By: Renee

HEC Green business MPI Solar recently completed a solar project on a newly-constructed, custom-designed passive solar home in Bloomington, IN. The 9KW solar system is mounted on the garage roof. A 15KW Outback/SimpliPhi Lithium battery system provides the homeowners with nightly battery use for self-consumption, as well as battery backup for emergency use in the event of a grid outage.

System update:

  • 325 watt solar panels;
  • 15.2 KW of battery storage using 4 x 3.8 KW SimpliPhi Lithium Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery technology;
  • safe, non-toxic and durable energy storage;
  • seamlessly managed by 2 Outback Radian 8 KW inverters and BMS (battery management system); and
  • not reliant on the Internet for firmware updates or daily functionality.

This battery system is adaptable for use in daily self-consumption grid-interactive mode, emergency backup power and off-grid. SimpliPhi batteries are designed for remote and off-grid deployment, a system that is used by the military and for disaster relief.

What is passive solar design?

From energy.gov:

“Passive solar design takes advantage of a building’s site, climate, and materials to minimize energy use. A well-designed passive solar home first reduces heating and cooling loads through energy-efficiency strategies and then meets those reduced loads in whole or part with solar energy.”

“In simple terms, a passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south-facing windows and retains it in materials that store heat, known as thermal mass. The share of the home’s heating load that the passive solar design can meet is called the passive solar fraction, and depends on the area of glazing and the amount of thermal mass. The ideal ratio of thermal mass to glazing varies by climate. Well-designed passive solar homes also provide daylight all year and comfort during the cooling season through the use of nighttime ventilation.”

Learn more about passive solar design.


Categories: HECGreenBiz