Hey Guys and Gals.

So I'm looking at a DIY project sooner or later and came across videos about buying 3,2V 280ah batteries and make your own. seems to be cheaper depends on where you buy.

Has anyone on this forum actually build them and using them? Is it actually cheaper to do then just buying the battery from a supplier?

 

1 hour ago, Jacques1982 said:

Hey Guys and Gals.

So I'm looking at a DIY project sooner or later and came across videos about buying 3,2V 280ah batteries and make your own. seems to be cheaper depends on where you buy.

Has anyone on this forum actually build them and using them? Is it actually cheaper to do then just buying the battery from a supplier?

 

It all has to do with the price you pay on the day. 

2 years ago I bought 2x Hubble 12V 100Ah for lees than a DIY would have cost. 

FF to a few months ago and I build a 24V with great 2nd hand cells for far less. 

Edited September 1, 20232 yr by Scorp007

Thanks @Scorp007

Yeah thats my thoughts as well. I do see you can order them from Alibaba and/or even source them local which works out cheaper than the standard battery you buy.

For example, pylontech 24v 120ah gives you 2.84kwh for about R18k. If I worked it out correctly, and roughly, buying 8x 3,2V 280ah cells with a BMS would be about R25k. it a little bit more but that would give you about 6.7Kwh... which is so much more!

Please help me understand and how you guys would approach it, would it be a better idea and do we actually have guys re-selling cells in SA?

So I have purchased some cells and am waiting some parts before I can start building them.

 

Whether it is cheaper, well, it depends on what price you can get the cells for although with the prices of some already built batteries which have recently come onto the market it does not make sense to DIY if cost savings is what you are after.

 

For example, I have seen the Svolt 106AH batteries being advertised for under R20k brand new, like here: https://www.snaga.co.za/product/svolt-51-2v-106ah-5-43kwh-lifepo4-battery-wall-mounted/

Altergrid are selling some 280AH Eve cells for R3200 each (https://altergrid.co.za/product/eve-280ah-3-2v-lifepo4-cell/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl8anBhCFARIsAKbbpyT9CQ90o8oOfB0IthDxd0YzshnAZ3XHCkPF4lSlDzOwFLq2XjwKEYsaApCpEALw_wcB)

 

So 16 cells would come to R51 200 and then you need a BMS which would be cost between R2700 and R4100 if purchased from Altergrid as well.

So now we are at R55 300 and you still need to assemble it, create an enclosure of some sort (or have it on a shelf if you do not mind the way it looks and the possibility of it being pulled off). I'd say you could likely construct a nice enclosure from MDF and spray it and floor mount or wall mount it for around R1500 - R2000.

So R58 300 approx final cost for the DIY battery with 280AH.

 

For R58 500 (an extra R200) you could purchase 3x 51.2v 106AH Svolt batteries and have a total of 318AH and the convenience of just taking it out the box, mounting it on your wall and wiring it up - plus you get a warranty from Svolt and the comms between your inverter and battery are not as much of an issue as they are with a DIY battery (most run their DIY batteries without comms between the battery & inverter).

 

So basically, the pricing on some of these new batteries makes the cost aspect of buying your own battery a bit of a mute point I feel, unless you are able to get the cells at a really good price

1 hour ago, PsyCLown said:

So I have purchased some cells and am waiting some parts before I can start building them.

 

Whether it is cheaper, well, it depends on what price you can get the cells for although with the prices of some already built batteries which have recently come onto the market it does not make sense to DIY if cost savings is what you are after.

 

For example, I have seen the Svolt 106AH batteries being advertised for under R20k brand new, like here: https://www.snaga.co.za/product/svolt-51-2v-106ah-5-43kwh-lifepo4-battery-wall-mounted/

Altergrid are selling some 280AH Eve cells for R3200 each (https://altergrid.co.za/product/eve-280ah-3-2v-lifepo4-cell/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl8anBhCFARIsAKbbpyT9CQ90o8oOfB0IthDxd0YzshnAZ3XHCkPF4lSlDzOwFLq2XjwKEYsaApCpEALw_wcB)

 

So 16 cells would come to R51 200 and then you need a BMS which would be cost between R2700 and R4100 if purchased from Altergrid as well.

So now we are at R55 300 and you still need to assemble it, create an enclosure of some sort (or have it on a shelf if you do not mind the way it looks and the possibility of it being pulled off). I'd say you could likely construct a nice enclosure from MDF and spray it and floor mount or wall mount it for around R1500 - R2000.

So R58 300 approx final cost for the DIY battery with 280AH.

 

For R58 500 (an extra R200) you could purchase 3x 51.2v 106AH Svolt batteries and have a total of 318AH and the convenience of just taking it out the box, mounting it on your wall and wiring it up - plus you get a warranty from Svolt and the comms between your inverter and battery are not as much of an issue as they are with a DIY battery (most run their DIY batteries without comms between the battery & inverter).

 

So basically, the pricing on some of these new batteries makes the cost aspect of buying your own battery a bit of a mute point I feel, unless you are able to get the cells at a really good price

Also factor in if you buy a complete battery locally you have a warranty if its worth the paper written on. 

Browse the classifieds and see at what prices you could buy 90-95Ah used cells. Just be patient as a lot of out members do upgrades. 

SVolt have lovely cells and the JK BMS is a great unit to pair DIY. Look around and take time. 

6 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

Also factor in if you buy a complete battery locally you have a warranty if its worth the paper written on. 

Browse the classifieds and see at what prices you could buy 90-95Ah used cells. Just be patient as a lot of out members do upgrades. 

SVolt have lovely cells and the JK BMS is a great unit to pair DIY. Look around and take time. 

Precisely, an already built branded battery comes with a warranty. A DIY battery might have a warranty on the cells but good luck getting any assistance if a cell goes faulty.

 

There have been a few members on the forum selling some used cells and this is perhaps where DIY can make sense - you need to get the cells at a really good price in order for it to make sense to DIY a battery with the current pricing of some commercial batteries (like the Svolt ones currently).