garden. Could run the fridge in there and my beer pump.
The battery alone could do that of course 😉
Thanks so much for making this video. I will share it with my solar students.
I've just subscribed to your channel.
Awesome, thank you!
The first time I saw the ecoflow battery was on a 2 bit da Vinci video and it looks like something I am definitely going to be investing in.
Interesting product and I can see it being a good option for many people.
I think many will be uncomfortable in the UK as it's not the norm but a great advancement in options to those that can add solar other ways
there's a special tool for disconnecting the plugs from the inverter.. Designed not to be easily disconnected. What you highlighted as a negative is actually a feature.
Very interesting. I have solar on my roof but something I could use instead of buying a home battery for running the base load very tempting.
Hi great review. There is a tool to release the cables in the packaging. It’s inside the silver cover within the packaging.
This product appears to be an excellent fit for my requirements and I intend to purchase it.
Tempted as I don’t want to install at my current property as I’m probably only going to live there another couple of years.
Like the portability as it would be good for camping, when travelling etc. Also great for powering gardening tools, shed, summer house etc without the need to install electric. Got a quote to put electric into my log cabin and that was going to cost around £1,500.
Great review. I hope ecoflow paid you for this. It's the first detailed, professional review I've seen in English on youtube.
They also do a single axis solar tracker for the panels mounted on a balcony, I'd love more information on these / a demo. Can it run from the Panels DC output? As I'd like to run it with just panel, tracker and my other Zendure battery. I have a feeling the tracker will run from the ecoflow battery
Lol professional, you're so kind 😉
I don't get paid for my reviews. Some offer payment but my terms are strict, I say what I think and don't permit them to reuse my content.
@@SolarSuntime I'll ask ecoflow but it's an expensive product so I think they reserve their best kit for larger channels. 🙏🤞 as it'd be a cool test to add a tracker
This is what most people are looking for, that ‘plug & play’ aspect without the need to pay expensive professional installation costs will be a game changer in the market I think..
@@SolarSuntime I think the tracker has its own battery, with 800 cycles to reach 80%, or something...
God looking product, would be good possibly for self contained garden studios etc
That's a potential use going forwards for me
It’s interesting that they chose to use smart plugs to monitor power use, so presumably you’d need quite a few of these. Why didn’t they just add a CT clamp to monitor the meter tail (like a Zappi) and then it could exactly match the load, regardless of where it’s used.
they said most people couldn't do it! oh & max if 6 plugs per house
I'd guess we'll see a full home storage system from them soon with grid monitoring
Hi Nigel, followed you for a while now which has been very helpful with designing my system. On the eco flow I am sure the anti islanding protection means the 3 pin wouldn’t be live when unplugged as it would be disconnected from the grid. I think with a couple more panels, a wireless ct clamp and combined with off peak tariff this could work really well for people not looking to do a full install. Will look forward to more videos…
If you have a smart meter and start back feeding into the grid your energy provider will send out an engineer to check you haven't tricked the meter. Also feeding into socket (against UK wiring regulations ) can overload the cable supplying any other socket outlet on that circuit.
@@user-uy3pi4rf3q absolute rubbish as from a grid point of view its no different to a fixed install and can also be registered the same as a fixed install so no engineer will call. This system has also just been passed for legal use in the UK AND APPROVED.
@@vincelemon6343 am sure it will get banned soon enough just a shame someone always has to get hurt or even die before action is taken. Electricity is dangerous always seek advice from a qualified electrician.
@@user-uy3pi4rf3q I actually agree to a point. The one thing that puts me off this actually is my house insurance as im not convinced we would be covered in the event of a house fire in the uk if it was found one of these devices plugged into the system. We all know insurance companies look for any reason not to pay a claim so i bet they wouldnt pay out even if no fault of device.
I would like to see far more detail concerning the wisdom or otherwise of connecting via a three pin socket. Plus if this is an issue where the appliances you want to power (say a fridge freezer) should be on the same ring main. Good presentation Nigel, excellent opportunity for a follow up video as the manufactures English language website is very light on detail.
Cheers Dennis . Having read the safety instructions which say use appropriate PPE whilst operating the equipment and refer to local rules , there's always doubt in the mind. Wisdom would say place on a separate consumer connection but being a lay person I hear the electrician's view which is quite rightly safety focused but then I read the official documents and find it's not exactly clear. I guess I have to trust the company that gets these passed UK approval have done their homework and 800w backfeed is allowed and safe.
I've most certainly had no issues
This system is controversial in some ways as it's breaking with what we're used to but is that wrong?
It's only 600-800W feed into the house so I am sure they have tested it thoroughly. I think most ring mains can handle 9kw or a bit more.
