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SimpliPhi Your Energy Security and Independence and gain control of your own power. SimpliPhi Power helps you manage your power as a personal resource. Anytime. Anywhere. SimpliPhi energy storage optimizes integration of any power generation source – solar, wind, generator – on or off grid, and protects your home and mission-critical business functions from power outages and intermittency.
Table of Contents 1.0 – Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 – Online Resources.................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 – Technical Support .........................................................
CAUTION: THESE 5 THINGS WILL VOID THE PHI WARRANTY & DAMAGE THE BATTERIES. READ IN FULL PRIOR TO BATTERY INSTALLATION The following abbreviated guidelines do NOT encompass all PHI battery Warranty details. Failure to adhere to the Warranty and Installation Manual requirements will Void the Warranty. Read the battery’s complete Warranty prior to installation and register the battery according to the form found at the bottom of the same web page address: https://simpliphipower.
The PHI Battery Warranty does NOT cover product damage caused by mishandling or improper use per the Installation Manual, Integration Guides and Warranty, exposure to liquids, impacts from falling objects or being dropped, or attempts to repair the battery by any party other than SimpliPhi. The complete list of Warranty Exclusions is included in the PHI Battery Warranty document: https://simpliphipower.com/wpcontent/uploads/documentation/phi-series/simpliphi-power-phi-3-8-2-9-1-4-730-warranty.pdf. 1.
CAUTION: Although each PHI Battery contains an internal BMS with circuitry that protects the PHI Battery cells from over-charge, over-discharge and extreme load amperage, the PHI Batteries must always be installed with appropriate inverter and/or charge controller settings to protect the PHI Battery from open PV voltage and other high voltage charging sources. Exposure to higher voltage than the PHI battery rating (12, 24 &48V) will destroy the PHI batteries and Void the Warranty. 1.3.
1.4 – Specifications Please review Table 1.0 below for PHI Battery specifications, including physical dimensions, Warranty period, and technical data. Table 1.0 - PHI Battery Specifications PHI 2.9™ PHI 3.8™ PHI 1.4™ PHI 730™ 24V 48V 24V 48V 24V 12V 24V 12V DC Voltages - Nominal 25.6 VDC 51.2 VDC 25.6 VDC 51.2 VDC 25.6 VDC 12.8 VDC 25.6 VDC 12.8 VDC Amp-Hours 151 Ah 75 Ah 115 Ah 57 Ah 57 Ah 115 Ah 28.5 Ah 57 Ah Rated Capacity 3.8 kWh DC 3.8 kWh DC 2.9 kWh DC 2.9 kWh DC 1.
2.0 –Safety For safety reasons, read all instructions and cautionary markings on the PHI Batteries, and all appropriate sections of this manual. Failure to follow instructions provided in the Installation Manual, Integration Guides and Warranty will Void the Warranty. 2.1 – General Safety Instructions • • Do not operate if the PHI Battery has been damaged in any way during shipping or otherwise.
3.0 – Pre-Installation 3.1 – PHI Battery Performance PHI Batteries do not need to be de-rated unless running continuously at more than 90% capacity, at temperatures below 32° F (0° C), or above 113° F (45° C). To achieve the greatest warrantied cycle life of 10,000 cycles, PHI Batteries are typically operated at 80% maximum Depth of Discharge. All PHI Batteries are balanced during final production and testing stages.
the MAX Continuous Discharge Rate per PHI Battery (found in Table 1.0 or on the relevant battery’s specification sheet). (𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒) ÷ (𝑀𝐴𝑋 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦) = 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 Example A: Three PHI 3.8 kWh-51.2Vnominal batteries must be paired with an inverter rated at 5 kW AC and 92% efficiency to ensure the PHI Battery bank does not over-discharge to power the loads. (5.4 𝑘𝑊 𝐷𝐶) ÷ (1.92 𝑘𝑊 𝐷𝐶) = 2.83 → 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝟑 Example B: Five PHI 3.8-25.
discharge. Over-discharging the PHI Batteries will destroy them and Void the Warranty. In the case where the inverter’s AC Power Output rating exceeds the connected loads’ actual power draw (i.e. the inverter is rated at 5 kW but all loads amount to 3 kW of maximum instantaneous power draw), SimpliPhi still expects that the proper additional precautions be made to ensure that the PHI Battery bank is not over-discharged.
