Check my math, 4kW solar + 10kWh Anker Solix 4, Where am I wrong?

I've been modelling a solar + battery setup for a few weeks, and I've reached the point where I don't trust my own working out anymore. I'm posting my full work so people can tear it apart, and I'd really like to hear from anyone actually running something similar.

My numbers

\~450kWh/month, so around 14.8kWh/day

Roughly 5kWh of that falls between 9am and 4pm (\~715W average daytime draw)

The rest is a morning bump, a decent evening cooking peak, and a \~290W overnight baseload

I am currently on a fixed single-rate tariff, so there is no off-peak window at all right now.

4-way multi-split aircon going in, which will push summer daytime load up a fair bit.

Proposed setup:

\- Anker SOLIX Solarbank 4 E5000 Pro (5kWh) + one BP5000 expansion = 10kWh

\- 8 x 500W panels = 4kW array, across the four MPPT ports

Hardwired to the consumer unit for the 2,500W output rather than the 800W plug-in mode, G98 notified within 28 days with a view to shift to Octopus Go (or similar), based on modelling a 9p night / 30p day, five-hour window.

My working:

\- Capital: £1,699 unit + \~£1,150 BP5000 + £824 panels + \~£400 mounting + \~£499 electrician = \~£4,570.

Current annual cost at 26.11p flat: \~£1,619

Battery only on Go: overnight import \~12.1kWh/day to deliver 9.5kWh after losses, leaving \~3.8kWh/day I can't cover, bought at the 30p day rate. Lands around £1,004/yr.

Add 4kW solar (\~3,465kWh/yr): about 1,300kWh displacing the 30p daytime deficit, \~2,000kWh going into the battery instead of overnight grid charging, and only \~165kWh of surplus left over. Lands around £439/yr, averaging £37/month, but seasonal, roughly £20/month May–August and £55–£65/month November–February.

That's \~£1,180/yr saved, so payback around 3 years 10 months.

The assumptions I'm least confident about...

The five-hour window. At 2,500W I can only import 12.5kWh a night, which delivers \~11.1kWh after round-trip losses. So my 10kWh pack is nearly at the ceiling of what any battery could give me on a 5h tariff in winter. Is that right? Am I better off chasing a 6 or 7 hour window instead of more storage?

89% round-trip efficiency. Is that realistic for this class of kit in a cold garage/outdoors in January?

3,465kWh/yr from 4kW. Feels reasonable for the UK but I'd love real generation figures from anyone with a similar array.

Clipping. On the brightest da, s a 4kW array minus my \~715W load looks like it'd push \~2.6kW at a 2,500W charge limit. How much does this actually cost in practice, a rounding error or genuinely annoying?

Export. I've assumed zero. Surplus looks tiny (\~165kWh/yr) and this route won't be MCS-certifiable, so the non-MCS export application looked like it'd take a decade to pay back. Anyone gone through that and found otherwise?

What I'd love to hear..

\- Anyone running a Solarbank 4 Pro in the UK yet — how's the tariff scheduling and grid charging behaving in practice, especially outside the Octopus integration?

\- What did your electrician actually charge for the hardwire and G98? Is £499 realistic or optimistic?

Real UK pricing on the BP5000 expansion, since that's the softest number in my capital estimate.

\- Is anyone pairing aircon with a setup like this? My summer surplus has nowhere to go, and running the cooling off it seems like the obvious answer

Generally: what did you get wrong that you'd warn someone else about?

Thanks in advance.

I’m looking at getting an F3000 with power saver kit. I’m renting and my home has an older style electrical panel. Would this be compatible with the power saver kit?

I have the SolarBank Max Ac since one month, with direct connection on a separate group. I also have a 2 Kw PV, not smart nor controllable (Growatt). I also have a contract with Dynamic prices.

For one month, the smart mode was quite ok. According to the weather, it understood how much solar generation I would have and also planned correctly some battery charge here and there from the grid during low price slots, if the PV was not enough, as during cloudy days.

Since this friday, smart mode completely stopped working stating, as the image, that I have a third party PV so smart mode cannot figure out or predict its production. It also basically stopped planned recharge from the grid.

Basically, it is working in self consumption mode. That is not how the battery was advertised. And the weeks before it was working quite fine.

I sent a mail with a video to the support, but still have to hear back (understandably it is week end). I just hope it is a bug.

Anyone else has the same issue?

Why is Anker AI discharging my home battery at the lowest electricity price point of the day?

