Solar set up using Philadelphia panels and Ecoworthy battery

Never heard of Philadelphia panels specifically — are these rebranded cells or a proper manufacturer? Worth digging into the datasheet before you commit, particularly the temperature coefficients if you're mounting them anywhere exposed to our lovely British weather.

The Ecoworthy batteries are interesting territory. I've seen a few of these pop up on the forum lately. They're LiFePO4 I assume? The built-in BMS on budget Chinese units can be hit or miss — some handle cell balancing reasonably well at lower C-rates, others fall over the moment you push them hard.

A few things I'd want to know about your setup:

• What's your intended load? EV charging especially will demand consistent sustained discharge, which is where cheaper BMS units often struggle
• What charge controller are you pairing with? Victron MPPT would give you proper absorption/float control, whereas a generic PWM unit might not play nicely with the battery's BMS parameters
• How many cells and what configuration? 24V nominal or 48V?

From my own experience running a 24V system with Fogstar Drift cells, the weak point is almost never the panels — it's the BMS communication and whether your inverter/charger actually respects the cutoff voltages properly.

Main concern with lesser-known batteries isn't capacity (manufacturers are usually honest enough there), it's cycle life degradation and whether the BMS will protect the cells properly under real-world conditions rather than lab conditions.

Would be good to see the full specs posted here — someone will likely recognise the internals even if the branding is unfamiliar.

@24V_Queen makes a fair point on the datasheet, but I'd push further — Ecoworthy batteries are the bigger concern here.

I've got a static caravan setup and went through a similar budget route early on. Ecoworthy's BMS protection specs are vague at best. Specifically:

• Low-temperature cutoff thresholds rarely stated clearly
• Continuous discharge ratings often optimistic
• Cell balancing behaviour undocumented

If you're off-grid in any UK climate, that matters. A Scottish winter will expose a weak BMS fast.

Spent good money later replacing an Ecoworthy unit with a Fogstar Drift. Night and day difference in transparency alone — actual cycle data, proper thermal specs.

Philadelphia panels I've not encountered directly. Run the model number through PV Evolution Labs or check if they appear on any MCS-listed equipment registers. If they don't show up anywhere credible, that's your answer.

Never heard of Philadelphia panels either and that's usually a red flag tbh. Obscure brand + Ecoworthy battery is a bit of a double gamble in one build.

Had an Ecoworthy unit years back in the static — BMS cut out on me repeatedly once temps dropped below about 5°C. Switched to Fogstar and never looked back.

Not saying it can't work, but if you're going proper off-grid rather than just dabbling, the savings on cheap kit often disappear fast when things go wrong and you're chasing support that doesn't exist.

What's the actual use case here? Motorhome or fixed install? That changes the advice quite a bit.

Ran Ecoworthy on my motorhome for a season before switching to Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 — the BMS on those Ecoworthy units is the weak point, particularly when charging temps drop below 5°C. Mine cut out repeatedly on cold mornings before I even realised what was happening.

@FormerMechanic14 is right to flag it. If you're committed to that battery, pair it with a Victron MPPT that has a proper low-temp cutoff you can actually configure — don't rely on the BMS alone to protect itself.

On the panels, a Google search for the actual cell manufacturer is worth 10 minutes of your time. Plenty of "brand name" panels are just Tier 2 Chinese cells in a frame — sometimes fine, sometimes not. Check whether they're IEC 61215 certified at minimum.

@OldSailor78 yeah the BMS issue is the thing that kills me about budget batteries — not the cells themselves necessarily, just the protection circuitry is garbage under real load.

I run Fogstar Drift in the tiny house and it's been solid. Not cheap but you're not babysitting it constantly.

On the panels — I'd just email the supplier directly and ask for the full datasheet. If they can't produce one, walk away. Simple as that. Might be rebranded Tier 2 Chinese stuff which isn't automatically terrible but you need the numbers.

What's the actual system size you're building? That changes the advice quite a bit — if it's a small van setup the Ecoworthy might limp along, bigger system I'd genuinely not risk it.