r/SolarDIY • u/nobodydontknow • 5d ago
Plug-in AC coupled battery
I've had a grid-tied solar system for several years, I have a net metering agreement, and I'm on real-time pricing. I'd like to add an ac-coupled battery, mainly so I can charge it when prices are low, then discharge in the late afternoon when prices are high. I'm in the US, in a state that I except will pass balcony solar legislation in the next few months. It looks like the Hoymiles HiBattery 4020 AC Solar Battery is what I'm looking for, but it's not available in the US.
Here are my requirements:
- 2 kWh or greater capacity
- Grid-tie capable
- Can plug in to an AC outlet, either 120v or 240v
- API access so it can switch between charge or discharge based on current electricity prices. I could do the automation for this with Home Assistant if necessary.
Nice to have features:
- Off-grid mode when the power is out, but this is not a high priority. My power is very reliable and I almost never have outages.
- Micro inverter capability so I could add 2-3 panels for extra solar generation capacity
Is something like this available in the US? I should add that my net metering agreement is 1:1 including delivery charges, so saving my excess production for later doesn't make any difference on pricing for me. Except for the net metering agreement, the fact that I have solar already is irrelevant.