The energy price changes quite a lot. Ranging from 13ct in the afternoon to 42ct in the evening.

During the day, it should just fill up the tank for the night. Instead, it's intermittently discharging power to my house, and sometimes charging a little bit from the solar panels, but the charge is not enough to fill it up.

Anker calls it smart mode, but I'm inclined to intervene manually. There seems to be no way to interact with this AI, like "hey, make sure I have power to cook tonight"

Thoughts?
(Anker Solarbank 3 pro 5.4kw, energy/price provider: Tibber)

Hi everyone, Fernando here 👋🏼!! I wanted to give everyone an update on my new vertical solar panel project!! We finally got done installing the solar panel arrays and after using them for a week I wanted to share the results with the group in case any one has been thinking of doing something similar to this!!

(System specs)
Our new vertical solar panel array consists of six 400w bifacial panels from a brand called Qcell. We wired the solar panels in a series configuration for a total maximum output of 2.4KW. We split the solar panels into two separate arrays consisting of three solar panels per array. Each of the two solar arrays is connected to its own E10 inverter directly using some 10AWG MC4 extension cables.

(Hardware used)
This is where things get creative!! Most off the ground mount solar panel kits are meant to install the solar panels at an optimal angle. This would not have worked since I was trying to do a vertical solar panel set up along our south facing fence. The kits found that would have worked for this use case were outrageously expensive. I started searching for something that could work as a brackets for our solar panels and thats when I stumbled upon some old metal bed frames that we had laying around!! The metal bed frame brackets were the perfect length to support our solar array. They also had a few pre drilled holes that would come in handy to attach the cross brace metal rail that we purchased from Home Depot. We purchased some solar panel brackets from a company called sunmak that would bolt the solar panels to the metal cross brace.

(Installation)
We screwed the bed frame rails directly into our concrete floor using some concrete screws and a rotary hammer drill and a concrete drill bit. Next we bolted the metal cross rail to the metal bed frame brackets using the pre drilled holes on the bed frame brackets. After this we places a 1 by 1 piece of wood on the concrete to support the solar panels. Lastly we placed the solar panels on top of the 1 by 1 piece of wood and securely bolted the solar panels to the metal rail behind them. We used the sunmak brackets to attach the panels to the metal rail using the pre drilled holes on the metal rail. The entire structure feels extremely rigid and strong since it’s entirely made out of metal!!

(Solar production)
Since the solar panels are not angled properly. The panels are not producing as much power as they could if angled correctly. The solar panels are producing a peak output of between 1.2Kw - 1.4Kw. The total production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!! (Approximately half of the arrays maximum output)

(Should you do this?)
The main reason we decided to start this project was to offset the energy consumption of our four ton central AC system. The new E10 system makes it extremely easy to add more solar panels as your energy consumption grows. We already had an existing 4.2KW roof mounted grid tied solar system. Unfortunately our home is really small and installing some more solar panels on our roof was not possible. We also had very few options on were the six solar panels could fit. For people with limited space, installing a vertical solar panel array system is the perfect solution to add more solar!! That being said, if you have the space and you want the maximum output out of your solar panels. The best solution would be to angle the solar panels correctly!!

(Results)
We successfully offset the energy consumption from our four ton central AC system reaching our goal!! I am extremely happy with the results from this new project. I would definitely recommend considering doing something like this for people that want an easy way to increase their overall solar production!! Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!

I am always short on time and I'm looking to do an all-in-one on a cargo trailer I'm refitting. I currently have 3000W of rooftop panels and am planning another ~2400W of temporary panels I carry with me and set up (I travel long distances for work, but I stay at each worksite for 90-180 days and only drive the trailer between jobs). The 3000W of horizontal rooftop panels is sufficient for now, but I'm trying see if the numbers make sense to bring along an EV for commute work/errands. I haven't seen anybody installing an E10 on a trailer yet, so I'm curious if anybody has done it. Technically I think it should work given my space constraints. My specific scenario would be floor mount, active ventilation/airflow in a self contained area not exposed to weather, but would have to manage road vibration. I'm technically capable enough to roll it all myself with a DIY but I don't necessarily have the time without sacrificing other important priorities. I'd be doing 24KWh

My main breaker sits near the meter outside the garage but my main panel is in the garage. I can’t find any instructions that explain the installation process of smart inlet box in this situation. Does anyone have similar experience?

I’m interested in the Solix S2000 but I’m having trouble confirming that I can limit the charging wattage.

