Battery Backup System on Steriods

Working closely with the homeowner, we built a custom agricultural shed using recycled building materials that holds 11kW of solar panels. Once generated, the DC power travels 550 feet underground to the home where it charges the 48 volt, 811 amp hour battery bank and runs the electrical loads of the house. From a short power out to a total grid meltdown, this system is built to keep its owner in power. Interestingly, the owner decided to use high grade US made Deka Unigy II batteries which have a practical use life of 15 years, justifying the higher cost by being able to use the 30% tax credit on the first set of batteries. Also worth noting is that the customer specified more expensive US made panels and inverters, stating, “I didn’t install the system to make money, I did it because it was the right thing to do”. Despite his good intention, it has been a very good investment.