DIY 3 phase ESS installation in Belgium - Do's and dont's to get legalized (AREI)?

DIY
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Hi,

I have been researching the Victron EES system and the mandatory AREI inspections in Belgium.

Currently, I have an Enphase 3-phase EQ7+ setup with 19 panels, 5300WP, which has been AREI inspected and approved.

This winter, I plan to install a 3-phase setup in my garage, located 26 meters (cable length) away from the house’s electrical panel. For this, I intend to install two 5x6mm² ground cables (one for the return path) and some double-shielded CAT 7 Ethernet cables for network connectivity and potentially some other equipment.

On the roof of the garage I would like to install 4 550Wp panels that feed into the battery via a victron MPPT

I would like to utilize the Victron backup feature to have most of my house on backup power.

In the house’s electrical panels, I plan to separate some non-essential loads, such as my EV charger, while connecting the rest to the second 5x6mm² cable that returns from the garage to the house.

I have a few questions I’m unsure about, particularly concerning the mandatory AREI inspection:

  1. Will the additional 50+ meter length of 6mm² cable pose any issues (voltage drop, or otherwise)?
  2. Can I legally place my Enphase system on the backup side, allowing solar power to operate in the event of a grid outage?
  3. Can I use the Multiplus II 5000kVA, or is there still a 10kVA limit? If I place the Enphase system on the backup side, will that add to the 3x Multiplus 3000 = 9000kVA, potentially exceeding the 10kVA limit?
  4. Can Yixiang DIY Lifepo4 battery boxes with EVE Lifepo4 cells and a JK-BMS be approved? Do they even check the DC side during inspections?
  5. Are there any other Belgium-specific rules and pitfalls I should consider?

Kind regards,

Michel

2
  • The 6mm² cable should be OK for 25A up to 2x 25m, but it’s near the limit
    You could go for a thicker cable and maybe a remote transfer switch
  • I don’t see legal limits to put the Enphase system on AC Out
  • The power of all inverters is counted, so PV and Multis.
    Up to 10kVA worth of inverters (on a 3 phase system with max 5kVA difference between phases) then can’t really refuse
    Above 10kVA worth of inverters, a net study needs to be done
    Up to 25kVA worth of inverters, that net study is free of charge but doesn’t imply your setup will get automatically approved
  • I see no possibility to get a DIY battery box approved
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Thanks for your responses.

Regarding the last point, I have seen people get a DIY box like this approved by attaching the BMS serial number sticker to the box and providing the CE certificates for the batteries and the BMS.

I really don’t want these Pylontech batteries stacked in a tower. What are my alternatives?

Are there any more important things I should consider?
Are there schematic drawings available from people who got their setup AREI approved?

4

If you’re lucky you can get away with that but in my book it wouldn’t get approved.
The BMS and the cells might have a serial and CE certificate (that doesn’t have much value but that’s another story), but the total assembly does not.
You as the assembler have final responsibility and you can’t guarantee that the complete assembly is conform all regulations.

Are you talking about the 19" Pylontech stacks ?
They have the vertical tower stacks as well (just like BYD) and those are OK for me.
The 19" stacks have the advantage that you can connect each module independently to the busbar.

As for myself, I’m very satisfied with the BYD Battery-box Premium LVL batteries.