Home installations

UK e-NV200 / Leaf 14s4p powerwall (BigDav, Second Life Storage)

Packs in the catalogue: Nissan LEAF ZE0 2011–2012, 24 kWh · Nissan LEAF AZE0 2013–2016, 24 kWh

What they did

Northern Ireland owner bought 28 Gen1 modules from an e-NV200 (same modules as Leaf), rebuilt them in a network cabinet with threaded rod and copper busbars, then AC-coupled the bank to existing SolarEdge solar.

Components named

Batrium Watchmon 4 with Leafmon cell monitors; shunt; Victron Multiplus II GX 48/3000; SolarEdge SE4000 PV inverter; network-cabinet enclosure; Grade 101 copper busbars.

What worked / didn’t

Became fully operational. Victron VRM needed a corrupt-config fix from Victron support; AC-In had to be moved to mains (not AC-OUT1). Batrium run in ESS rather than DVCC. Early MDF compression plan abandoned; reused OEM steel hardware instead.

48 kWh Leaf Gen2 powerwall v2 (BigDav)

Pack in the catalogue: Nissan LEAF AZE0 2013–2016, 24 kWh

What they did

Replaced the Gen1 bank after a couple of years of home use with two 24 kWh Gen2 packs (~96 modules, described as 16s12p / ~40–48 kWh). Reinforced a network cabinet with Unistrut shelves bolted to concrete; custom precision busbars; moved the Batrium kit across.

Components named

Victron Multiplus II GX 3000; Batrium Watchmon 4 + Leafmons; shunt; 50 mm² interconnect cables and copper lugs; tablet display of Victron dashboard.

What worked / didn’t

Author states the cabinet battery is fully operational after cable tidy-up. Gen1 capacity had been too small for household demand — that drove the upgrade.

Large 14s Leaf G2 bank with SMA + MidNite (DIY Solar Forum)

Pack in the catalogue: Nissan LEAF AZE0 2013–2016, 24 kWh

What they did

Owner assembling a very large 14s (~48 V) Leaf G2 bank (hundreds of modules from a bulk sale) for solar. Early shelves already had seven-module stacks with per-stack BMS boards; seeking one high-current BMS strategy for the whole bank.

Components named

Per-stack ~60 A BMS boards (TechDirect / Greentec-style) with front interconnect plates; plan towards Orion Jr / Batrium / REC; two SMA SI6048 Sunny Island inverters; MidNite Solar Classic 250 (×4) and Classic 150 charge controllers; ~66 × 250 W used panels.

What worked / didn’t

Smaller seven-module packs already charging (author reports ~57 V typical). Ampster (Orion Jr user) advised splitting into multiple packs for redundancy rather than one 35-module-long parallel shelf. Balancing a 100 kWh-class NMC bank with a single cheap BMS is treated as unrealistic in-thread.

Leaf 7s8p on SMA Sunny Island 5048 (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

Standalone site with ageing lead-acid; Leaf pack stripped and rebuilt as eight modules in parallel × seven in series (~48 V), charged from an SMA Sunny Island 5048 for about a week.

Components named

SMA Sunny Island 5048; 550 A isolators between lead and lithium; BMS not yet fitted at time of post.

What worked / didn’t

Module voltages drifted (~7.55–7.86 V across the seven series groups). Attempt at 16s exceeded Sunny Island voltage limit. Forum stressed monitoring the centre tap (14 cells, not seven modules) and fitting a BMS before continued use.

Gen1 pack as home backup — owner experiences (DIY Solar Forum)

Packs in the catalogue: Nissan LEAF ZE0 2011–2012, 24 kWh · Nissan LEAF AZE0 2013–2016, 24 kWh

What they did

Thread starts as a Norway purchase question (~24 kWh Gen1 packs >85% capacity). Several owners reply with first-hand Leaf home banks: threaded-rod 48 V rebuilds; one brother with two ~14 kWh Gen2 packs; one ENV-200 connected at ~360 VDC into a hybrid inverter’s PV input.

Components named

Threaded rod and custom centre-tap busbars for BMS sense; hybrid inverter PV input (ENV-200 case, brand not confirmed in that post); later replacement with EVE LF280 LFP for one long-term Leaf user.

What worked / didn’t

Multiple owners report multi-year Leaf module use without reported fires; one later switched to LFP. Whole-pack ~360 V path is called awkward without HV-capable kit. Custom busbars often needed so the BMS can see each 2s pair inside a Leaf module.

Whole Leaf pack + Ingecon Sun Storage via Arduino CAN bridge (field paper)

Packs in the catalogue: Nissan LEAF ZE0 2011–2012, 24 kWh · Nissan LEAF AZE0 2013–2016, 24 kWh

What they did

University of Navarre residential microgrid: a first-generation Leaf pack (measured ~14.2 kWh remaining, ~58.6% SOH) kept intact and linked to an Ingeteam Ingecon Sun Storage 1Play inverter through a custom liaison device — no module rebuild.