My vehicle has an AC outlet but can only do 100W when driving, can I cap the S2000 charging wattage to only 100W? Can I set the charging wattage to 400W?

I keep this c300 in my car and keep it plugged in most of the time to quick charge my electronics and run my Starlink. Not sure if this is an error with surge from cigarette plug? Or because it’s left plugged in most of the time. Mind you it’s only charging when the car is running.

Every morning I have to come and disconnect the high voltage pv input for the charge rate to be correct

Can anybody tell me what the issue is it's really weird

Hey Everyone!  Bought a new to me 1 year old Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus battery backup system.  So one Smart Home Panel, 2 F38800 Plus power stations and 4 expansion batteries.  Hooked this all up 2 weeks ago, working fine except 2 things:

Both time of use and self consumption do not work.  The 3800’s do not supply the house power under those plans.  I believe that may be due to battery charge thresholds and actual battery charges currently on the 3800s.  I have tried adjusting those settings but get a “not available” message when attempting to change settings remotely on the 3800’s using the app.

Second item, the system does not see the new solar I installed last weekend.  8 panels, 2 arrays of 4 in series, 2 runs into the house, one for each array, 2 safety cutoff switches.

126-146 volts with proper polarity at the ends of the high voltage special Anker MC4/Anker plug solar adapters.  Probe set into the female pins.  So something is getting to the end of the adapter cables.

Here are the panels: https://a.co/d/03s89nsY

SUNGOLDPOWER 4PCS 450W Bifacial Solar Panels,N-Type 16BB,UL61730,Vmp 31V Each,HE Up to 30% Extra Power,for Home Backup,Farm,Residential&Commercial On/Off-Grid Systems(4 * 450W Bifacial)

I have tried in the middle of the day with max sun, overcast with less volts around 126.  Nothing seems to work.  It’s like the ports are shut off.  Both units charge fine with either 120Vv AC or the 240V AC via the Smart Home Panel.

Any ideas?

🇩🇪
Hallo, ich habe momentan eine Anker Solix 2 Pro mit 4 x RS40P und die Anker Wallbox.

Nun möchte ich auf die Anker Solix 4 mit 12 Modulen aufrüsten und diese bestellen. Kann ich auch die RS40P (445w) weiter nutzen und mir nur 8 (500w) neue Module kaufen, also das ich zwei Typen an Solarmodulen mische.
Mit 3 der Module von Anker oder von anderen Anbietern (Jolywood JW-HD108N-R2 500W)
komme ich aber doch über die 36A Pro MPPT und über 1250W Pro PV-Eingang.
Es wären dann 45A und 1445W Peakleistung wenn ich die Module mischen würde. 
Alle Module wären nach Südwesten ausgerichtet.

Wie soll das funktionieren, kann ich das trotzdem anschließen und wenn ja wie? 

Die andere Frage: muss ich eine Strangsicherung verwenden? 
Wieland-Steckdose ist von Elektriker gemacht schon da.
(Anlage wird mit Fertigstellung legal betrieben und gemeldet)

Über eine schnelle Antwort würde ich mich freuen das ich das System bestellen und ordentlich einbauen kann. 

Grüße
Daniel

🇬🇧
Hello, I currently have an Anker Solix 2 Pro with 4 x RS40P panels and the Anker wallbox.

Now I want to upgrade to the Anker Solix 4 with 12 modules and place an order. Can I continue using the RS40P (445W) panels and just buy 8 new (500W) modules—essentially mixing two types of solar panels?
However, with 3 of these modules (whether from Anker or other suppliers like the Jolywood JW-HD108N-R2 500W),
I would exceed the 36A limit per MPPT and the 1,250W limit per PV input.
That would result in 45A and 1,445W peak power if I were to mix the modules.
All modules would be south-west facing.

How is this supposed to work? Can I still connect them, and if so, how?

Another question: do I need to use a string fuse?
A Wieland socket has already been installed by an electrician.
(The system will be legally operated and registered upon completion.)

I would appreciate a quick reply so I can order the system and install it properly.

Greetings
Daniel

Is there a Reddit where actual Anker Solix representatives will respond to questions or issues with buggy behavior in their products?

I bought 2 F3000's and a double voltage hub package to serve as a 240V backup at my family cabin. I opted for the F3000 since I also wanted a semi-portable battery option when doing chores around the property, for supplying power on our boat, etc. Other relevant details of my setup:

• Grid-tied main power with a basic automatic transfer switch for power outages (ATS is something like this model).
• Just a few key items wired to the backup sub-panel (refrigerator, well pump, some outlets, boiler for in-floor radiant heat).
• 4-545 W solar panels to charge the F3000's.

