Storing Lower-Cost Energy in Your Lightning to Power Your Home and Returning Power Back to the Grid

[VTbuckeye]

And who controls the search engines and AI searches?
The folks building the data centers...

What could go wrong?

That is what I was thinking. The industry responsible for the damage controls the information and messaging related to the damage...As I was reading it I was thinking this is not an apples to apples comparison. By the time the transportation sector is 90+percent electric, consuming 1100 Terra Watts annually...50 years from now, AI/data centers will have already melted the polar ice caps or fusion for energy will be wide spread. Or our techno feudal lords will have found the ideal number of serfs/subjects/slaves and consumption overall will be down significantly (hint there will be a lot fewer people then than now and the oligarchs/ruling class are going to enjoy the poors destroying each other). This post probably got a bit too political sorry. As you said, what could possibly go wrong.

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[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

There are so many limitations to using the truck for automated battery backup that I would rather spend the $5-10k on a whole-home battery backup that’s always available. We currently have 24 kWh of backup and 14 kW of solar. We rarely use grid energy and often sell it back at the most expensive times of day (for a measly fixed rate b/c legislated utility monopolies). And we can charge the EVs with excess solar.

When we have an extended outage, we can use the 7.2 kVA outlet in the bed of the Lightning to supplement the permanent battery backup.

This ^^^

We built our solar-battery system first, and the truck arrived late to the party, but like you have outlined, we use the truck as a backup at low but continuous load source.
Our average 24-hour power consumption is 37kWh so a back up of only 37/24 = 1.54 kW is all that is needed to keep the house batteries topped up during a grid down/limited sun period.
The since the 2024's the Lightning has the feature where the pro-power can be switched on with the truck off - very handy.
If the house battery and the truck both are used up, we have two back up generators. The best use of these is to run at about 70-75% of the generator capacity to recharge the house battery, then switch off the generator until the batteries are depleted again.
Our house battery is 147kWh, with room to grow as we need.

 

[chl]

That is what I was thinking. The industry responsible for the damage controls the information and messaging related to the damage...As I was reading it I was thinking this is not an apples to apples comparison. By the time the transportation sector is 90+percent electric, consuming 1100 Terra Watts annually...50 years from now, AI/data centers will have already melted the polar ice caps or fusion for energy will be wide spread. Or our techno feudal lords will have found the ideal number of serfs/subjects/slaves and consumption overall will be down significantly (hint there will be a lot fewer people then than now and the oligarchs/ruling class are going to enjoy the poors destroying each other). This post probably got a bit too political sorry. As you said, what could possibly go wrong.

Good news, we have 50 years left!!?

I think that is optimistic.

But I studied control systems in grad school so I know a runaway system with too much positive feedback when I see one - the earths climate.

At this point, I think only a super volcano eruption or an asteroid will save planet earth by causing an extinction event, ironic isn't it. Just too much carbon already in the atmosphere already to turn back time.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Good news, we have 50 years left!!?

I think that is optimistic.

But I studied control systems in grad school so I know a runaway system with too much positive feedback when I see one - the earths climate.

At this point, I think only a super volcano eruption or an asteroid will save planet earth by causing an extinction event, ironic isn't it. Just too much carbon already in the atmosphere already to turn back time.

Planetary scientist who studies thermal systems here.

Nuclear winter would do it too. :/

 

[VTbuckeye]

Why am I planning for retirement? Why not just buy fun stuff and use it up? What is the point of it all?​

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

This ^^^

We built our solar-battery system first, and the truck arrived late to the party, but like you have outlined, we use the truck as a backup at low but continuous load source.
Our average 24-hour power consumption is 37kWh so a back up of only 37/24 = 1.54 kW is all that is needed to keep the house batteries topped up during a grid down/limited sun period.
The since the 2024's the Lightning has the feature where the pro-power can be switched on with the truck off - very handy.
If the house battery and the truck both are used up, we have two back up generators. The best use of these is to run at about 70-75% of the generator capacity to recharge the house battery, then switch off the generator until the batteries are depleted again.
Our house battery is 147kWh, with room to grow as we need.

Wow! 147 kWh! Color me envious!

 

[Maquis]

I wonder if this is widely used, it would lead to change the battery warranty from years to cycles.

That would require a change to federal regulations. Not impossible, but unlikely, IMO.