Components named

Arduino Mega ATmega2560; two CAN-BUS Shields v1.2; Arduino 4-channel relay board; Omron G9EC1 HV contactor; LabVIEW GUI; Ingecon Sun Storage 1Play; 11.5 kWp PV; power management system.

What worked / didn’t

Ran for several weeks in self-consumption mode (example: five days logged). Authors report correct alarm/warning handling and later success with additional Leaf packs of different generations. Messages are manufacturer-specific; replicating needs the right CAN library.

Dala’s Leaf pack on Fronius Gen24 via Battery-Emulator (Autopian write-up)

Pack in the catalogue: Nissan LEAF AZE0 2016–2017, 30 kWh

What they did

2023 workshop install: whole 2017 Leaf pack on the floor, HV to a Fronius Gen24 hybrid, CAN to a LilyGo ESP32 running open-source Battery-Emulator, which emulates the battery protocol the inverter expects (RS485).

Components named

Fronius Gen24; ~7 kW roof PV; LilyGo ESP32; Battery-Emulator (GitHub); USB 5 V supply; separate 12 V mains adapter for pack contactors/electronics; junction box for HV.

What worked / didn’t

Proof-of-concept run for about two months at time of write-up. Proper housing and fireproofing still planned. HV work and insurance/regs are flagged as non-trivial — not a plug-and-play DIY for beginners.

2013 Volt bank vs Growatt 12 kW — 12s to 14s conversion (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

Complete 2013 Volt pack (eight ~48 V / 12s modules ~45 Ah each) plus two more modules. Growatt off-grid inverter charge window (roughly 48–58 V) did not match 12s Volt highs (~49.8 V) and lows (~36 V). Plan: cut busbars and add cells to make 14s (~51.8 V nominal).

Components named

12 kW Growatt off-grid inverter; bolted copper busbar additions (vs soldered wire); follow-up poster mentions JK BMS on Audi 48 V modules in a related 13s problem.

What worked / didn’t

Voltage mismatch with stock 12s is confirmed by the OP. Final cut method and long-term outcome are not confirmed in the opened posts (a later reply asks what they finally did).

16s Volt (~64 V) with Victron Quattro / Reliable (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

Seeking inverter/BMS for Gen2 16s Volt submodules without cutting busbars. Discussion of charging to ~4.05 V/cell (~64.8 V) rather than full 4.2 V for life.

Components named

Victron Quattro 48 V (published limit cited ~66 V); “Reliable” brand inverter used by one 16s Volt owner alongside grid-tie inverters; Outback inverters mentioned for up to ~68 V; separate reply describes BMW-module off-grid bank with Victron MPPT absorption timing.

What worked / didn’t

Quattro is repeatedly named as a workable high-top 48 V option. Cheap AIO units are doubted for this voltage. One owner runs Reliable + grid-tie continuously; longevity details not confirmed beyond that claim.

~48 kWh / 26× 12s Volt modules — BMS architecture (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

Same builder as the Growatt conversion thread: three complete Gen1 packs plus extras → 26 × 12s modules (~48 kWh / ~1000 Ah claimed). Asking whether per-module Daly 40 A BMSs, paralleled sense leads into fewer large BMSs, or Batrium Watchmon is workable for 312 cells.

Components named

Daly 48 V 12s smart 40 A BMS (preferred lean); Batrium Watchmon considered; 150–200 A 12s BMS as intermediate option.

What worked / didn’t

Opened posts are the planning question; no confirmation in-thread that a chosen BMS layout was finished. Useful as a scale reference for large Volt powerwalls.

Off-grid Tesla modules with Magnum + Morningstar (offgrid100)

What they did

Long-running off-grid/RV-style bank of parallel Tesla modules with active liquid temperature control. Documents charge current vs SoC and temperature, and how to fake CC/CV with lead-acid-style solar chargers.

Components named

Magnum MS4024 inverter/charger; Morningstar solar controllers (absorption held ~12 h at 24.1 V); liquid heating below ~75 °F; HobbyKing Battery Medic referenced for monitoring; own sense wiring soldered on.

What worked / didn’t

Operates roughly 3–80% SoC (sometimes discussing up to 90% for single-module current limits). Author reports settings unchanged for ~2.5 years. Warns against series-stacking modules for 48 V in an RV (complexity / HV risk).

SimpBMS + Victron Multiplus / Cerbo (Victron Community)

What they did

mike-deau building Tesla-module systems: SimpBMS talks CAN to the modules and BMS-CAN to a Cerbo; main contactor from BMS alarms; Victron loads/chargers intended to drop out before the contactor.

