Battery Gen 1

Hi, I have a 2.6kWh battery I installed in 2020

Can I add another Gen 2 battery to that array or will I have to remove

bignelly You can add further batteries with up to 5 batteries possible in a chain. The larger batteries have to be first.

You will increase your storage capacity but not the charge/discharge rate. The inverter sees the chain of batteries as a single large battery. Generally you get more kWh storage per £ spent if you go for the larger 8.2 or 9.5 batteries but you can add 2.6 or 5.2 batteries to your existing. Just be aware that the 2.6 and 5.2 are only 80% depth of discharge so you only get 80% of the stated capacity that you can use.

There is a new 5.12 battery out as well that is 100% depth of discharge like the 8.2 and 9.5

Thanks,

The installer is saying because I have a Gen 1 battery, that would have to be removed and can't be put in the chain.

They only have Gen 3 batteries available and can no longer get Gen 1

bignelly I think your installer is confused and wrong.

The 2.6, 5.2 and 8.2 were all known as Gen 1 batteries
The 9.5 was the first Gen 2 battery
The new 5.12 is the first Gen 3 battery https://www.itstechnologies.shop/collections/givenergy-battery-storage/products/givenergy-5-12kwh-li-ion-battery-gen-3

See the installation guide, part 4D that shows how a Gen 1 battery is connected to a Gen 2 battery https://kb.givenergy.cloud/article.php?id=83&oid=1

I had my 5.2 initially connected to my 9.5 like this. It certainly works fine. The only bit that possibly has to be removed is the MCB (power switch) that goes between your inverter and your battery. If you have a Gen 2 9.5 battery it has the breaker switch already in the side of the battery.

Also see page 34/35 of the installer training manual https://kb.givenergy.cloud/article.php?id=76&oid=1

The whole system has to be recommissioned when the new battery is installed, but that’s a straight forward step for the installer.

BTW you can still buy 2.6 batteries if you want to https://www.itstechnologies.shop/collections/givenergy-battery-storage/products/givenergy-2-6kwh-eco-lifepo4-battery although the Gen 3 5.12 is not much more and gives much more storage https://www.itstechnologies.shop/collections/givenergy-battery-storage/products/givenergy-5-12kwh-li-ion-battery-gen-3