Lithium from KS Energy?far away

[Chod Jacqui]

Considering a lithium battery from KS Energy and plan to visit them in the next few days - luckily they are not far from where we live.
Their website which suggests that they are "drop in " and will work fine with standard systems that do not have lithium settings, my Schautz Electrobloc only has lead/acid or AGM settings.
My current leisure battery is a Varta 216amp and is now 5 yeats old and the previous one failed at five years so may soon be due for change soon.
Can anyone advise on KS claims or do you think I will need new charger, b2b, ect or should I just replace with another Varta lead/acid battery?

 

[Tombola]

If I put a 200amp Lithium battery+2000watt inverter in my new set up do I have to increase my 300 shunt to a larger one

No

 

[Billylou]

As this thread has been quiet for a while I thought I’d use it rather than create a new one.

We hope to purchase a new van very shortly.
We “think” we have an opportunity to be specific with our requirements regarding battery type and solar but due to one thing and another it’s not been easy to have the discussion we’d like regarding the detail, we hope that will happen and we are sure it will. However….
Ideally we’d like to have lithium installed rather than AGM.
We’d like to put up as much solar as possible but currently don’t know how much we can have. I believe it’ll be a minimum of 100 but once we can have the detailed discussion it might mean more.

I like the look of the KS Energy underseat battery.

5b): KS-SB200B 12V 200AH Seat Base lithium battery with bluetooth high power BMS

<b>The KS-SB2000B is a 12V 200Ah high capacity deep cycle lithium leisure battery that has been specifically manufactured to easily fit under the front drivers, or passengers seat of a Sevel s.p.a X250 or X290 commercial vehicle. The van chassis favoured</b><b> by the majority of coachbuilders...

www.ksenergy.co.uk

My questions are:
Other than the battery and solar panel what else would we need?

Should we think of other lithium batteries or is the above ok?
I’m guessing we’d need an MPPT controller that is set up for lithium.
Don’t think we need an invertor but am happy to change my mind.
What else would you reccomend we request/discuss with the dealer?

For info we split our time 50/50 on and off sites. The van is on a Fiat chassis and battery storage is under the drivers seat.

Many thanks

 

[Ingwe]

To get the maximum charging capacity for the lithium battery, I’d have a battery to battery charger (B2B) so that your leisure battery gets charged whilst driving, via the alternator.

 

[Billylou]

To get the maximum charging capacity for the lithium battery, I’d have a battery to battery charger (B2B) so that your leisure battery gets charged whilst driving, via the alternator.

Many thanks
Is the B2B charger a separate component or is it part of the MPPT?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ingwe]

I’d favour the Victron range of B2B chargers. The one we had fitted when we had lithium batteries installed was £120 odd so not crippling extra expenditure. This was a year ago so prices may have increased. Also, check that the van’s charger has a lithium profile. Ours didn’t so we had a Victron IP22 fitted at the same time.

Orion-Tr DC-DC Converters Isolated - Victron Energy

Provide a stable DC output voltage using the, easy to install, Orion DC-DC Inverter from Victron Energy. Find a dealer near you.

www.victronenergy.com

 

[Ingwe]

Many thanks
Is the B2B charger a separate component or is it part of the MPPT?

No. The MPPT is a solar controller only. The B2B is a charger that charges the leisure battery whilst the engine’s running. So a separate component.

 

[Billylou]

Hi Ingwe, thank you very much indeed. Very kind of you to respond.

 

[Tombola]

As this thread has been quiet for a while I thought I’d use it rather than create a new one.

We hope to purchase a new van very shortly.
We “think” we have an opportunity to be specific with our requirements regarding battery type and solar but due to one thing and another it’s not been easy to have the discussion we’d like regarding the detail, we hope that will happen and we are sure it will. However….
Ideally we’d like to have lithium installed rather than AGM.
We’d like to put up as much solar as possible but currently don’t know how much we can have. I believe it’ll be a minimum of 100 but once we can have the detailed discussion it might mean more.

I like the look of the KS Energy underseat battery.