Components named

SimpBMS; Victron Cerbo / GX; Multiplus (MP 3000 mentioned for AC loads); BP100 Smart for DC loads; MPPT; contactor. Separate reply (intra): Batrium WM5, DVCC to Multiplus II 3k, Venus GX, ABB breaker as pack disconnect.

What worked / didn’t

Reported cell deltas ~11 mV without BMS, ~10 mV target with SimpBMS; discharge down to ~19.3 V claimed. Victron staff reply strongly discourages Tesla NCA with Victron kit (warranty / thermal runaway). Narrow 6s voltage window remains the main practical limit.

Growatt 3000TL-24v + Overkill BMS vs Tesla 6s window (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

OP paired a cheap Tesla 24 V module and Overkill Solar BMS with a Growatt 3000TL-24v previously used on a CHINS LFP pack. Fixed Growatt thresholds (~22 V back-to-grid / charge restart behaviour) fight the Tesla useful window (~19.5–24 V).

Components named

Growatt 3000TL-24v; Overkill Solar BMS; Tesla Model S 24 V module. Follow-up owner Zarren: six Growatt 3000 units + six Tesla batteries; sheds load at ~20.5 V; runs ~20–24.7 V.

What worked / didn’t

OP stuck with stock Growatt limits. Zarren’s multi-inverter setup runs but “wouldn’t build it this way again”; Growatts shut off at ~20 V and may not restart until ~23 V; L2 units may stop charging when the system is down.

Shed test: Tesla module + Victron SmartSolar (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

Single ~5.3 kWh Model S module in a shed with reclaim solar; temporary DuPont sense wiring to a monitor/balancer; aiming at later RV/house use within ~20–90% SoC.

Components named

Included battery monitor & balancer; 24/12 V converter; Victron SmartSolar 100/30 (over-charge limit while awaiting BMS); grid-tie inverter low cut ~22 V; ~100 W × 4 reclaim panels for a capacity test charge to 25.0 V.

What worked / didn’t

Cell deltas mostly <0.01 V on the balancer. Full 0–100% test only for characterisation; BMS still pending at time of posts. Forum stresses a proper BMS before house use.

Two parallel Tesla modules, Electrodacus + Victron Multiplus (DIY Solar Forum)

What they did

RV/home-style bank: two Tesla S modules in parallel with Electrodacus BMS; seeking voltage↔SoC tables to set ~85% charge ceiling and ~50% load-shed floor.

Components named

Electrodacus BMS; Victron Multiplus 24/3000; SmartSolar MPPT 150/45; Orion DC-DC converters; BMV-712; Color Control GX; references to liquid temperature control ideas from Per/offgrid100.

What worked / didn’t

Hardware stack is Victron end-to-end. Low-voltage disconnect strategy still under discussion in the opened posts — Multiplus can run toward ~19 V, which is near empty for the chemistry.

Getting started with BMW i3 + Battery-Emulator (GitHub Discussion)

Pack in the catalogue: BMW i3 120 Ah, 42.2 kWh

What they did

Owner with three 42 kWh i3 packs: revived drained modules, wired SME (pack BMS) to LilyGo/Battery-Emulator, closed interlock, terminated CAN, drove wake-up via GPIO relay. Contactors closed then reopened; LilyGo saw no CAN until hardware issues were chased.

Components named

Battery-Emulator; LilyGo / T-CAN485 / T-2CAN boards; BMW SME + CSC; 33 Ω interlock; 120 Ω CAN termination; wake-up relay; Pi CAN hat for candump; BYD Modbus emulator target in settings.

What worked / didn’t

eee291 reports success on a 33 kWh i3 with a T-2CAN board (software 9.1.0). Original poster later found auction packs used non-stock SME/CSC firmware (transit-bus development) — Battery-Emulator messages did not match; issue closed. Hardware/GPIO over-current also fried an ESP32 mid-debug.

i3 Hausspeicher plans + long-running Leaf LV note (GoingElectric)

Pack in the catalogue: BMW i3 60 Ah, 21.3 kWh

What they did

Austrian owner planning a used BMW i3 60 Ah pack (~15–18 kWh) as PV store via Battery-Emulator, focusing on insurer acceptance. Another poster notes a 48 V Nissan Leaf store (~72 kWh gross) already ~four years in PV service, with LilyGo Battery-Emulator hardware on hand for a future HV path.

Components named

Battery-Emulator (GitHub wiki); planned Fronius Symo Gen24 12.0 (≤12 kW charge/discharge); i3 OEM BMS retained; LilyGo for HV tests; existing Leaf LV bank (details of that bank’s inverter/BMS not expanded in the opened posts).

What worked / didn’t

Insurer contact described as positive if legal requirements and documentation are met — not a completed insured install in the opened posts. Leaf LV “four years in service” is an owner claim; pack SOH/inverter pairing not confirmed there.