@@EVPuzzle I think maybe check this out with one of the trusted TH-cam electricians...Cory Noah Mac and/or Artisan Electrics? I'd be interested in their opinions on the two way socket thing.
The thing with electrics is it can seem like everything is fine until it isn't!
Interesting concept though and if it's really safe it could be something we'd consider just because solar/battery systems are our of reach in terms of cost for us now. Mainly because we did have to get a used ev last year when our car was written off so it would come in handy to trickle charge it off sunshine in the summer with no driveway parking.
Of course I'd have to try and understand it first, not sure I'm altogether there yet on amp watts and volts...there have been some lovely explanations by some TH-camrs brilliant analogies to water flow but sadly my poor afflicted brain can't retain the info!
I'll need to watch this again Nigel. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, good honest review as always.👍
@@DanielEarlesterit's illegal to connect any additional power supply to a 13a socket for all sorts of safety reasons
Very interesting idea! Great idea and great video
I'll send you your payment later Nickie 😉
@@EVPuzzle lol 😂
Looking on the website it dont make it clear if you could use the solar to charge the batteries in the event of power cut ? Ie yes i know you cant send power back to the grid in power cut as it will endanger workers but if you have this setup and cant recharge the batteries from solar like you can do already , would be nice if you could still power there smart plugs it seems bit pointless as 1-2 kWh isnt going to last long , its good for its diy idea but isnt this already done with there other bits or is it just now its all in one kit ? People dont want to be messing around with extra cables when there is a blackout compared with in normal use . Mite be wrong but there website needs to be clearer i think 🤔
Another wonderfully informative video, as ever. I had no idea it were possible to send AC back through a wall socket. As you mention in your video, the notion feels somewhat uncomfortable to my old-school way of thinking. This might be a viable way to connect solar to a ca. 2000-era immersion heater without having to replace the entire unit or mess with the hazards of coupling DC onto an AC thermostat...! Thank you for sharing this.
Yes same it’s very strange, I thought you always needed an inlet transfer switch!
How can outlet become and an inlet has yet to be explained to the ordinary folk 😂
Reading the EcoFlow details the way they have got this passed is that the smart invertor looks to shutdown if there is no current present at the inbound plug socket - ie if a power cut it stops the invertor putting electricity into your house and potentially back onto the grid. EcoFlow advise in power cut you would need to plug devices you wish to power need to be plugged directly into the Delta - is this means the devices run in island mode - separated from your house electrical system. Hope this helps.
Thanks so much for the video. I agree this is almost an iphone moment in solar/ battery technology in the uk. I am amazed eco flow are not explaining this solution in a better way. I have lots of questions I am afraid - maybe useful if you end up making a 3 rd video!
Here goes
1) it looks like with this setup you have the panels connected to the smart invertor up the limit. If it was say low light in winter could you have panels both connected to the smart invertor and also connect panels to the delta battery? So that you could be both capturing solar direct to charge the delta and also be inverting solar connected to the smart invertor at the same time?
2) regarding demand for power via the smart invertor, if the invertor was feeding power to say a plug enabled device, to save plugs, and if the delta was say next to your broadband router etc - could the local devices be plugged directly into the delta rather than taking power out via the smart invertor?
3) is there anyway to use the eco flow app in demo mode to see functions before buying a setup? Reason - for example is there and option to set a minimum SOC at say midnight and if low then the delta would charge from
The mains supply to property when on a cheap rate tariff?
4) if 3 is not available is the soc available to other automation systems like home assistant or SmartThings so that it may then be able to trigger intelligent soc/time of day charging?
Sorry for all questions but an exciting bit of kit for sure.
This is a very clever product, I had no idea that you could simply feed power into your house through a 3 pin plug
There appears to be limits and safety requirements of course
You do have to be very careful, obviously you will have the 3 pin plug “live”, so what happens when you (or a child) unplugs it from the socket, does it remain live, in which case you have a very dangerous situation. Household systems have never been designed to “back feed”, until the advent of solar / battery systems its never generally happened. There’s a fair few technical / safety issues to consider before you go down this route
Unless its via something like the EcoFlow, which I’m assuming has the correct protection built in
@@dave300m7 Grid tied inverters are required to meet stringent tests that they kill the power if the grid power goes away so it should be fine. It's there as much to stop you electrocuting electricians as anything else. If you have two solar systems it might be a problem depending how it works. It's also why the system can't be used to power the house in a powercut (but the battery pack sockets can).
They have a bit of a different system for Canada: There's a small breaker box that has to be installed by a qualified electrician (for waranty), and it connects to your existing home breaker box, and your power station is plugged into that. So it probably really depends on where you live.
A great idea so I bought one to cover my base load at night only to find Ecoflow are having compliance issues with the grid tie in so they are not supplying the AC cable. My Powerstream is gathering dust on the kitchen table waiting for Ecoflow to sort it out. Customer Service just tell me to be patient.