80 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑠 < 93.75 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑠 → 𝟖𝟎 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑠 = 𝑀𝐴𝑋 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑃𝑉 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟 (𝑀𝐴𝑋 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡) ÷ (𝑀𝐴𝑋 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦) = 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 (80𝐴) ÷ (37.5𝐴) = 2.13 → 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝟑 Example B: Two PHI 3.8 kWh-25.6Vnominal batteries (used in a 24-Volt system) must be paired with a 2,000Watt solar PV array wired to a 100 Amp-rated charge controller.
3.2.4 – Overall Battery System Sizing Size the PHI battery bank so that the minimum number of batteries in the bank is the greater of the two figures obtained from the Discharge and Charge calculations. For example, a system that requires 5 PHI Batteries to ensure that the battery bank does not over-discharge and 3 PHI Batteries to ensure that the battery bank does not over-charge, should include a final minimum quantity of 5 batteries.
4.0 – Installation 4.1 – Installation Options The PHI 3.8 and PHI 2.9 Batteries can be mounted in practically any orientation (terminals up or on any side), with no impact to the performance of the PHI Battery. Do not install them upside down, with the terminals facing the floor. 4.2 – Environmental Considerations 4.2.
appropriate load bearing requirements. SimpliPhi Power is not liable for damage caused by inappropriate installation mounting of brackets. Refer to Figures 2.0 and 3.0 for PHI Battery and mounting bracket dimensions and weights. During mechanical testing, individual PHI 3.8 and PHI 2.9 Mounting Brackets were exposed to 200 pounds each of downward pressure along the bracket’s outer edge. During this test, a deflection of approximately 30 thousandths of an inch was measured.
Table 3.0 – Specifications: PHI 2.9 Battery & PHI 2.9 Battery w/ Mounting Bracket PHI 2.9 Battery w/ Mounting Bracket PHI 2.9 Battery Width 11.25’’ 13.7” (15.5” with mounting flanges) Height 12.75" (including 1.75” terminal height) 13” (including 1.75” terminal height) Depth 9.5” 10.5” Weight 61.1 Pounds 70.1 pounds Figure 3.0 – PHI 2.9 Mounting Bracket Assembly SimpliPhi Power, Inc. | 3100 Camino Del Sol | Oxnard, CA 93030, USA | (805) 640-6700 | info@simpliphipower.com| SimpliPhiPower.
4.5 – PHI Battery Connection Terminals 4.5.1 – Batteries with Threaded Studs The largest PHI Battery sizes (such as the PHI 3.8 and PHI 2.9) are equipped with two 3/8’’ (10 mm) threaded studs with a lock washer and nut. The red colored high temperature molded insert connection is for the positive lead. The black colored high temperature insert connection is for the negative lead. Water Resistant Cable Boots are also included and will be in place when your units arrive.
and then make final connections via connectors to the batteries before turning on the system’s accompanying equipment. 4.6 – Wiring CAUTION: All PHI Batteries are designed to serve at fixed voltages and cannot be wired in series to increase the battery bank’s voltage. Wiring the PHI Batteries in series will result in damage to the PHI Battery’s protective circuitry and will Void the Warranty. PHI batteries are designed for parallel wiring only to increase the battery bank’s storage capacity. 4.6.
Although lead acid batteries are typically wired using battery-to-battery interconnecting cables, SimpliPhi asks that PHI Batteries NOT be wired in this way. All wire lengths from each PHI Battery to common busbars or plates should be identical in length and gauge in order to balance the load across (all) PHI Batteries in the installation.
Helpful Tips: • • • • • • • • • • • Power cabling for paralleling PHI Batteries is not included. All wire should be an appropriate gauge and construction to handle the loads that will be placed upon it. Heavy gauge, high strand copper wire is the industry standard due to its stability, efficiency and overall quality. Each PHI Battery’s individual wire runs are typically sized at 4 AWG, according to the 80A built-in breaker. o Conductor ampacity can be determined using National Electrical Code tables.
