What's required for Ford Intelligent Backup Power

[Texas Dan]

I have been trying to get a handle on just exactly what needs to be installed to get Ford Intelligent Backup Power. One thing I realized after searching unsuccessfully for installation instructions and wiring diagrams for the Ford Charge Station Pro and the Sunrun Home Integration System is that the installation is basically the same as a Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) installation. A UPS typically just gets installed between the electrical service and the critical load (see wiring diagram at https://www.backupbatterypower.com/pages/wiring-diagrams ).

So how is the Ford Intelligent Backup Power similar to a typical UPS installation? Well they both have batteries to store electrical energy, they both have incoming power inverters to convert AC power to DC power, they both have outgoing power inverters to convert DC power to AC power and they both have transfer switches to switch from normal power to backup power. I have often said that most EVSE are barely more than extension cords and I don't believe the Ford Charge Station Pro has either inverters or transfer switches.

So, the inverters AND transfer switches must be in the Sunrun Home Integration System. it's a revelation that the Sunrun Home Integration System actually contains the transfer switch and that a separate transfer switch is not required. This concept actually makes the installation much less complicated.

So basically the Sunrun Home Integration System gets installed in series with the critical loads and then the Ford Charge Station Pro connects directly to the Sunrun Home Integration System with no direct connection to the main electrical panel. For me this solution solves a lot of problems because I have only a 150 amp main panel and I wasn't sure how I could get an extra 100 amps out of that panel/system. Now it looks like all that needs to be done is pull all the critical loads up to 100 amps off of the main panel and put those loads on a sub panel.

Then all those critical load breakers could be pulled from the main panel and replaced with a single 100 amp breaker. The Sunrun Home Integration System would be installed between the new 100 amp breaker in the existing main electrical panel and the new critical panel. The Ford Charge Station Pro would be connected to the Sunrun Home Integration System and vola, it's done!

So for all of you that are worrying about having to replace your main electrical service, I think you are worrying about nothing as long as your existing panel is at least 100 amps. Even if you have a 100 amp panel you may still want to put in a sub panel so you can use your existing main panel as a disconnect. Of course I could be wrong about what is inside the Sunrun Home Integration System but I think I have made a pretty good educated guess.

Hopefully my reasoning will take some of the mystery out of the Ford Intelligent Backup Power system installation. If any of you have any questions or comments we can discuss or if you have any official information about what exactly is inside the Sunrun Home Integration System, please post.

Sponsored

 

[Maquis]

Money….what’s required is money!

 

[VTbuckeye]

Upgrading the service may not be necessary for backup power, but for charging at the full rate. If you have 100 amp service and you want to charge at 80amps then you can not use any other electricity in the house while charging. How far you have to reduce the charging speed will depend on the other loads in the house. AC plus dryer plus electric range and oven plus TV... Pool pumps/hot tub. May not leave a lot for car charging.

 

[yed19]

You probably have already read through the materials here, but if not, this could help you... AEE Express- The online store of AEE Solar, wholesale distributor of solar products and equipment - Home Integration System

I have ordered this and am planning on installing this with a new solar installation soon, so I can report back on anything I learn during this process but I am not an electrician...

 

[williams]

my next home will have this

https://www.span.io/?utm_term=smart...Hi9MYBNAaaG1ws3khjK8CeqNM9dGB70xoCmccQAvD_BwE

 

[yed19]

You probably have already read through the materials here, but if not, this could help you... AEE Express- The online store of AEE Solar, wholesale distributor of solar products and equipment - Home Integration System

I have ordered this and am planning on installing this with a new solar installation soon, so I can report back on anything I learn during this process but I am not an electrician...

This just in... This process sucks! SunRun has no idea what they are doing... More to come...

 

[yed19]

This just in… Sunrun is saying that Ford is controlling who is getting the ability to order the HIS before September but that currently only “Premium” orders are able to order them and get the orders for the HIS fulfilled through AEE express. Heard the opposite from Ford a week or so ago. I suspect that SunRun is prioritizing their own customers who are ordering Solar installs. While us, in a state that SunRun does not have a footprint in, will suffer the inability to order the thing before September. Will be following up with Ford to run the trap line to get a straight answer. The thing that was also stated was that SunRun was required to install the charger and the HIS even when they do not operate in our state. A simple update or bulletin on this whole thing would clear this all up… I tweeted to JimFarley and awaiting a response

 

[TaxmanHog]

AEE express

Will only allow sales to licensed contractors, I tried registering on their site and failed the requirement of providing license credentials.