5b): KS-SB200B 12V 200AH Seat Base lithium battery with bluetooth high power BMS

<b>The KS-SB2000B is a 12V 200Ah high capacity deep cycle lithium leisure battery that has been specifically manufactured to easily fit under the front drivers, or passengers seat of a Sevel s.p.a X250 or X290 commercial vehicle. The van chassis favoured</b><b> by the majority of coachbuilders...

www.ksenergy.co.uk

My questions are:
Other than the battery and solar panel what else would we need?

Should we think of other lithium batteries or is the above ok?
I’m guessing we’d need an MPPT controller that is set up for lithium.
Don’t think we need an invertor but am happy to change my mind.
What else would you reccomend we request/discuss with the dealer?

For info we split our time 50/50 on and off sites. The van is on a Fiat chassis and battery storage is under the drivers seat.

Many thanks

if you are having 200ah of lithium, the ideal would be as much solar as will fit in the roof,using 6mm solar cable, or some portable panels maybe.
A Mppt for the solar panels using the same cable and sit the controller as near to the batteries as practicle, and a b2b for engine charge control is a good idea. Depending on your alternator and split charge set up depends on how the b2b should be fitted. If fitting a 30a like the victron, b2b, suggest 16mm cables from and too batteries. There are plenty threads on here on that though

If you arent using an inverter then that may suggest not too heavy usage, no toaster, microwave etc but its there for future proofing if you may do in future, if so a 2000 or 3000w inverter is ok with 200ah lithium, then in this case poss 35mm cable to batteries from invertor with suitable mega fuse, 150 a ? depending on draw through cable, but bear in mind the capacity output of the inverter you choose for this,.

 

[Ingwe]

If it helps your decision making, we decided not to bother fitting an inverter simply because we tend not to use heavy power using items such as toasters, hairdryers etc when not on hookup. If you do require these things then an inverter is useful but bear in mind that their use will drain the battery fairly quickly so you do need to have ways of getting charge back into your battery. So as much solar as you can and a B2B for when driving. Good luck with your van.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SSILVO]

Hi all you funsters well it's been a long time come Going to go down the road of Lithium So with that in mind any recommendations from those who have upgraded recently also those of you who took the plunge some years back

Without doubt I recommend Vanbitz near Taunton.Not the cheapest ..but there knowledge and workmanship is second to non.Also their are regulations concerning the use of Lithium in vehicles and vanbitz use Sterling batteries which are DOT and EU approved.

 

[bigtwin]

Without doubt I recommend Vanbitz near Taunton.Not the cheapest ..but there knowledge and workmanship is second to non.Also their are regulations concerning the use of Lithium in vehicles and vanbitz use Sterling batteries which are DOT and EU approved.

Can you point us to those regulations?

Ian

 

[Howard B]

I had 300w solar , the KSenergy 200a under-seat battery etc fitted by Wissel, very happy with the install.
He also fitted a busbar which allows easy wiring of auxiliary elect items, i just added a 1500w inverter this week.

 

[GMak57]

Chod, did you go with the straight “drop in” of the KS battery ? I’m at the same point as you were, and narrowed it down to the KS or Fogstar and both claim their batteries are drop in replacemen’s. Just wondering if you did you it and if it’s all worked ok for you on AGM settings.

 

[Rogerwyn]

Chod, did you go with the straight “drop in” of the KS battery ? I’m at the same point as you were, and narrowed it down to the KS or Fogstar and both claim their batteries are drop in replacemen’s. Just wondering if you did you it and if it’s all worked ok for you on AGM settings.

I bought a 200amp KS seat battery a year ago and have found it great, my 2000w solar keeps it well above 80% in the summer but would advise a b2b be fitted for the winter as even on a good sunny day with heating on you’ll only get 3/5 days out of it,

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[cyberyacht]

"my 2000w solar"
My, what a big roof you have grandma said Red Riding Hood

 

[Rogerwyn]

"my 2000w solar"
My, what a big roof you have grandma said Red Riding Hood

Sorry too many zeros 200w happy