Growatt AXE 5.0L-C1

The Growatt AXE 5.0L-C1 is a battery for the home: it gathers the energy the panels produce at midday, when usually nobody is at home, and gives it back to you in the evening, when the lights go on and the appliances start up. It looks like a white block that you place on the floor, and if you want a larger reserve you put another block on top, like building bricks. No cables are run between the modules, they recognise each other on their own. The cells are of the LiFePO4 type (lithium iron phosphate), a cobalt-free chemistry chosen for stability.

One module stores 5.0 kWh, of which 92% is actually usable, that is roughly 4.6 kWh - as much as an ordinary evening of lighting, fridge, television and a few kitchen appliances consumes. You can start with a single module and add others in steps of 5 kWh, up to 10 modules (50 kWh) in one column, and if you need more, up to 8 columns can be linked, that is 400 kWh. A single module delivers 2.5-3.1 kW continuously and up to 4.0 kW, with a peak of 4.6 kW for 3 seconds, so it covers the usual loads; from three modules upwards the system rises to 160 A rated and 180 A maximum and also supports heavy loads. The module weighs 40 kg, the assembly with the base 45.8 kg, it takes up 650 x 350 x 165 mm and is installed indoors only, in a dry room, at temperatures between 0 and 50 degrees C. It requires no maintenance: the monitoring electronics track the state of charge and the temperature on their own.

Rated voltage 51.2 V, range 48-57.6 V, cobalt-free LiFePO4 chemistry. Rated charge/discharge current 50/60 A per module, 80 A maximum; from 3 modules upwards, 160 A rated and 180 A maximum. DoD 92%, IP20 - indoor installation is mandatory, on the floor, on the dedicated base of 654 x 353 x 25 mm; operating temperature 0...50 degrees C. CAN and RS485 communication, with BMS reporting of SOC, system voltage, current, and per-cell voltage and temperature. CE, RoHS, UL1973, FCC, UN38.3 + PI965 certifications; the EU model of the AXE battery is used for the European market.

Who it suits

Suitable for a home that wants to start with a small reserve, of 5 kWh, and grow it over time, as new loads appear or the photovoltaic installation is extended.

Terms explained

• kWh: The unit in which energy is measured: a 100 W bulb kept on for 10 hours consumes 1 kWh.
• DoD (depth of discharge): How much of the battery's energy you can actually use; at 92%, roughly 4.6 kWh remain usable from a 5 kWh module.
• BMS: The electronics inside the battery which monitor it permanently and stop charging or discharging when something goes outside the limits.

Technical specifications

Recommended applications

• Modular residential storage, expandable in steps of 5 kWh
• Growatt SPH/SPF and MIN XH hybrid systems
• Small commercial applications with several clusters in parallel

Warranty

5 years standard, 10 years optional

Technical details

Specifications confirmed from the manufacturer's datasheet

The Growatt AXE 5.0L-C1 is the base module of the modular AXE LV system, with 5.0 kWh of energy and a rated voltage of 51.2 V (range 48-57.6 V), on cobalt-free LiFePO4 chemistry. The modules stack without connecting cables, with automatic recognition, and a cluster can contain between 1 and 10 modules, that is 5-50 kWh; a maximum of 8 clusters can be connected in parallel, for a total of up to 400 kWh.

For a single module, the rated charge/discharge current is 50/60 A, with a maximum of 80 A, and 2.5/3.1 kW rated power, 4.0 kW maximum power and a peak of 4.6 kW for 3 seconds respectively; from 3 modules upwards, the system reaches 160 A rated and 180 A maximum. The depth of discharge is 92%, and the IP20 protection rating requires indoor installation, on the floor, using the dedicated base (654 x 353 x 25 mm). A system with one module measures 650 x 350 x 165 mm and weighs 45.8 kg including the base, the module alone weighing 40 kg. The operating temperature is 0...50 degrees C, communication is via CAN and RS485, and the BMS reports SOC, system voltage, current, and per-cell voltage and temperature. Certifications: CE, RoHS, UL1973, FCC, UN38.3 + PI965. The EU model of the AXE battery is used for the European market.