Kona as a backup battery for home power outage?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jgood
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 129
  • Views Views 46K
I agree even though I have a nice inverter set up for my Kona, now that I have my F 150 lightning ⚡️ with 9.6kw built in I don’t see myself using the Kona setup again.

Also both Emporia and Enphase are coming out with v2h bidirectional chargers in the coming year.
Do you have the bi-directional Ford Charge Station Pro ($1,310)? I read that device enables a Ford F-150 Lightning to equal 7 Tesla Powerwall backup power units.
 
Do you have the bi-directional Ford Charge Station Pro ($1,310)? I read that device enables a Ford F-150 Lightning to equal 7 Tesla Powerwall backup power units.

No I don't as it requires an additional $6k-10k in equipment and installation and is specific to the lightning. The truck has a NEMA 14-30 plug in the bed which is 240 volt 30 amp which can be connected to a 30 amp transfer switch and a critical loads panel. I already have a 20kwhr Enphase backup battery and solar, so the only thing I would use the truck for would be to recharge the Enphase batteries in the event of a long power outage during a snow storm where there was no solar. I am looking at different options right now but I might wait for a universal bidirectional charger since they appear to be just on the horizon.
 
Last edited:
As it is a plug in setup, it is easy to connect/disconnect. My inverter fits nicely, securely under the hood over the black plastic cover in the centre. While stationary! Definitely not a solution for driving around with the inverter connected. ;)

I never even tried to close the hood over it. For me there is no need.
Thanks for the Reply. Did you put a breaker on the positive wire coming from the inverter.?
I've been thinking about using one of these inverters.
https://ca.renogy.com/renogy-1000w-12v-pure-sine-wave-inverter/
 
356 Volt lithium battery home power:

There appear to be two approaches to using a Kona EV 356 Volt lithium battery pack to directly power your home off-grid (disconnected from public utility power) without the limitations of the 12 Volt "starter" battery.

1. Can the 356 Volt lithium battery (or modules from it) be connected to the MPPP input (normally used for a solar PV string) of a solar inverter like that made by SolArk or Solis? A DC switch would be needed to disconnect the battery from the inverter for charging.

or

2. Will one of the following high-voltage solar inverters provide 7.6 to 11.4 kW of power to a home with the 356 Volt lithium battery from a Kona, as well as charge the battery?

Solis S6 7.6kW Single Phase High Voltage Energy Storage Hybrid Inverter | S6-EH1P7.6K-H-US -CCA-RGM| 4 MPPT

https://signaturesolar.com/solis-s6...31bbe4fb6063125a29394&utm_content=Ad group #1

or

Solis S6 11.4kW Single Phase High Voltage Energy Storage Hybrid Inverter | S6-EH1P11.4K-H-US-CCA | 4 MPPT

https://signaturesolar.com/solis-s6...917a0f3b803dbe3e82319&utm_content=Ad group #1

The above Solis inverters are compatible with up to 2 of either of the following Gen 3 lithium battery packs from LG Energy Solutions:
RESU Prime 10H 10 kWh (1 rack) 10kWh (1 rack)
RESU Prime 16H 16 kWh (1 rack) 16 kWh (1 rack).

https://signaturesolar.com/content/...ster_Product_Compatibility_PE-CP-0004-R00.pdf

The Kona 64 kWh RESU battery was originally made by LG Chem until they changed their name to LG Energy Solutions after battery problems were resolved and installed in Kona EVs from March 2021 forward.

Questions:

A. Are the RESU battery packs in the Kona EV (from March 2021 forward) the same chemistry as the LG Energy Solutions RESU Prime 10 H and 16H specified for the Solis inverter? Do they charge in the same way?

B. How does one rearrange the 5 battery modules in the 64 kWh Kona EV battery pack into four 16 kWh modules:

Two 16 kWh battery packs power the house through the Solis inverter.
The remaining two 16 kWh battery packs may be set aside, or charged (elsewhere or by solar PV), or connected to the MPPP solar PV inputs of an inverter.

C. Can the Kona EV battery pack successfully communicate (via RS422, CAN bus or other connection) with a Solis inverter after the Kona battery pack has been divided in half or in quarters to match Solis inverter spec? How can we determine if this works, or make it work?

Further assistance:

In 2022, Solar Guppy confirmed the following CAN battery communications between a high voltage battery and Solis app battery settings:

"I can also confirm that if your HV battery ( or bms ) can do this protocol selected as "Lithium battery HV" from the Solis app battery settings you will have full CAN battery communications. There are of course plug and play options, like the Pylontech H1 or BYD HVL that meet UL9540."

https://diysolarforum.com/threads/inverters-that-support-high-voltage-500v-storage-batteries.85751/

And Solar Guppy referrenced the following protocol:

"CANBUS Protocol of High Voltage system"

https://www.studocu.com/ro/document...ocol-sermatec-high-voltage-v11810k-w/68978391

The process of setting up BMS (Battery Management System) communication between your SOLIS inverter and compatible batteries is shown, with video photography inside a Solis inverter, in the following youtube (Google translate may be used on the transcript) by ionFlux Solar.

SOLIS Inverter BMS Communication with Lithium Battery | Step-by-Step Guide
Oct 27, 2024

"In this video, I guide you through the process of setting up BMS (Battery Management System) communication between your SOLIS inverter and compatible batteries. Learn the essential steps to ensure efficient power management, optimize battery usage, and enhance system reliability. Whether you're an installer or DIY enthusiast, this guide will help you maximize your solar setup's performance. Don't forget to subscribe for more solar installation tips and solutions!"



If "Lithium battery HV" is set in the Solis app, will the Solis high-voltage inverter function with the Kona EV battery (subdivided into two 16 kWh modules)? What else is involved?
 
The cleverest approach is an adapter that tricks the car into connecting the DC power pins to the battery. Assuming the car doesn’t object to a battery drain, easy. But it is more likely the car control electronics would throw a fault.

Bob Wilson
 
How can we use the 64 kWh battery to power our homes at night?
If you have used a V2H charger to draw over 5 kW/hour from the 2019-2023 Kona Electric 64 kWh battery, which make and model # of bidirectional charger did you use?
 
What communication (protocols, format, etc.) is required over RS485, CANbus, Modbus, ... between the Kona Electric's LG Chem 64 kWh battery and the high-voltage battery input of a solar inverter (e.g. Solis, GroWatt, ...)?
 
Back
Top