I never thought about feeding back through a plug. Fascinating. If you already have home solar can you have just a battery and charge it from the grid (excess solar or overnight off peak)
Yes but if it goes cloudy then it would be more expensive. This system handles all that.
@DanielEarlester Sorry, but to me this reply doesn't answer anything posed in the question. Can you elaborate on your response somewhat? Like this chap @MrKlawUK I have a fixed solar array already and don't want to invest in more expensive smaller panels, but just want to store a bit of surplus generation to run the TV, a light or two and the standby items and fridge freezer. Charging from a socket in the time near mid day would be well cheaper most days as it would otherwise just go to the grid.
It's actually illegal to backfeed electricity into a home electricity socket in the UK for all sorts of safety reasons . This devise is no different from plugging a petrol generator into a 13a socket which is as I said illegal and potentially lethal
There is a little tool included to release plug check contents
Hi there great vid thanks…re pulling out the plugs that you mention are difficult to get to…I’ve seen another TH-camr showing a tool that came with his one…it seemed to be inside the grill that covers the inverter if you fix it on a wall…just thought I’d let you know…Brian.
Yep a few have mentioned , Ecoflow sent my kit very late on a rush it seems and didn't send that instruction . Not a slick solution so my point stands, if you plug it in by hand why not unplug by hand unless they think it's dangerous ??
I've been on the edge of my seat with this one since you set your premiere! My big question has been how this would work with the Powerwalls. I've wondered if the frequency would be a problem. Your batteries seem not to mind?
I'd love to add these systems to our two offices which use comparably less energy but almost always during the day. A pair of laptops and a pair of IR panels in the Winter. That too, I wonder how many could be on one house? What happens if you disconnect the breaker?
It's an exciting product and a bit controversial plugging in direct . Not sure about multiple systems ie more than 800w feed in .
Frequency is fine its just a negative load. Powerwall wont see it same as my Victron doesn't, the load just drops
I'm testing turning off the grid feed next ...
Great vids thanks, looking into plug and play options however worried I'm gonna blow my place up 😂 just can't get my head around power entering my place through a standard wall socket and it be circulated around the property.
Make sure it's hard wired , plug and play doesn't meet installers regs so it seems
Isn't your video and description saying you can plug it into the wall socket when it's charged and power your house?!?
This boy is Electric..... I can hear you buzzing 😀....... Quality product & great for power cuts & camping
You got that right!
I want one!!!!
I think the microinverter has a cover plate that has a small tool fixed to it. This tool is to remove the plugs from the inverter.
Ref the cable removal. There should be a tool included that pops the cables from the inverter. Check on the underneath of the inverter cover
Yep missing on mine
A good balanced review. Some of my learning ….it won’t stay powered if the grid goes down for compliance/ safety. I think they supply a tool to help remove the plugs now. It will not work in systems with extra batteries as it uses the side extra battery port( I hope they develop a Y lead to remove this limitation. So for instance my Delta 2 could use the new Delta 2 Max extra battery and that would give me a 3kw install !
Thanks for this information. I was very interested until I read 'it won’t stay powered if the grid goes down for compliance/ safety' - which kills the system for my use requirement. However...
I have just read on the Ecoflow website: 'When an outage hits, rest assured having not just your essential devices, but also energy-hogging ones like washing machines up and running.' So, it seems that this will stay powered when the grid goes down?
@@speedmatters Possibly referring to using the battery as a stand alone - from a socket on the battery itself as they were originally designed for ? Happy to be proven wrong as it would add a lot of functionality to the product to work 'off grid' ......I've only recently been told despite asking many times that it will work with and existing install of a home battery and inverter.
Yep found the instructions for the tool, but wasn't in my pre release box.
Great video thanks for answering a lot of questions. I’ve got one more for you. Can the power stream work in reverse and charge the battery from the grid plug? Say for instance I have a reduced cost electricity overnight, can I set a schedule to top up the battery using the cheap rate during this cheap window? Where the inverter would draw the power from the grid and send it to the batteries?
Ideally I’d just use the D2 extra battery but as this can only be charged via the power stream (or a standard D2) it may limit how useful the system could potentially be.
Battery itself charges from the grid not powersteam
Almost all of my appliances I would like to add to the system are electrically installed as fixed systems with no way to add smart plug in between. Induction stove, 3 air-cons, exhaust fan, owen, etc. This would be perfect, if the system could detect the overall consumption and you could add maximun power everytime you exceed that figure and when consuming less, system would lower the power. So it would feed 0-800W automatically and preferably even more than 800W.
