No Grid Off-Grid Cabin with Solar

[Eagle Scout]

I have been living in a totally off-grid home for a couple years. I have Solar on the roof for power and a propane generator for when that isn't enough. It is a 48 volt system using Magnum Energy inverters and Midnight Solar for battery management and the solar arrays.

I bought the Cybertruck, thinking that I could eliminate a lot of my propane cost during the winter months. I have requested the Powershare be installed from both Qmerit and Smart Charge America. Both have given me the run around. The company that installed my solar says it can't be done.
My question is, can I use the PowerShare to run my cabin and charge my car from the cabin solar during sunny days?

If you don't know, who do you think I should ask?

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[chaosmarine92]

I can tell you that right now I have solar plus power wall and powershare is not an option. We are still waiting for an OTA update to enable powershare with solar. Powershare right now only works if you don't have another backup solution. How this translates to permanent off grid I don't know but I suspect that you having another solution working right now is the problem.

However you can still use the 240v bed outlet and plug that into a transfer switch to power your cabin.

 

[Jager]

Even if PowerShare is a no-go you can always utilize the 240v outlet in the bed of the Cybertruck, run to a transfer switch. A transfer switch would also give you the option of plugging in a generator should you want yet another fall-back.

 

[hemiarch]

You can also get something like an Ecoflow delta pro ultra or delta pro 3 or big bluetti/pecron or whatever size/brand device your house actually requires, and then periodically top it off with your 240v plug so your truck isn’t tethered to the house.
this also allows you to “import” juice from a supercharger if needed.

 

[mongo]

I have been living in a totally off-grid home for a couple years. I have Solar on the roof for power and a propane generator for when that isn't enough. It is a 48 volt system using Magnum Energy inverters and Midnight Solar for battery management and the solar arrays.

I bought the Cybertruck, thinking that I could eliminate a lot of my propane cost during the winter months. I have requested the Powershare be installed from both Qmerit and Smart Charge America. Both have given me the run around. The company that installed my solar says it can't be done.
My question is, can I use the PowerShare to run my cabin and charge my car from the cabin solar during sunny days?

If you don't know, who do you think I should ask?

Powershare works with AC tied solar inverters. It can't directly interface to a 48V system. To charge the truck, you could use a 48V inverter and the Mobile Connector with the truck set to an appropriate current limit. This would require swapping between charging and discharging mode (mobile connector vs bed outlets) when you need the truck to recharge the cabin.

For Powershare charging, you would need the Powershare Gateway, UWC, and UL 1741 solar inverter. This AC grid might then feed your generator input to keep your 48V bank charged, but it depends on you overall system setup.

 

[jeniferkey]

I’m looking at off grid and was debating if I’d use the truck as a generator replacement or use a chargeverter plugged into the bed to recharge the off grid batteries, so I could continue to drive the truck as needed. I’m also hoping that by time I get a system there will be PowerShare as an option. I still think topping off the system might work better so I don’t lose the ability to drive the truck. I do plan to have power ‘at the road’, just not anywhere near where the house is, so that would help with topping off the truck and recharging the system, as needed.

 

[hemiarch]

I’ve said this on an another thread already but in my opinion the powerwall 3 is an unbeatable value. 11kw inverter, 20 or so kw of solar input, big battery and seamless integration with the wall connector including charge on solar. No brainer if you ask me.

 

[mongo]

EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra with 18kWh capacity and 7.2kW output is $7,600 at Costco and has solar inputs. 8.8kW max charge rate with AC and solar.
$7k for 12kWh (inverter + two batteries). $6,659 from EcoFlow...
Can gang 3 inverter for 21kW with $1k combiner panel (plus online UPS/ backup switch) and have up to 90kWh total storage (five batteries per).

Lacks native Tesla integration though.

 

[hemiarch]

EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra with 18kWh capacity and 7.2kW output is $7,600 at Costco and has solar inputs. 8.8kW max charge rate with AC and solar.
$7k for 12kWh (inverter + two batteries).
Can gang 3 inverter for 21kW with $1k combiner panel (plus online UPS/ backup switch) and have up to 90kWh total storage (five batteries per).

Lacks native Tesla integration though.

Fair. I own two delta pro 3’s and a delta 3 plus, and two delt 2 max’s and a couple of rivers. Not to mention a couple of wave 2’s. I love Ecoflow stuff but I felt like moving from this to my “front of house” powerwall 3 was like going from AAA to the majors honestly.
May just be my perception.

 

[mongo]

Fair. I own two delta pro 3’s and a delta 3 plus, and two delt 2 max’s and a couple of rivers. Not to mention a couple of wave 2’s. I love Ecoflow stuff but I felt like moving from this to my “front of house” powerwall 3 was like going from AAA to the majors honestly.
May just be my perception.

Sure, Powerwall is great for typical residential, but for a pure off grid setup it might be overkill.
The EcoFlow Ultra can't charge from 240 while outputting AC, but I think that's a non issue if feeding the home integration panel from the truck (other than power limits).
Plus it's super modular upgradable and configurable so you could, possibly, move it to your truck or RV as a range extender/ off grid source in the future...

 

[hemiarch]

Sure, Powerwall is great for typical residential, but for a pure off grid setup it might be overkill.
The EcoFlow Ultra can't charge from 240 while outputting AC, but I think that's a non issue if feeding the home integration panel from the truck (other than power limits).
Plus it's super modular upgradable and configurable so you could, possibly, move it to your truck or RV as a range extender/ off grid source in the future...

All true. With two delta pro3’s that can be used
In tandem using the 50amp hub or the smart panel, I just couldn’t justify getting a DPU when they came out. They are quiet and slick and take I think up to a 450v or so solar input. Amazing device.
I remember early in the Ukraine conflict Tesla supposedly sent information abroad with instructions on how to use a powerwall as a mobile power station.
I looked around a bunch on the internet and could never find such a document but if you could, it would still smoke the DPU.
Respect to Ecoflow but truly a different level.

 

[mongo]

All true. With two delta pro3’s that can be used
In tandem using the 50amp hub or the smart panel, I just couldn’t justify getting a DPU when they came out. They are quiet and slick and take I think up to a 450v or so solar input. Amazing device.
I remember early in the Ukraine conflict Tesla supposedly sent information abroad with instructions on how to use a powerwall as a mobile power station.
I looked around a bunch on the internet and could never find such a document but if you could, it would still smoke the DPU.
Respect to Ecoflow but truly a different level.

The Ukraine setup required a Gateway which is unneeded in an off grid setup. However, those were easier generation PW. Still, I think PW3 need something connected to enable export without a grid reference.
Here's the video on it

Pricing is close, Tesla benefits are integration (if you want to charge vehicle) and much better solar inverter
$9,646 for PW3 13.5 kWh, 11.5kW, and Gateway

$5,900 DPU + 1 battery + home panel
$4,400 DPU + 1 battery
$10,300 12kWh, 14kW, 11kW solar

PW3 is $6k per extra battery for 13.5 kWh, two DPU batteries is $4,600 for 12 kWh.
Plus DPU combo deals with more battery to start with.

 

[mongo]

Powerwall 3 with Remote Energy Meter, no Gateway needed per:

 

[hemiarch]

That is pretty cool. Maybe a powerwall 3 would make decent range extender.

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