[RE-wrenches] Portable Home Back-Ups

[Dan Fink]

Around here myself and lots of installers, especially those few who do
off-grid, are getting similar calls.

In the city as backup for grid outages, I think they get away with not
being UL-listed or needing permits by connecting it to the home main AC
panel as a "backup generator" through an ATS, the units are advertised as
"portable," same with the PV on a "portable" rack in the yard. I think
that's why they market them as "solar generators."

Off-grid I have heard of such units dodging permitting by showing a fossil
fuel generator as the main AC source to the main panel, and again the
"solar generator" connected as would a backup generator through an ATS or
MTS. Mount the PV on an old trailer, and it's "portable," the
battery/inverter units are on wheels so roll 'em into the garage, etc. and
the whole system is "portable."

I don't like the trend at all, but as Glenn said, for small systems in
places that don't need permitting like a small cabin, they can be a
cost-effective solution. Our county is very strict about off-grid
system components being Listed for residential (even to the point of
rejecting permits because of altitude restrictions listed on inverter
datasheets)

They would not approve any such workarounds.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d <dan.fink at greendustrialtraining.com>anbob88 at gmail.com
970-672-4342


On Mon, Jan 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> I'm getting calls almost weekly. "Hi, I bought an EcoFlow home back up
> system, I'm looking for someone to install solar panels for it". I've
> convinced a couple of clients to take a hit and sell the EcoFlow, Bluetti,
> Anker units at a loss and let me install a permanent system. Anyone else
> getting these requests? I've already determined that a lot of my potential
> off-grid work has disappeared because of these portable units. Is this
> where things are heading?
>
> --
>
> Michael Morningstar
>
>
> Morningstar Electric Inc
>
> PO Box 1494
>
> Mount Shasta, CA 96067
>
> 530-921-0560
>
> CSLB 1116835
>
> mjmorningstar at gmail.com
>
>
>
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