The Lux AC units are extremely simple battery storage controllers. They are used to ‘Retro’ fit alongside existing solar systems as they do not interfere with the existing solar system in any way. Therefore there is no impact to existing payments such as the FIT payments.
The Luxpower AC units are G98 certified and can have 1-8 batteries connected, with a Max Charge capacity of 70A DC, so around 3500w of electricity. You need sufficient batteries to achieve this max rate.
The Lux AC units can easily work with existing solar systems however these units do not need solar at all, opening up the whole new market of domestic battery storage where solar pv is not suitable – we have customers who live in blocks of flats!
The entire Luxpower range has advanced automatic charging and discharging programming, allowing customers to benefit from charging when electricity is cheap. Specific programmes have been developed to allow simple charging with Ocotpus Agile and other Octopus Energy packages.
There are two versions of the AC units. There is the standard ACS model, which allows max charge and discharge rates of up to 3500w (16 amps), which is a market leading level of power in and out of the batteries. However Luxpower wanted to offer a new version of the standard AC unit which would allow customers to expand this system in the future if they wished to do so. Therefore the new version was developed and called the Squirrel Pod (Squirrel like in storage!).
The Squirrel Pod is simply a more advanced version of the standard AC units. The difference is that they have additional hardware in them to allow (now or in the future) a second, third or up to 8 of the Squirrel pod controllers to be linked together. Each Squirrel Pod needs its own batteries, and is also connected either individually, or via a combined connection, to the customers’ fuse board.
They work in Parallel. This means that only the Primary controller has the CT clamps fitted, and the other units are all set to Subordinate working mode. This means the Primary unit is controlling everything, telling the other units to charge or discharge their batteries.
All the units both standard AC units or the Squirrel pod units are listed on the ENA Register with G100 certification.