Will be interested to see if you can set zero grid export if like me have no grid export agreement, I can’t see how it can see what is being used in the house without having a CT clamp or alike? Thanks
About the removal of the cable there’s a small tool in the cover of the inverter use that to easily remove the cables
Yep, I'm helping others by making them look for it 😉🤣
Will be interesting to see how they prevent backfeeding in to the grid if theres a powercut.
If it's G98 compliant that's a given I guess
My guess is the invert monitors for grid connection. Although if something goes wrong… I imagine it’s not quite like the Tesla power wall which does a physical disconnection.
It's not entirely DIY, looks like one needs to tell dno
It would be good to go into the detail on this. I have no doubt they've addressed this, but on the face of it, that standard three-pin plug sounds like a "suicide cord", meaning that if you pull it from the socket it will be live, and can kill you. It would be good to hear that grid-loss is detected in milliseconds or less, and that it is not software-based.
@@johnmceleney2170 I've seen on another review that it doesn't shock from the plug. I think it's monitoring for electricity from the grid also, if there is none, it cuts it's own supply out, only feeding the battery.
In the EcoFlow youtube run through, shows the tool, secreted in Inverter cover, to release clips of the inverter connections, so solves one of your criticisms
It does
Really want to get one
In the event of a power outage, the linesmen needs to know that the power is off, so they dont get zapped during repairs. How does the system ensure that power isnt going to the grid in a situation like that, if you're using the battery to power the house via 3pin?
Thats my only negative thought beyond the price. Looks a great piece of kit.
My house is wired with a transfer switch so there's nothing that can go back during a powercut as it's isolated . Without the transfer switch though I'm not sure how this qualifies for G98 without that grid isolation . Haven't seen that covered in the documentation yet
Thanks for this. Have been wanting someone to explain the system for a while now. I was previously confused as to if this actually fed power to a home via existing wall sockets. It seems strange to think that power can be put into a home this way as we perceive that sockets are for taking power out. Still a bit confused as to what the smartplugs do. Does this mean only appliances using the smartplugs benefit, or does the system feed other normal sockets around the home too? Great video nevertheless. Thank you.
Smart plug is just intelligent wireless way of sharing consumption information to the system. When the system gets the consumption info, like 100 Watts is consumed right now, you can configure the system to add that same 100 W on top of the base load you have configured. The best would be, if the system could detect the consumption of the house as total and you could adjust with that.
Out of curiosity, how many of the 2kw bundles would you need to replace YOUR current set up? ..... once again a brilliant presentation
Summer time I'd only need 2kwh but it wouldn't cover my peak cover when I exceed solar output by 2-4kw at times so only a viable replacement for some of the features of a home storage battery.
Winter time I'd need 6kwh bit now with heating electrically more like 10kwh
Im.about to try charging from a 2nd portable battery via the 3pin output of the 2nd battery to the AÇ in of the Delta, whilst still outputting from the powersteam. Lots of flexible options
You are not allowed to feed back any more than that without all the form filling and approvals at which point you might as well fit a big one anyway as per Kwh those portable units are expensive compared to big ones
This looks interesting. I already have an Allpowers 2.4kw battery, could I power this from my home solar via the socket in the day and plug in for overnight power as a top up to my main solar battery?
Hi Nigel this is very interesting and something I’ve been waiting for for literally years….
I have a full solar setup and Tesla Powerwall so I’m familiar with the concept of solar/battery etc. I also have a static caravan and so am very interested in whether this is a neat solution providing solar power and I suspect it’ll cover the majority of our usage in the van?
For me the bit I’d like to understand better is the max input (solar) and output (load) I think from the video and reading the comments it’s 800w continuous? - is that right? Also what if any, is the limit on storage i.e. can you build a larger storage system of say 4/6 or even 8kW? In terms of using it in my home supplementing my existing system having an extra say 5kW of storage that I can charge overnight on Go and then release into the house at 800w during the day will help through the winter when solar is minimal and (as I’m 100% electric with ASHP & AC) loads are high. Basically it’s a way of upgrading my storage without having to buy another Powerwall and as I have high power output covered by my existing system the 800w limit shouldn’t be an issue.
My fingers are literally hovering over the buy button but before I do I need to research some more to ensure I’m fully informed and understand the limitations (ps I assume AC input into the battery from mains plugs into the battery itself? Can this be done while the system is running and outputting?)
So it feeds into the house via a plug socket? Cool if so as I don't have much space to add to my battery storage but run out of storage by dinner time in winter.
Do you have a circuit diagram Nigel showing how you are connecting into your house ring main - I'm intrigued but sceptical. eg if the local substation goes offline, your Ecoflow needs to also go online otherwise your sticking 240V back down the mains incomer and back to the substation.