 

[Pitbull2o08]

My HIS hasn’t worked for nearly 3 years now.
On my smaller house I bought near my dad who had a stroke, I simply put a manual transfer switch. Boom, powers my smaller houses 100amp panel with zero issues.

Ford never did so much as ask how they could fix my HIS. Never sent anyone out. Sunrun actually sent a guy out or they called me a few times. All Ford has done was pass the buck.

 

[ytwytw]

Ford system is barely usable + expensive
I know the majority of the cost is labour, but Tesla system is more reliable and good support
saw so many stories that the Ford HIS and GM system are super buggy and didnt work during power outage sitution, sometimes manual reset helps but sometimes requires re-config the entire system to work (and didnt work without internet)

I wish the power backup feature can be standard protocal so i dont need to stuck on one brand of hardware (maybe tesla is the only reliable solution in the game today, and works perfect with tesla)

 

[Maxx]

That would require a change to federal regulations. Not impossible, but unlikely, IMO.

Keep in mind that the fast disappearing Feds are encouraged to not only reduce regulation but make life a little more difficult for EVs. And if Manufacturers lose money on battery warranties and would like to contribute to the ballroom, things may become more possible. We are seeing unlikely stuff happening on daily bases. That said, transparency regarding the cycles may require some technical standards and requirements with regards to different battery capacity and chemistries. Years is just easier to keep track of. Then again, there is nothing on our display showing SOH. Transparency may be overrated.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

cycles for running the truck - at 30kWh discharge per hour steady load to run the vehicle are far higher than the types of loads a home would put on the truck generally.
And since home charging is limited to 48/80A AC compared to DCFC,
I think the time the EV battery is powering your home instead of driving down the highway are the lightest work the battery will ever do.

 

[Firn]

For the money involved, I would do something more like the EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra. Then with a bit of creativity, you can plug the SmartPanel2 into the truck as a generator and still get your 9.6KW. But when the truck is not there, the house still has power.

This would be interesting to explore more.

I dont use TOU plans here as they dont make any sense for me as we generally consume the most power between 4pm and 11pm.

Could such a system be used to export power during the 4-11 timeframe (ecoflow plus truck), either reducing power intake from the grid or sending back (similar to solar). Then recharging in the middle of the night.

If so it would represent a way to benifit from a TOU plan and completely avoiding the HIS issues.

 

[pdegenkolb]

This would be interesting to explore more.

I dont use TOU plans here as they dont make any sense for me as we generally consume the most power between 4pm and 11pm.

Could such a system be used to export power during the 4-11 timeframe (ecoflow plus truck), either reducing power intake from the grid or sending back (similar to solar). Then recharging in the middle of the night.

If so it would represent a way to benifit from a TOU plan and completely avoiding the HIS issues.

To the best of my knowledge, the EcoFlow will not export to the grid. You could check with an electrician and/or your utility. In the world of PG&E, I have a Tesla Power Wall that charges at night then provides most of the power the house needs during the medium and high cost times. I do not trust PG&E to be at all fair if they control the draw from my batteries, and under my current tariff (rate plan) I am not allowed to return power that I have gotten from them. So, during the day, I give up all of the electric generated from solar and not used by the oouse or recharging the power-wall.

My Washing property has a low ($0.07 per kwh) rate, but we are at the end of a roughly 30 mile power line running through the "wilderness" (Not really, but close). I put the EcoFlow there so the house (especially the refrigerators) would not lose power in a power outage.
Hope this makes some sense.

 

[tearitupsports]

This would be interesting to explore more.

I dont use TOU plans here as they dont make any sense for me as we generally consume the most power between 4pm and 11pm.

Could such a system be used to export power during the 4-11 timeframe (ecoflow plus truck), either reducing power intake from the grid or sending back (similar to solar). Then recharging in the middle of the night.

If so it would represent a way to benifit from a TOU plan and completely avoiding the HIS issues.

The Sigenergy system does exactly what you want to do from a TOU case with home batteries.
For the truck you can use their generator inlet and pro-power onboard in an off-grid condition. On grid they have a V2X module that works like the Home Integration System.

 

[Firn]

Looks like the Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra does time shifting and has a generstor input (unsure if it can take power in while providing power out).

With some help from Chatgpt it indicates a semi-real world savings of about $3 per day. This was considering a local EV charging plan TOU discount and my current cost and usage.

That was an EV tou plan, not sure if there are other tou plans that may be better.

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