CAUTION: No material (such as a washer) should be placed between the current carrying terminal and the cable lug or interconnecting busbar. Doing so will Void the Warranty. CAUTION: Spark may be present when connecting wires to PHI Battery terminals. Be sure the battery’s built-in circuit breaker is in the OFF position to minimize the risk of shock or sparks during system installation. SimpliPhi Power, Inc. | 3100 Camino Del Sol | Oxnard, CA 93030, USA | (805) 640-6700 | info@simpliphipower.
4.6.3 – Parallel Wiring Batteries with Threaded Studs using Interconnecting Busbars PHI Batteries can be paralleled using common bussing directly attached to the batteries’ terminals. Interconnecting busbars for paralleling either two (SKU #BB-2) or three (SKU #BB-3) PHI batteries with threaded studs are available from SimpliPhi at an additional cost. CAUTION: Again, no material (such as a washer) should be placed between the current carrying terminal and the interconnecting busbars.
Helpful Tips: • • • • The interconnecting busbars’ ratings should match or exceed the PHI Battery bank’s total surge rating. Busbars for paralleling more than two or three PHI Batteries can be sourced from Storm Power Components: https://stormpowercomponents.com/. SimpliPhi recommends paralleling PHI Batteries using interconnecting busbars (not battery cables) for PHI Battery Banks consisting of more than 20 PHI Batteries for a cleaner installation.
3. Before installing the PHI Battery, test its voltage by turning its built-in breaker to the ON (I) position. 4. Measure the PHI Battery’s voltage with a multimeter. Batteries typically ship at 20% State of Charge, which correlates with ~50.2 VDC / 25.1 VDC / 12.55 VDC. 5. When installing more the one PHI Battery, check that the batteries’ voltage readings are similar. Batteries with a voltage variance greater than 1 Volt DC should be isolated and charged separately. 6.
CAUTION: Remember that charging the batteries in sub-freezing conditions will Void the Warranty. 14. Battery charging may be accomplished via the inverter/charger using an AC power source such as the grid or a generator, or via a charge controller using power from a connected solar PV array. 15. The batteries will bulk charge to 54.4 VDC / 27.2 VDC / 13.6 VDC, will Absorb for 2 hours, and will then rest at approximately 53.3 VDC / 26.7 VDC / 13.3 VDC.
5. Charge Bank B fully, making sure all loads are disconnected at the time of initial charge 6. Wire all Bank A batteries and Bank B batteries in parallel, adhering to the wiring methods outlined in Section 4.3 above. a. 7. Ensure that DC Positive common bus and DC Negative common bus ratings are appropriate for the new larger quantity of batteries in the bank. Reprogram all inverter/charger and/or charge controller equipment for the new larger battery bank capacity. a.
Table 5.0 – Operating Limitations Notes / Operating Limitations for PHI Batteries PHI 3.8 Limitations by Model Continuous Discharge Rate (ADC) PHI 2.9 • • PHI 730 24V 48V 24V 48V 24V 12V 24V 12V 45 37.5 45 28.5 28.5 40 14 28.5 25 50 14 28.5 Surge Discharge Rate (ADC) – 10 minutes maximum Continuous Charge Rate (ADC) PHI 1.4 60 45 37.5 45 28.5 28.5 40 Levels are typically @ 25°C and may need adjusting at temperature extremes.
6.0 – Troubleshooting If your PHI Battery bank is reaching its Low Battery Cut Out voltage (LBCO), load disconnects or load shedding set points may need to be adjusted. The PHI batteries are reading extremely low or no voltage: Programmed settings in the PHI Battery’s accompanying Balance of System equipment should prevent the PHI Battery’s internal BMS from reaching its low voltage setting.
