Technical
Powervault 3 is very simple to use, install and understand; you can find out why here.
Below is a selection of frequently asked questions about Powervault. If you do not find an answer to a question you have then please get in contact with us directly.
Powervault is designed to charge and discharge once every 24 hours. However, if there is no demand from appliances in your home during the day then Powervault will not discharge.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Yes, when the Lead Acid batteries reach the end of their useful life, (typically within 3 – 7 years’ time depending on the type of Lead Acid battery you have chosen), you can purchase the latest Lithium-ion battery technology. If Lithium-ion battery price forecasts are anything to go by then, in c. 5 years’ time, Lithium-ion cells will cost half what they are now. You can therefore buy a Lead Acid Powervault now with a lower up-front cost and begin benefiting from reduced electricity bills, before upgrading to Lithium-ion technology when the Lead Acid batteries reach the end of their life and the price of Lithium-ion cells has halved.
Updated: 14 February 2017
Powervault can accommodate Lithium-ion technology and two different types of Lead Acid battery:
Lead Acid – AGM
The AGM Powervaults offer customers the most affordable way to store solar energy in their home. Customers can store from 3kWh to 4kWh using the AGM batteries, which can easily be replaced – either with a new set of AGM or our Lithium-ion battery packs – at the end of their life. Designed to: store and use free solar energy more efficiently.
Lead Acid – Tubular Gel
The Tubular Gel Powervaults are designed to help customers store and use free solar energy and cheap, off-peak electricity (e.g. Economy 7) more efficiently. The Tubular Gel Powervaults are heavy-duty and can cycle more than once per day. Customers can store from 2.5kWh to 4kWh using the Tubular Gel batteries, which can easily be replaced – either with a new set of Tubular Gel or our Lithium-ion battery packs – at the end of their life.
Lithium-ion Phosphate
The Lithium-ion (LiFePO4) Powervaults are designed to help customers store and use free solar energy and cheap, off-peak electricity (e.g. Economy 7) more efficiently. The Lithium-ion Powervaults are heavy-duty, long-lasting and can cycle more than once per day. Customers can store from 2kWh to 6kWh using the Lithium-ion battery packs, which can easily be replaced or added to.
Updated: 14 February 2017
Lead Acid technologies have a lower up-front cost but require more frequent replacement than Lithium-ion. The Lead Acid batteries used in Powervault are designed for consumer use, and are sealed; some customers prefer Lead Acid batteries as they are a tried and tested technology with a strong reputation for safety.
While 100% of the lead in Powervault’s Lead Acid batteries is recyclable, lead has historically had a poor environmental reputation. Lithium-ion technologies are currently higher cost but the batteries last proportionally longer; the technology is now maturing and costs are falling but there are environmental concerns surrounding their disposal.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Lead acid
Powervault’s Lead Acid batteries are designed to have a lifetime of 3 – 7 years (depending on the type of Lead Acid battery you choose) after which they will need to be replaced; at that stage you can either replace them with a new set of Lead Acid batteries (cost: £350 – £700) or purchase the latest Lithium-ion battery technology.
Lithium-ion
Powervault’s Lithium-ion batteries can offer you over 4,000 cycles and are estimated to last 11 – 13 years.
Updated: 14 February 2017
Powervault is designed to charge and discharge once every 24 hours. However, if there is no demand from appliances in your home during the day then Powervault will not discharge.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault can be programmed to charge during off-peak or ‘Economy 7’ tariffs to store cheap electricity. This can be set up via Powervault’s online customer portal.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Yes, when the Lead Acid batteries reach the end of their useful life, (typically within 3 – 7 years’ time depending on the type of Lead Acid battery you have chosen), you can purchase the latest Lithium-ion battery technology. If Lithium-ion battery price forecasts are anything to go by then, in c. 5 years’ time, Lithium-ion cells will cost half what they are now. You can therefore buy a Lead Acid Powervault now with a lower up-front cost and begin benefiting from reduced electricity bills, before upgrading to Lithium-ion technology when the Lead Acid batteries reach the end of their life and the price of Lithium-ion cells has halved.