Looking forward to the review, can you test to see if the inverter will work with out the battery connected ? Ie just being feed from solar panels
Due out 7th June, they won't let me release it earlier. I've been charging on solar when there's sun and top up with Home solar AC charging when I don't have enough with the small panels
Not sure if I’ve misunderstood…..does the power come from the battery/inverter through a 3 pin plug that plugs into the house socket? Surely there’s a safety system in place to prevent the plug having a bare live pin that can be accidentally touched?
question is can I buy two setups run one upstairs and one downstairs through seperate room sockets for house input ?
This looks really interesting (if especially like me, I will move in the next 3 to 5 years). Can you top up the battery overnight too (I'm on Octopus Intelligent)?
Great video. What happens if you are sending power to the house but it is not being used. Thanks.
It goes to the grid
I think a better solution to the inverter cable would be a release clip that slots over the cable and releases the tabs whilst giving a better grip on the cables at the same time.
I'd prefer a better solution that allows you to unplug it in the same way you plug it in
@@EVPuzzle maybe something with a clamp to lock unlock the cable.
Hi, great video very informative.
Would I be able to use the powerstream with a Ecoflow delta ?
Steve
Thanks for your insights on this plugin device. How does the cost per kWh of storage compare with the larger home battery packs that you have tested?
750 per battery, 1000 for the power station inverter charger
Compareing this to the cost of my pv installs and battery install this is actually pretty good. Providing 1 you have a suitable clear area for the panels as you lose the perks of being on the roof, 2 have the cash upfront or are already looking for a small solar setup. This would cover back ground house load, and slow charge for the evening. 1 niggle that would bother me personally is the suggested number of cycles of the battery. Their larger 3.6kw is 3500 cycles see's the battery capacity drop to 80% which is not that great compared to other cells. Suggests 5 - 6 year life span?
Think that's the guarantee so hopefully worst case..must depend how aggressively you charge and discharge
Guess we only find out for sure years down the road but when they degrade to 80% presumably we just add another battery and continue using the 80% capacity
@@EVPuzzle I noticed they sell extra battery units. It is a nice idea for those without space for a full install.
One of the bundles has a battery that is only rated to 800 cycles before it drops to 80% but if you only cycle 80% to 30% for example you could get 2-3000 cycles. You would only be accessing 1kwh but this set up is really targeting your background loads so at 100w that's 10 hrs. If you are using the full capacity every day you'd probably be better off with a larger battery.
In 5 or 6 years battery technology will have changed dramatically, I expect people will changing out perfectly good batteries for new technology. I have an eco flow I use with my campervan and for backup in a power cut which get a few. I have just purchased the mini inverter so I should get far more use out of the expensive EcoFlow units.
with regards to removing any of the connectors on the invertor, I believe there is a removal tool which is inside the invertor cover?
I'll have a look thanks . Ecoflow haven't said and there's no instruction on my version
Hi,Can you plug in even if you have a small solar and battery system install.
Good video info as usual.
Yep, it's working along side my solar and battery config with no issues
Hi Nigel,
Looking at something like this for my sailing boat. Already have an AC ring in boat for when plugged into a marina with about 4 sockets, presume I could just plug this into any socket when at anchorage or traveling? Would be great to be able to use the bright AC energy efficient lighting when out, also power my laptop. (Also used for navigation and ship identification).
Presume you can output DC as well, handy for emergency auto pilot use?
Ideally would probably be better value to install a few panels and 12V LFP batteries, but I like the portability of a system like this.
Hi, this requires mains input to work so when you are not connected to grid via hook up it won't work. However you could use just the ecoflow battery, have that connected to your hook up point and add solar panels directly to the ecoflow battery.
@MyApole however he could use the Solar Generator inverter output to energize the circuit in the boat by plugging into a socket.😊
Very interesting, so basically how much money could it save you. Obviously your looking at the initial out lay first to repay back. I know the power station isn't static, and can be used away from the home. And why couldn't you just have a panel with a fixed micro inverter(like an Enphase with auto disconnect) plugged in your ring main to cover the base load?
I had no idea that you could plug an ecoflow battery inverter into a plug socket and send energy into your house, and also no idea that it could back up an already installed solar installation. I have an issue where I stop collecting solar energy by about 4pm after the sun has moved and I was considering installing a few panels on the side of my roof facing the evening sun. That is now most likely going to be changed to an ecoflow system instead.
@EVPuzzle Hi Nigel. Great video, would it be possible for you to add a test of how effective (or not) this system is at actually reducing the homes electricity usage (bills). I only ask as I have a basic power usage meter at my incoming cable to measure the load. My background base load is usually around 68W - 100W when Im not really using any electrical equipment. When I turn the Ecoflow on (connected to the 3 pin wall plug) I notice the actual demand used by the house increases slightly. Ive also noticed that when the background load is say stable at 100W and I push 50 into the wall socket via ecoflow inverter, it doesn't reduce the house load to 50W as expected. Also noticed that my TV and internet router, both powered through the smart plug draw approx 20W (just on standby) but the actual house (billed) usage or load, doesn't reduce by 20W when the system is active.