Appendix A – PHI Battery Safety & Green Attributes, Certifications This Appendix section covers the PHI Battery safety attributes and certifications, such as the lack of thermal runaway with fire propagation, off-gassing, UN DOT certification and UL compliance and certification. It also covers the PHI Battery’s green attributes – from products to materials to disposal, as well as relevant environmental and ecological considerations. B.1 – Safety Attributes and Certifications B.1.
there must be less than 0.01% of the substance by weight at raw homogeneous materials levels. For Lead, PBB, and PBDE, there must be no more than 0.1% of the material, when calculated by weight at raw homogeneous materials. Any RoHS compliant component must have 100 ppm or less of mercury and the mercury must not have been intentionally added to the component. In the EU, some military and medical equipment are exempt from RoHS compliance. B.2 – Green Attributes, Environmental & Ecological Considerations B.
The Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (LFP) cells utilized throughout the entire PHI and LibertyPak product lines are classified as non-hazardous by OSHA and WHMIS. They are non-toxic, unlike NMC, NCA, LCO, NiMH, NiCad or Lead Acid types of batteries (including AGM). The PHI Batteries contain the least amount of toxic metals and are the most eco-friendly of all common battery types. Lithium easily combines into harmless compounds when disposed of.
Appendix B – PHI Battery Bank Sizing Guide PHI 3.8 51.2Vnom PHI 2.9 51.2Vnom PHI 3.8 25.6Vnom PHI 2.9 25.6Vnom PHI 1.4 25.6Vnom PHI 730 25.6Vnom PHI 1.4 12.8Vnom PHI 730 12.8Vnom Max Continuous Dis/charge Rate (ADC) 37.5 28.5 45 45 28.5 14 40 28.5 Max Continuous Dis/charge Rate (kW DC) 1.920 1.459 1.152 1.152 0.7296 0.3584 0.512 0.
24V Sizing for Maximum Instantaneous Discharge (Load Rate) Load Rate (kW DC) PHI 3.8 25.6Vnom Minimum Battery Quantity PHI 2.9 25.6Vnom Minimum Battery Quantity PHI 1.4 25.6Vnom Minimum Battery Quantity PHI 730 25.6Vnom Minimum Battery Quantity 94% 4.3 4 4 6 12 Inverter Make / Model Inverter Power Rating (kW AC) Inverter Efficiency Magnum MS 4024 4 Magnum MS 2024 2 86% 2.3 3 3 4 7 OutBack VFXR 3524A 3.5 92% 3.8 4 4 6 11 OutBack FXR 2524A 2.5 92% 2.
Sizing for Maximum Instantaneous Charge Rate Assume charge controllers’ current output is fully utilized. Minimum Battery Quantity Charge Controller Make / Model Max Output (ADC) PHI 3.8 - 51.2V PHI 2.9 -51.2V PHI 3.8 -25.6V PHI 2.9 -25.6V PHI 1.4 -25.6V PHI 730 25.6V PHI 1.4 -12.8V PHI 730 12.
Minimum Battery Quantity Charge Controller Make / Model Sol-Ark-12K (includes dual MPPTs) Victron SmartSolar MPPT 250/60 Max Output (ADC) PHI 3.8 - 51.2V PHI 2.9 -51.2V PHI 3.8 -25.6V PHI 2.9 -25.6V PHI 1.4 -25.6V PHI 730 25.6V PHI 1.4 -12.8V PHI 730 12.
Appendix C – PHI Approved External Chargers This Appendix section covers the PHI Battery’s approved external / plug-in chargers. Typically, ancillary charging of SimpliPhi’s batteries is not required, and charging using any of the charge controllers and/or inverter/chargers listed in the “Integration Guides” section of the SimpliPhi web site’s Product Documentation page is acceptable. However, ancillary charging may be necessary in the following situations: 1.
Appendix D – PHI Legacy Battery Parameters SimpliPhi’s legacy batteries have previously been associated with different operating conditions and limitations than those outlined in Section 5.0 of this manual. While PHI Battery operation according to those previously published parameters is not harmful to the PHI Battery and does not void legacy batteries’ warranties, SimpliPhi recommends the following operating conditions for increased PHI Battery system optimization: Table C.