Updated: 14 February 2017
No, Powervault will not have any effect on your Feed-in tariff, which you will continue to receive in full. You will benefit from a reduced electricity bill.
Updated: 22 December 2015
Customers with solar PV panels save around 50% through self-consumption. Powervault can increase this saving to 70%. For home owners with solar panels and Economy 7 tariffs, this saving can be increased further to 80%. However, properties with high consumption during the day / off-peak times or with small solar PV installations may save less than this.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault is designed to be “just right” for UK homes. As a British company we will continue to listen to what customers want. However, there are good rationale for the sizing and specification we have chosen:
Charger & Inverter
The size of the charger and inverter is designed to get all of the kWh in/out of the battery on a “trickle” basis every 24 hours. A larger inverter gets the energy out faster but reduces discharge efficiency. A larger inverter/charger will also cost more than the additional saving it would provide.
Battery sizing
Battery size has been chosen to maximise battery usage over the year. A larger battery would only be fully used on a small number of days.
Conclusion
Since the inverter and battery are costly components driven by size, it does not make sense to us to over-size them. Our ethos is to try to maximise use of the inverter and batteries. So rather than trying to power the whole of your oven or iron, we are, instead, offsetting a percentage of power consumption the whole time, thereby providing the same overall benefit.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault is AC-connected and is therefore compatible with all inverters and solar PV systems. It is very easy to retro-fit to your existing solar PV system.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Owing to the tariff structures and metering in the UK, AC-connected system can charge for free. Inefficiencies in battery charging have no impact on the Feed-in tariff for AC-connected systems. By making the system AC-connected, Powervault is also far easier to install and is universally compatible with all solar PV systems. DC-connected systems can charge behind the Generation Meter, however you will notice a reduction in your Feed-in tariff as any inefficiencies in the DC-connected system will result in a reduction in the Generation Meter reading
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault is able to provide an uninterrupted power supply to appliances plugged into Powervault’s emergency power socket on the front of the unit, (provided there is energy stored in the batteries at that time). It provides a maximum continuous power output of 1200VA; Powervault is consequently unable to power high-energy appliances such as a kettle or tumble-dryer during a power cut.
Updated: 18 May 2016
Powervault’s intuitive light display system indicates how much power is stored in the system and whether the system is charging or discharging. Powervault owners are also able to log-in to an online customer portal to see how their Powervault is performing. The online portal tracks the home’s electricity consumption and records home electricity demand, storage, discharge and export over time.
Powervault has 5 different LED colours, which signify the following:
Green = charging
Blue = discharging
Yellow = emergency power socket mode: no Grid
Dark Blue = idle
Red = system fault
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault is designed to be “just right” for UK homes. As a British company we will continue to listen to what customers want. However, there are good rationale for the sizing and specification we have chosen:
Charger & Inverter
The size of the charger and inverter is designed to get all of the kWh in/out of the battery on a “trickle” basis every 24 hours. A larger inverter gets the energy out faster but reduces discharge efficiency. A larger inverter/charger will also cost more than the additional saving it would provide.
Battery sizing
Battery size has been chosen to maximise battery usage over the year. A larger battery would only be fully used on a small number of days.
Conclusion
Since the inverter and battery are costly components driven by size, it does not make sense to us to over-size them. Our ethos is to try to maximise use of the inverter and batteries. So rather than trying to power the whole of your oven or iron, we are, instead, offsetting a percentage of power consumption the whole time, thereby providing the same overall benefit.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault usually takes around 1 – 2 hours to install in a customer’s home. It should be installed by one of Approved Powervault Installers who are all qualified electricians. It will be necessary to turn off the power to the house for a few minutes during installation.