Basically, could you please (or someone else) record a few tests that show how this system actually reduces the house electric usage not just by accepting what the beautiful app tells us to believe. I REALLY REALLY want to see the evidence that this device actually works. I own a delta 2 and ecoflow powerstream and not yet convinced the system actually works as we all thing, not how the app says and REALLY want to be proven wrong and my mind set at ease :-) Thanks Mervyn Northern Ireland.
I think I did that, showed reduction down to zero baseload when using powerstream . I'd suggest maybe your monitoring might not be accurate enough. Victron showed it up nicely
I just seen video.looks to get one but as now been withdrawn in the UK. Something to do with G98 keep well
Yes, it seems their optimism about certification was a bit premature , Shane as it works a treat
I think the difficulty in removing the cables from the inverter is intentional. I believe there is a regulation which says it's supposed to be impossible to accidentally disconnect.
Ah ok, At present it feels dodgy having to insert something to flick the catches. Presumably unsafe if you use a metal tool😱
You state (quoting Ecoflow) that it meets the required standards.
However it was only submitted for approval on the 5th June 2023, and ENA assessment typically takes 4-6 months (if you are lucky). And that is assuming they approve it.
There are big brand recognisable fixed inverter manufacturers who have been "under assessment" or "waiting further info" since Sept 2022 and still not approved.
So at present you cannot use/install that in the UK.
Suggest you tell ecoflow they're not allowed to sell it.
@@EVPuzzle I don't disgree with what you stated, given it was merely what they told you. However as you well know, it requires ENA approval for connection to the UK grid.
And it isn't.
What the consequence would/could be is a different matter. But that isn't going to be approved in the suggested 2-4 weeks as their online advertising suggests. The ENA don't even acknowledge a new product test request that quickly, never mind do it..
I also can't see anything about G98 DNO notification within said (available) docs - yet clearly Ecoflow are aware it's required otherwise they wouldn't have bothered applying for type testing in the first place. And the DNO will reject a G98 notification based on no ENA approval.
I accept it never exports, but the microgen still needs DNO notification of it's existence.
Great comment and references, you simply now that it will never be allowed to pass mains voltage through a 3pin plug with exposed connectors, if its grid detection fails or software that plug becomes a human killer.. I'm sure it will be sold here though as the Chinese simply don't care about any level of safety.
Looks a great product. I might have missed it but how would it handle a power cut. This would be a bonus. Let me know what you think.
It cuts supply and you can use the battery in isolation in a power cut..
Hi,
does the PowerStream microinverter makes any noise or is it completely silent ?
What is the depth of the hooks from the balcony hook kit ? I have atypical balcony and I am afraid they would not reach my mounting point.
I am thinking about buying this but it is hard to find detailed information.
Can you have multiple units plugged-in to different sockets around the house? On the same circuit? On different circuits?
Good video, just one question. Will the system simply feed into the house mains if the battery is not connected?
Haven't tried it but I'd expect it to
Hi Nigel, great video and so far the best out there. Thanks for taking the time to put together. Could I ask a few questions.
I am assuming the powerstream cannot function without the battery?
Can you connect devices to the battery ports whilst using the powerstream?
Could you set the battery to charge from grid at set times with this connected?
Do the tapo smart plugs measure power delivered by the system to the house?
Does it work with home assistant?
Can you have more than one battery and powerstream setup? I'm guessing that the limit is just one.
It might do the solar bit without the battery. Not tried though
Yes on using battery , I've done that
Yes I've done timed charging on a smart plug
Not sure on tapo I use kasa
Home assistant integration looks flakey so far . Not there yet imo but no doubt will at some point
I'd expect a limit of one per house as DNo exception is 800w. You can have more but would need to get approval probably
This would have been useful in my flat when I was renting.
Huge downside is that you have set the export amount from the battery, which might be higher than it needs to be.
A wireless clamp the user could install would mitigate this I think, although would add a bit of complexity.
Add the smart plugs and you can get pretty close.
@@EVPuzzle True. Just seems a better solution is a possibility rather than adding smart plugs to everything.
@@RichardBrooklyn I would only have two smart plugs. One for the fridge freezer and one for the TV/computer setup including chargers etc. on an extension lead.
@@DanielEarlester what about lighting in the evening? It would be nice to cover that load too. I agree with Richard, It’s very nearly ideal but a ct clamp operating the same way as the smart plugs would make it great.
Hi, I don't know if it's already been asked/answered but when you set the battery to 90w output I am guessing anything not used by the house will be given to the grid? Do you know if there is much ramp up/ramp down with this? (asking because if I do buy one then would like to know it is efficient in its turning on and off via the smart plugs when using it, to try and not use the grid)
Also another question, if I did get a delta 2 max with the bundle is there an option to link up to one of the 1kw battery's along side it?
