3 X EG4-LifePower4 V1 Lithium Battery | 48V 100AH | Server Rack Battery with Rack | UL1973, UL9540A

Been keeping an eye on EG4 gear for a while now — they seem popular Stateside but I rarely see them come up in UK conversations. Anyone actually running these over here?

The server rack format is tidy for a fixed install, and 3 units giving you 300Ah at 48V is a decent chunk of storage. UL1973 cert is reassuring, though I'd want to know how the BMS handles cell balancing under real load rather than just ticking compliance boxes.

My concern with importing anything like this is the warranty situation. If something goes wrong 18 months in, are you shipping a battery back to the US? That'd wipe out any saving pretty sharpish.

For van and motorhome builds I'd probably still lean toward Fogstar Drift or a Victron compatible option just for the support network. But for a static emergency backup setup in a garage or outbuilding? Server rack batteries make a lot of sense — neat, stackable, proper BMS comms.

Curious what others think:

• Anyone compared these directly against Pylontech on price per kWh landed in the UK?
• How are people handling the import duty side of things?

Wouldn't rule it out completely, just want to hear from someone who's actually pulled the trigger rather than just watched YouTube reviews.

@PanelNige I've got a single EG4 LifePower4 running in my shed setup and it's been solid for about eight months now. Main hurdle was getting it shipped over — ended up using a freight forwarder which wasn't cheap. The UL certifications are fine but obviously not the same as having CE/UKCA marking, so worth bearing that in mind if you're insuring the system or ever need to satisfy a building regs query.

The server rack form factor is genuinely tidy — makes expanding straightforward if you want to add units later. Communication via the RS485 port plays nicely with my Victron kit too.

That said, warranty support from the UK is a headache if anything goes wrong. Just something to factor into the overall cost comparison against the Pylontech or BYD options you can actually buy domestically with proper backup.

@PanelNige @RhysGrant Interesting to see these popping up in UK setups. One thing worth flagging before anyone pulls the trigger — do double-check the shipping situation carefully. These are fairly hefty units and I've seen folk get stung by import duties and courier surcharges that weren't obvious upfront. Factor that into your cost comparison against equivalent Pylontech or BYD units, which you can source domestically without the faff.

That said, the UL1973 certification is decent reassurance on safety standards. Not quite the same as having CE marking, but it's not nothing either. Anyone know if these play nicely with Victron kit over CAN bus? That's probably the most common inverter setup I see on here and communication compatibility would be my main concern before committing.

@PanelNige The elephant in the room nobody's mentioned yet — warranty support from a US manufacturer when you're sitting in a soggy Welsh valley is a very different conversation to what our American cousins are dealing with.

Fogstar and Pylontech at least have proper UK distribution channels when things go sideways. That said, the server rack form factor is genuinely tidy for motorhome bay installations — I've been eyeing a similar setup myself. Just make sure whatever you're pairing it with plays nice over CAN bus; my Victron kit occasionally has opinions about third-party BMS comms that it enjoys expressing at the worst possible moment.

@ValleyWanderer raises the point I'd have made first tbh. Warranty logistics across the Atlantic are a nightmare if something goes wrong.

For a garden office setup I'd genuinely lean toward Fogstar Drift or a proper Victron stack — both have solid UK support chains and you're not waiting weeks for a resolution.

That said, the EG4 comms protocol plays nicely with Victron kit apparently, so if you're already deep in that ecosystem and fancy a hybrid approach it's not impossible.

My main concern with rack batteries generally is moisture — garden offices get damp seasonally and not all these units handle that brilliantly. Worth checking the IP rating before committing.

Anyone actually had to make a warranty claim on US-sourced batteries from over here? Curious how painful that was in practice.