@Off-Grid Garage
— · 27 videos curated
Off-grid solar and battery systems for residential energy independence and self-sufficiency.
All 27 videos
Reviving Batteries When the BMS Stops Charging: Cell Balancing and Recharge Techniques
27-minute walkthrough on diagnosing and fixing tool and small batteries rejected by their BMS, using cell-voltage checks and active balancer installation.
100Ah Battery in Parallel with 530Ah Battery Through Bulk, Absorption and Float: Testing and Results
Technical demonstration of connecting batteries with mismatched capacities in parallel: measuring inrush current, tracking behavior through charge phases, and identifying risks of overload or overcharge.
Battery Shelf and PowerWall in Action: Charging, Balancing, and Cable Length Effects
32-minute walkthrough of how multiple battery packs at different distances charge and balance together through a PowerWall system, with practical troubleshooting of state-of-charge mismatches.
New PowerWall Energized for the First Time: System Checks and Battery Connections
44-minute walkthrough of commissioning a large residential battery bank: safety checks, smart monitoring integration, battery connector stress-testing, and multi-battery parallel connections.
RS485 Data Bus Installation: Connecting 16 JK Battery Management Systems
22-minute walkthrough installing and testing an RS485 communication backbone for 16 JK-BMS battery units in an off-grid solar array, including wiring technique and port verification.
JK-BMS vs Smart Shunt: State-of-Charge Estimation and Battery Cell Repair with Carbon Paste
Troubleshooting off-grid battery monitoring: comparing state-of-charge accuracy between two systems, diagnosing peaking cells, and repairing cell imbalance using conductive paste.
All JK-Inverter BMS Versions in Parallel: Compatibility Testing Across Generations
32-minute technical test of whether four generations of JK battery management systems can communicate correctly with each other and an inverter in parallel configuration.
JK-BMS V22 Installation and Balancer Effectiveness Test on 16s 100Ah Battery
Real-world installation and performance testing of the JK-BMS V22 battery management system, including custom adapter fabrication and active cell balancer effectiveness data.
V22 JK-BMS Review: Budget Battery Management System with Active Balancer and WiFi
39-minute testbench walkthrough of the new JK-Inverter V22 BMS for off-grid solar systems, covering hardware, software, web portal, WiFi remote access, and the transformer-based cell-balancing method.
First Full Charge of the Battery Shelf after Winter: Cell Drift and BMS Performance
35-minute technical deep-dive into how off-grid battery banks balance and perform after months of storage, with live Home Assistant monitoring data.
Extending Battery Connection Boxes: Installing RJ45 Ports for BMS Communication
21-minute walkthrough installing connection boxes with RJ45 ports and screw terminals for parallel battery bank BMS communication in an off-grid solar setup.
Gobel Power VRM - Remote Monitoring of Your Battery and BMS from Anywhere
24-minute walkthrough of Gobel Power's cloud-based battery monitoring system: cell-level diagnostics, remote settings adjustment, and integration with off-grid solar setups.
German Designed Thor 5000 Battery by Gobel Power: 5kWh Capacity Review and Testing
35-minute teardown and capacity test of a compact 51.2V/100Ah lithium battery system designed for off-grid solar setups, including cell inspection and thermal imaging.
Diagnosing and replacing a failed Daly BMS with a 300A JK in a Muller 12V/200Ah battery
Step-by-step repair of an off-grid battery system: diagnosing a failed BMS via cell voltage readings, physically replacing it with a JK model, and testing with thermal imaging.
JK-Inverter BMS Firmware V19.34: New Features and Configuration
15-minute walkthrough of JK-BMS firmware V19.34 features, including how to transfer battery parameters (SOC, SOH, cycle data) when replacing a BMS without losing system history.
EVE LF 280 Cell Degradation Test After 5 Years + Battery Maintenance Troubleshooting
Real-world degradation data on LiFePO4 cells after 5 years and 520 cycles, plus diagnosis and repair of oxidation failures in off-grid battery systems.
Connecting the Smart Shunt to a 1000A Busbar
20-minute walkthrough installing a smart shunt in an off-grid battery room: cable sizing, tight-space routing, crimping technique, and balanced current flow principles.
Integrate any Shelly Smart Switch as PV Inverter in Victron Venus OS
25-minute technical walkthrough: use Node-RED to integrate Shelly smart switches into Victron energy-management systems, creating virtual PV inverters for off-grid monitoring and control.
Gobel Power Project X: 35kWh Battery Shelf Review and Upgrades
30-minute hands-on review of a DIY solar battery kit with 35kWh capacity, covering assembly, component evaluation, design flaws, and recommended upgrades.
The Off-Grid Garage and House: Fully Off-Grid with a Single 5kW Inverter
21-minute walkthrough of converting a house to off-grid solar and battery power, including transfer-switch installation, dual-inverter load balancing, and real-world power-management lessons.
Busbar & Cable Connections for 4x 250A with an Electric Crimper Tool
35-minute walkthrough of crimping 95mm² cables and routing power distribution to busbars and MCCBs in an off-grid battery system installation.
JK Inverter-BMS and JK B-Series BMS in Parallel: Adding Extra Safety to the Battery Shelf
32-minute hands-on workshop configuring dual JK battery management systems in parallel for improved safety and communication with Victron inverter controls in off-grid solar setups.
Yixiang 12V/628Ah DIY Kit - High Capacity Battery Build and Performance Test
37-minute walkthrough building a 628Ah DIY lithium battery system from pre-assembled components, with capacity testing and inverter load trials.
Gobel Power Battery Monitoring Kit and Home Assistant Integration
35-minute walkthrough on integrating Gobel Power, PACE, and JK-BMS battery systems with Home Assistant via Waveshare gateways for real-time monitoring of off-grid solar setups.
EVE LF304 Capacity Test after 4 Years of Daily Usage: Battery Shelf Performance
Four-year degradation study of EVE LF304 lithium cells in an off-grid battery bank, comparing current capacity against baseline measurements from 2022.
Upgrading the Battery Shelf BMS: Overkill-JBD to JK-PB Battery Management System
30-minute walkthrough replacing and configuring a battery management system in a residential off-grid solar setup, with cabling and balance-wire installation details.
MCCB Installation, 1000A Busbars, and Smart Shunt Housing Setup
Step-by-step installation of a 1000-amp MCCB, Victron busbars, and smart shunt housing in an off-grid solar system, with drilling techniques and component integration.