Do you think it would be possible to use an extra 400w panel plugged directly into the Delta so the battery was being charged even when the house was taking 800w? Wondering if it could be hacked to make use of 1200w of solar
Interesting product. What happens if you set it to provide more watts to the house than is being consumed?
Some slips back to the grid
So to clarify, can this be used in conjunction with an existing whole home ecoflow setup. I have maxed out my ecoflow devices by having the two delta pros, two batteries and two generators. Could I use this to continue to add ecoflow delta pros by placing them in rooms and plugging them in to add to the overall available KWH?
I have sent a question to EcoFlow themselves but not sure how good they are at replying. My question is how does this work with your existing solar and battery? When you’re pushing watts into your home via the EcoFlow system does your other system just see a reduced base load? Also what happens if the EcoFlow battery is full and you’re producing more solar than base load. Does the EcoFlow system just shed the excess or does it feed into the grid? I’m close to buying as I think the overall package is actually pretty good value - I just don’t want to buy and find it won’t work with my existing solar/battery system. Cheers Nick
Really interesting system! I live on a narrowboat and looking for a new solar set-up. I've been trying to cut down on my electric usage over the past couple of years and generally use everything 12v, but I miss playing on my xbox!. Would this system work to generate power for your house in a blackout I wonder? (presuming the total load doesn't exceed 800W)
Only the battery provides power in power cut but solar could plug into the battery in that situation
If you have enough capacity (they burn electricity compared to a typical laptop) and you need mains you can add any old 12v to 240v inverter to a 12v setup. It's much much more efficient to avoid it though. The powerstream inverter only supplies power when there is power from the grid as well, but if you are not grid tied is not suitable although the delta max 2 might be except for its rather limited solar panel capacity (800W max)
We put our panels up ourselfs without any scaffolding, just 2 people, I've not seem them doing it, but I think its not completely necessary and perhaps just a further way that they can (Justify) pushing the price up.
When our 16 panel FIT array was installed 6 years ago it was all done by two blokes off ladders. We had a second array installed in January this year and scaffolding was put up for the install. I spoke to one of the engineers who was doing the work and he said that they used to do all the installs off ladders and it was only relatively recently that they’ve moved to scaffolding. Maybe its an industry health and safety thing that’s caused the change, but you’re right, it adds to the install cost
@@geoffreycoan Yep I think its a Health and saftey thing partly, put another way to add cost. You have to lift the panels up to the edge of roof, and then walk them up... they arn't heavy and 2 people can easily move them into place. We just got some simple roof harness/saftey ropes, and it is more work to move around on a roof but doable I think by normal people if they actually wanted to. The payback period is much shorter with DIY.
Can the system be configurated, so that the Delta battery is only used for the appliances connected to it and not to feed its capacity into the grid overnight?
i want to have it connected to the grid in case i want to charge it in case there is no solar power and the soc is low. is that possible?
Explain to me the point of the power stream? The delta models come with a plug and inverter. Why not just run a long extension cord off the delta and skip the power stream?
very interesting, but presumably it only powers the circuit its plugged into....
I am very curious on how this is making an outlet into an inlet, it’s essentially charging the directional flow of the PowerPoint it’s plugged into.. I need more technical deep dive session lol 😂
I guess the outlets don’t enforce one way flow direction of electricity and have ability to be unintentionally bio directional
Electricity flows
But EcoFlow UK have just told me that the PowerStream is NOT approved for use in the UK for connection into a house socket. Which is why its not for sale on their UK website. Why do you not mention this key fact? Its pretty important to know...
The Ecoflow is also an inverter. Not sure why you feel you needed another one. The panels connect right into the ecoflow. The cables come with it.
You're missing what it does do that the battery cant do .
Battery inverter converts DC to AC output but that output can't be grid connected. Its not just a wiring issue , obviously you can't plug a lead in with a plug both ends between the battery and house , it's a compatibility issue.
For example , Things that grid connect need to shut off in the event of power cuts to stop making the grid live when it's supposed to be off for maintenance. That type of compliance isn't built into a portable battery hence the need for a different inverter that takes the battery power and solar power in DC form and can connect to the grid .
@@EVPuzzle Please explain. I only clicked on this video because in the title he has grid tie. My search that brought me here was if I have the Ecoflow Delta pro ultra system with 2 batteries then how can I sell unused power how can I sell it back to the electrical company (Grid Tie) and that is not what he is doing here.
@@LarryRichelli crikey , you clicked on it, there's your mistake 😉🤣
@@LarryRichelli I've updated my first reply which wasn't the most helpful , sorry .