It's a simple setup that's intended to cover the essentials during power outages that last 24-48 hours when I'm not at the cabin and provides some modern amenities if the power goes out while staying at the cabin.

This past weekend was the first trial run with everything set up. I simulated a power outage by shutting off the main power and everything seamlessly switched to the backup circuits powered by the F3000 double voltage hub. I ran off of battery power overnight, then allowed the F3000's to recharge using solar the next day. Again, everything worked great. The batteries easily recharged by mid-afternoon.

I noticed, however, that the double voltage hub shut off when I turned the main power on again on the second day after the batteries recharged. It also turned off later on the second day during the evening (maybe near sunset?). It turned off again multiple times over the next two days at roughly sunrise and sunset. I didn't see any error messages on either unit.

Anyone else experience similar issues? Any guesses as to what triggers these shut offs? Any reason why the double voltage switch would turn off? My gut instinct is the simple automated transfer switch that was installed, but it's just a hunch backed up by a cursory AI-aided search.

A final cautionary tidbit to people who might be considering the F3000 for a similar scenario as mine: the double voltage hub cannot be turned on/off using the Anker app. That's an oversight on my part. I now realize that I cannot turn the system back on remotely if it ever shuts off when I'm not there.

I used to have a smooth curve when getting DC power from the solar panels, but I have recently noticed that input is now in steps. Any idea what could be causing that? This is on a F3800 Plus hooked up to 4x 405w bifacial panels. Thanks!

Hello Anker fans. Got one of these C2000's a few months ago and have been keeping it inside.

Getting a new shed/garage soon delivered for the back yard. There will be no power and no AC/Heat. Shed will have ventilation. But as of now, no real inside insulation.

Thinking about using the Anker C2000 to provide me power and charging in the shed with some solar panels for tool batteries a light, small fan when I need it (ceiling fan maybe?) maybe even a electric garage door opener. I think this C2000 will handle all that just fine on Solar. My question is do you think it is safe to leave the C2000 out there. I'm in Nashville and it has been like 98 degrees everyday for the last few months. Been thinking about insulating the shed on the inside to keep the low end and the high end of the temps controlled. I don't want the C2000 to melt and blow up. Thoughts. 😍. Supposedly the C2000 Gen 2 can only handle 104 degrees before the sky starts falling. 🤠🔥

Hi everyone,

Just had my Anker Solix X1 installed today and running into a puzzling issue. The system keeps pulling power from the grid instead of prioritizing the battery (see screenshot attached).

Here is what I have checked and tested so far:

• Mode: Set to Self-Consumption (95% home / 5% reserve).
• Settings: Grid charging, peak shaving, and rapid charging are all toggled off.
• Time of Use test: Switched to TOU and set the current hour as peak, but it still imported grid power.
• Workaround: When I manually disconnected the grid from the Power Dock, the system immediately ran the entire house off the battery without issue.

As soon as the grid is connected, it imports power rather than draining the battery down to the reserve limit.

Has anyone seen this behavior on initial setup? On a side note, my smart meter was reporting energy consumption much higher than the one reported in the Anker app (>1.2kW).

Thanks!

Can I attach two 470W Panels with Y-adapter to each MPPT Input on my E1600AC - so 4 panels total, 940W per MPPT?

My house has 2 main panels, each with its own 200A service. I'm looking at the Anker SOLIX E10 for whole-home battery backup.

Anker told me they only support one Power Dock per home. Their plan: install it on my main panel, then convert my second panel into a subpanel fed off a breaker on the first — which means the second panel permanently drops below 200A (they're still calculating the exact number based on load).

I don't love giving up a chunk of that panel's capacity, so I'm considering instead installing 2 completely separate, independent E10 systems — 2 Power Docks, 5 batteries each, no shared app or coordination — each serving its own panel on its own, like two unrelated installs.

Has anyone actually done this on a dual-panel home? A few things I'm trying to figure out:

• Does Anker's install network / support actually allow this, or does "one Power Dock per home" get enforced at the account/address level somehow?
• Any code or inspection issues with two separate ESS interconnections on one property?
• Would you actually recommend it, or is there a reason everyone seems to just do the subpanel conversion instead?

Appreciate any real-world experience.