 

[yed19]

Will only allow sales to licensed contractors, I tried registering on their site and failed the requirement of providing license credentials.

I have ordered it. The key is to go directly to aee express and not through the distributor link. After you submit the order though, they are constraining the fulfillment of the order based upon a priority. Who is setting it is the question.

 

[yed19]

This just in... As I spent roughly around 4 hours talking with different folks on the topic, I seem to be the most knowledgeable person in the planet on this process . With my order for the HIS, it is said (by SunRun) to be prevented from being fulfilled by Ford as they are prioritizing whom SunRun can deliver it to. Ford BTW has no idea of this process . Now, SunRun has also stated that they are the only company allowed to install the HIS. I was assured from Ford that this is not the case. I have now requested that Ford "prioritize" me with SunRun to "allow" them to ship it. SunRun is more than likely full of it. I would hope that Ford soon allows its customers to order the HIS directly from their Chargers.ford.com soon enough. SunRun seems to be using their sole source supply chain to "Win" new customers. WOuld love to ask this question to someone at Ford who can answer it for us directly...

 

[Tony Burgh]

This just in... As I spent roughly around 4 hours talking with different folks on the topic, I seem to be the most knowledgeable person in the planet on this process . With my order for the HIS, it is said (by SunRun) to be prevented from being fulfilled by Ford as they are prioritizing whom SunRun can deliver it to. Ford BTW has no idea of this process . Now, SunRun has also stated that they are the only company allowed to install the HIS. I was assured from Ford that this is not the case. I have now requested that Ford "prioritize" me with SunRun to "allow" them to ship it. SunRun is more than likely full of it. I would hope that Ford soon allows its customers to order the HIS directly from their Chargers.ford.com soon enough. SunRun seems to be using their sole source supply chain to "Win" new customers. WOuld love to ask this question to someone at Ford who can answer it for us directly...

I used that site to request that Sunrun contact me. I’ve since lined up a local licensed electrician to install the Pro Charger. Still haven’t heard from Sunrun. Don’t care to at this point.

 

[rlbussard]

Does anybody know if you already have a solar system and two inverters on the outside of your wall, do you still need more inverters? With all the stuff out there for the solar, I really hate to have to be another inverter or two on that wall. It's getting pretty filled up.

 

[Maquis]

Does anybody know if you already have a solar system and two inverters on the outside of your wall, do you still need more inverters? With all the stuff out there for the solar, I really hate to have to be another inverter or two on that wall. It's getting pretty filled up.

A normal (no batteries, grid-tied) solar inverter meets UL standard 1741 which requires them to shutdown on loss of grid power. That wouldn’t allow them to work for backup power.

None of the data I’ve looked at go into enough detail for me to tell exactly how this is going to interact with existing solar installations.

 

[Yesko]

Has anyone installed the Ford/SunRun Intelligent Backup Power (IBS) and have it running?
I am planning on building a house and need some advice.

I was planning on having a 200amp service in the house. The only highwattage item would be central air conditioning and Ford Lightning charger. Stove & Dryer would be natrual gas not electric.
* Would this be sufficient to run IBS?
* Where would the IBS Located? At Main Breaker Panel in basement?
* Should I install a SubPanel 100amp in the garage?

This is very confusing I dont want to spend money foolishly!

 

[Maquis]

A couple people have had measured success, some have given up. Try a search for “backup” or “SunRun”.

The system can only provide 9.2 KW, so the size of the service will not be a limiting factor.

I would locate it near the main panel. You will need a “critical loads” subpanel that gets powered by the IBS.

The 100A subpanel in the garage is a good idea whether you decide to go with the IBS or not. I put one in when I remodeled my garage 10 years before I bought an EV. I’m glad I did.

Using ProPower and a manual transfer switch is a much simpler, cheaper, and more foolproof way to use your truck for standby power. The downsides are 2KW less available power and no automatic backup.

See the link in post #4.

Sponsored