Having said all this , this solution is no longer available in the UK as it didn't meet the regulations needed . Plugging micro inverters directly into sockets doesn't meet installer regs even if other rules and regs are met so it was pulled by eco flow despite the fact it works fine . Yes, once connected solar power can be pushed directly to the grid if not consumed in the house .
UK safety regs are pretty tight and this type of solution needs hard wiring to a separate consumer circuit.
Hopefully they'll launch a UK compliant version again soon
Hi ..Can you explain to me how it works because I didn't understand, I have power at the sockets and I plug the microinverter into the socket to give me power.... the power must be off in the house or the smart socket does not take power from the grid but only from the microinverter.. ....it's beyond me....can you explain? I think that in two weeks it will come to me too and I don't want to make fireworks in the house
Some questions -
1) Can you set a charge limit for the battery? The best value system has a standard lithium ion battery (not LiFePO like the others) so would benefit from limiting charging to 80%.
2) Can you over panel it so you are within voltage but with an excess of current? This would help on less than optimal weather days.
Yes you can limit charging %
Not sure what you're asking with 2
@@EVPuzzle Can you add 1000w solar when it says 800W max. I think for the Delta Max 2 with two PV inputs there will be a max voltage input which should be less than the PV can produce.
@@DanielEarlester solar limit is the powerstream inverter where it plugs in. Solar Doesn't plug into the battery itself
It's normal practice to 'over panel' an inverter. As long as it can handle the voltage they should limit the current themselves. In the UK where full sunshine is not the norm you can still utilise your inverters capacity by simply adding more panels.
Is this available in the United States because I can’t find this product
It would be brill if you could isolate the grid, but then get your main inverters to power up with the 240 from this ?
It's not about powering the inverters it's about preventing inverters feeding power to the grid . You need the inverters after a transfer switch then you can power them up
Could you charge the battery overnight on a cheaper tariff in the winter? Looking at their website and can't see it as an option.
Yes doing that in video 2
(Typing this before getting to the end, so will edit if needs be!) - What happens in the event of a power cut? If it keeps the house going during a cut, could it be used to keep a hybrid solar inverter alive so that you can run the house off the hybrid battery? I thought that would cause issues for the grid, with the system potentially exporting power/making the lines live when engineers are potentially working on the grid?
As far as I'm aware if there is a power cut it shuts off in order to avoid trying to power your local neighbourhood and electrocuting anyone working on repairing the fault. You can plug things directly into the powerbank to power your fridge etc.
It's designed to provide power after a power cut but interesting thought, would it or could it fool a solar inverter to keep alive. I guess not otherwise solar would then potentially go back to the grid which isn't allowed.
My system is ok as the victron unit I use has a transfer switch which completely shuts us off from the grid
It seem they have pulled sales until a new Uk adapter is released…
A couple of quick questions. What’s with the revenue shown on the app shown in the video, is it displaying costs saved or are you being payed for putting electricity into the grid? I have two Delta Pro’s already so this inverter was a no brainer, is it safe and legal to have two of these plugged into the home circuit providing up to 1600W?
800w limit as it comes via the inverter not the battery itself
and revenue savings are just a guide using a present tariff cost times kwhs of grid use saved
Do you know if you are required to do a DNO registration for this system?
I think in the bundle costs there's a slight error, bundle 2 I'm sure comes with x2 400w panels, so 800w total. Happy to be proved wrong though! Great video
Many thanks , if so it's ecoflow's error in what they sent me
I’ve always thought that solar systems would get cheaper, but it’s no good seeing the hardware get cheaper if the labour costs don’t become cheaper. I think this solution has a hint of genius about it: Delete the labour costs entirely and you expand the solar market to everyone: tenants and flat dwellers.
The one concern I have is that someone is going to accidentally drop one of these panels from their balcony causing damage/ injury to someone underneath and then a whole new raft of rules come out banning balcony/ window hung solar panels.
The question now is how big a system can you make using this DIY method? I suspect that 2.7kW (typical room heater size) will be a continuous limit for a 13amp socket.. I think that is more than adequate for 95% of existing domestic loads (heat pumps and EV charging excluded).
SO where can i get one of these Powerstreams??? none in stock.
Interested in buying this setup but out of stock in the U.K. can anyone recommend any decent alternatives?
If the app was to stop working or the wifi or internet was down, would the set up keep the ebatery charged and power the home?
If you've set it up with schedules Yes it should do. Features are there
If you want more battery storage could you add more than one system and the APP be able to monitor both systems?
Potentially but conflicts will exist potentially..only reason to have two is to double the import charging rate
@@EVPuzzle While you can't yet daisy-chain different power station models together, you need to unplug the micro-inverter from one power station when full and plug it into a different one, if you have different models.
Seems limited in potential at present time.