Updated: 14 February 2017
Powervault must be installed on the ground floor within a 25 metre wiring distance of your household mains incomer. Powervault also needs to connect to the internet, either via an ethernet cable or Wi-Fi adaptor. Powervault must be installed in a ventilated area and there must be a gap of at least 10cm between the back of the unit and the wall. Typically, Powervaults are installed in the utility room, kitchen or garage.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Our product is fully AC-connected and does not connect directly to the solar PV system. We have found that by making our product AC-connected we have massively reduced complexity and made the product universally compatible with different solar PV systems. It also means Powervault is very easy and quick to install.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Owing to the tariff structures and metering in the UK, AC-connected system can charge for free. Inefficiencies in battery charging have no impact on the Feed-in tariff for AC-connected systems. By making the system AC-connected, Powervault is also far easier to install and is universally compatible with all solar PV systems. DC-connected systems can charge behind the Generation Meter, however you will notice a reduction in your Feed-in tariff as any inefficiencies in the DC-connected system will result in a reduction in the Generation Meter reading
Updated: 17 April 2016
Once Powervault has been installed, we recommend keeping it in its original location. If you do need to move Powervault, we can arrange for the unit to be moved for an additional charge.
Updated: 17 April 2016
If you believe inclement weather could cause a power cut in your home, you can mitigate against this by manually charging Powervault from the grid to ensure the batteries are fully charged and ready to provide emergency power in your home.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault is designed to charge and discharge once every 24 hours. However, if there is no demand from appliances in your home during the day then Powervault will not discharge.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Lead Acid technologies have a lower up-front cost but require more frequent replacement than Lithium-ion. The Lead Acid batteries used in Powervault are designed for consumer use, and are sealed; some customers prefer Lead Acid batteries as they are a tried and tested technology with a strong reputation for safety.
While 100% of the lead in Powervault’s Lead Acid batteries is recyclable, lead has historically had a poor environmental reputation. Lithium-ion technologies are currently higher cost but the batteries last proportionally longer; the technology is now maturing and costs are falling but there are environmental concerns surrounding their disposal.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Our product is fully AC-connected and does not connect directly to the solar PV system. We have found that by making our product AC-connected we have massively reduced complexity and made the product universally compatible with different solar PV systems. It also means Powervault is very easy and quick to install.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault is able to provide an uninterrupted power supply to appliances plugged into Powervault’s emergency power socket on the front of the unit, (provided there is energy stored in the batteries at that time). It provides a maximum continuous power output of 1200VA; Powervault is consequently unable to power high-energy appliances such as a kettle or tumble-dryer during a power cut.
Updated: 18 May 2016
Powervault is designed to charge and discharge once every 24 hours. However, if there is no demand from appliances in your home during the day then Powervault will not discharge.
Updated: 17 April 2016
Powervault has an 800VA charger and 1200VA inverter built into the system. Powervault therefore has a maximum continuous power output of 1200VA. Powervault is designed to supply power to your base load of electrical demand over the course of the evening. It is not designed to power specific high-energy appliances, (eg. kettle, tumble-dryer), individually, over short periods of time. If you run your kettle, tumble-dryer, oven or other appliances when Powervault has energy to provide, and you are importing from the grid, Powervault will offset up to 1200VA of the electrical demand. Discharging the energy slowly keeps the cost of Powervault low and is also a more efficient way to discharge energy from the batteries. Consequently, our 4kWh Powervault will discharge 1200VA of power over the course of >4 hours while our 6kWh Powervault will discharge 1200VA of power over the course of >5 hours.
Updated: 18 May 2016
Powervault’s intuitive light display system indicates how much power is stored in the system and whether the system is charging or discharging. Powervault owners are also able to log-in to an online customer portal to see how their Powervault is performing. The online portal tracks the home’s electricity consumption and records home electricity demand, storage, discharge and export over time.
Powervault has 5 different LED colours, which signify the following:
Green = charging
Blue = discharging
Yellow = emergency power socket mode: no Grid
Dark Blue = idle
Red = system fault
Updated: 17 April 2016