On Going Deals on Batteries.

The two main places I read about people buying Lifepo4 batteries from with good results are aliexpress.com and alibaba.com

Looks like roughly $1800 for a 16s 280ah with bussbars and shipping

Here is where you can get 170Ah cells with box and everything else, and these are lab tested and are true spec.

https://store.currentconnected.com/?product=ea170

$120 Per cell.

280Ah Batteries at $86 each.

https://offer.alibaba.com/cps/bednd4pd?bm=cps&src=saf&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alibaba.com%2Fproduct-detail%2F4pcs-Lifepo4-3-2V-280Ah-Battery_62517113167.html

Always good to work up the price per kilowatt-hour of storage.  These cells work out to $222/kwh: 3.2v * 170Ah = 540Wh, so ($120 per cell / 0.54kwh stored per cell) = $222/kwh.  In my cheap opinion...that's about double the price/kwh I paid for the LFP bank I have (~$100/kwh--rechecked my math: $1200 for the bank / 12kwh = $100/kwh.)

Alibaba rule #1: don't take the given price on the listing.  It's usually a decoy price (or perhaps the price for 15,000 units)...when you contact them, the price usually is a good bit higher.  Also, you have to factor in tariffs and shipping rates--not cheap, either.

I know: I've done about a dozen transactions on Alibaba.  (Not for batteries, per se.)

My 2 cents on Alibaba/Aliexpress batteries: only buy from listings that someone else has already bought from and tested them.  (Yeah, someone's gotta take a gamble!)  While I haven't had any sleazy sellers on Alibaba (yet!), they are most certainly out there.

For a quick example, I'll figure $160/cell for these batteries (figure in the "real price" plus tariffs and shipping)...assuming that they're actually 280Ah cells, that's $178/kwh.

Well these two listings are from a you tube lab tester that testing these batts and post the link of where they bought them.  So where did you get your $100 kw deal at?  I need to know before Tuesday, cause I'm fixing to order a ton of more batts.

It was a one-off deal of NOS (new old stock) LFP cells...they started out with a huge supply, but as word got out, they started to disappear faster and faster.  That was 4 years ago...so to be fair, it isn't a good benchmark comparison.

Will Prowse is one Youtuber whose videos I like, and especially his honest real-world tests of Chinese claims.  Here's a video he posted about some LiFePo4 batteries that measure up to the claimed specs; at the time of this post, they clock in at $130/kwh.  If I needed to make a battery bank, these are the cells I'd buy.

*laughs* yes I been watching him for several years, he the one that got me into solar and building my own batts 😛

alsy the first posting of the 280ah battery is the eve one as well. same one that will talked about.

I am still searching, those eve batteries look nice, but seemed to be a big chance if I get them and the ones that are good.

I'm eyeing the battery hook up K2 2650 case of 120 cells at 3.8ah its almost $176 per KW.  Of course that not includeing the bms and the nickle strips, but, either way thats pocket change.

It seems a better deal then the battery hook up 6ah cells that I've been useing. cause that $217 KW

This guy (Off Grid Garage) has done extensive testing of Alibaba 280Ah "EVE" batteries. Basen is the supplier, I just ordered a 14S3P 16S3P bank through them.

Big debate on the DIY solar forums around "compressing" these EVE cells (sandwiching them so they can't expand as easily). He doesn't seem to think its all that important.

Well, I went with the K26650 route, its a lot cheapier then those eve batts and less likely to not be ripped off, plus these are new cells.

Ordered 3 cases of 120 cells with three BMS.  Will make three 114ah 12v bats two of them makeing a 24v and the other to go with the headway 128 ah pack I already got, so after that, I'll have 550 Ah at 24v ready for the GS Master inverter, and thats not including the other  two 110 ah packs of 18650 that I got sitting besides me, waiting for Sids Balancers before I add to the bank.

This is pretty much my last round of battery buying for the moment, solar panels and another wind turbin is next on my list.

I'm not too familiar with using batteries in "compressed" state...though at least to my knowledge that usually applies to Li-Ion / Li-Po (and very high-C capable cells).  Not heard of it in LFP--I guess if they bulge, that's a clue 😉

I've been following the Off Grid Garage YT channel since day one.  I think the cell compression got him a bit arse backwards.  You have to be really careful with the wording when communicating with the Chinese sellers as it's all too easy for a misunderstanding in terms to happen.

From what I understand, which isn't necessarily reality, if you are wanting to get maximum cycle count from the lifepo4 prismatic cells you must stop them from expanding, just being constrained is fine no need to put a clamp on them.  If you don't care about maximising cycle counts you can leave them free to move but you'll probably only get the nominal cycle count (2000 or so) even if you 80/20 charge cycle.  If you do let them 'breathe', you also need to ensure there is enough space between the cells to accommodate it or have a non-rigid system for connecting the terminals on the cells otherwise you'll put stress on the terminals and internal attachments that they aren't designed to cope with.

22 hours ago, kazetsukai said:

I just ordered a 14S3P 16S3P bank through them.

If you don't mind me asking, what was your OTD price? Looking to buy a 16s system myself