EG4 GyLL Lithium Server Rack Battery Review & Viable Alternatives – Find the Best Power Storage Solution

Oliver

Written by Oliver. Last updated:

Overall Rating 6
Portability 8
Compatibility 9
Durability 4
Ease of Use 10
Value for Money 5

Table of Contents

Whether you are planning to build an off-grid solar power system that can supply power to a full-sized house, or you just need a smaller-scale system for emergencies and blackouts, one of the most important components in your entire system will be your battery bank.

Without an appropriately sized battery bank, you will have no way of storing the electricity that your solar panels can generate. This would mean that all of your efforts would be meaningless the second the sunset, or even if it was just a cloudy day.

While the need for deep-cycle, rechargeable solar batteries is fairly obvious, the problem is there are so many options on the market today. While competition between battery manufacturers can be beneficial for consumers, as it helps keep prices low and quality high, it can also make it difficult to choose the appropriate deep-cycle battery for your specific system.

Today, we are going to take an in-depth look at the EG4 GyLL Lithium Server Rack Battery, which is available through Signature Solar. This will allow us to determine whether or not this popular battery actually offers good value and reasonable performance.

After exploring what this battery has to offer and providing our overall opinion of it, we will take a look at some viable alternatives, which will help you explore your options. After reading through this straightforward guide, you will have a much better understanding of your power storage options.

What is the EG4 GyLL Server Rack LiFePO4 Battery?

The EG4 GyLL Server Rack Battery was designed to offer consumers a versatile lithium-ion LiFePO4 battery in a convenient server rack design. While there is a lot to like about these batteries, one of the most common complaints you will hear is how they are constantly listed as being out of stock.

With that being said, the battery has an impressive capacity rating of 5,120Wh, or 5.12kWh, which means a single battery can store a significant amount of power. A 48V 100Ah power rating means that this battery is useful for a wide range of solar and non-solar applications. 

If you just want to use a single battery, you could easily store enough power for emergency purposes – however, where this battery really shines is how easy it is to expand your total storage capacity by wiring multiple batteries together.

As a server rack-style battery, users have the option to insert the battery into any telecom cabinet-style rack. This means you can easily stack the batteries on top of each other, without having to worry about taking up too much floor space.

What Do We Like About the EG4 Server Rack Battery?

Impressive Storage Capacity:

As mentioned, the storage capacity for a single battery is very respectable. Typically, when you purchase a standard deep-cycle solar battery, like the Lion Energy Safari Lithium-Ion Solar Battery, you can expect a storage capacity of around 1,300Wh, which really puts the EG4 Server Rack Battery’s 5,120Wh capacity into perspective.

The EG4’s impressive storage capacity is thanks to the fact that it contains a 16-pack of high-quality LiFePO4 cells. These are the latest lithium cells, so not only can they store a significant amount of power relative to their size and weight, but they should also last for many years, which brings us to the next thing we like about these batteries.

Long-Lasting Lifespan:

When you purchase the EG4 GyLL Lithium Server Rack Battery, you get a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty, which is fairly impressive, especially when you consider the fact that most solar batteries only come with a 1- or 2-year warranty.

They can offer this relatively lengthy warranty because, as mentioned, the battery contains LiFePO4 lithium cells, which are known for their reliability and long-lasting lifespan. 

The lithium cells are also protected by a built-in Battery Management System. Given that the battery was designed to last between 10 and 20 years, it is a safe bet that you will be able to use the battery daily for many years.

Built-in Battery Management System:

The next thing we like about this battery is its built-in Growatt Battery Management System. This integrated Battery Management System prevents over-charging issues, as well as a whole host of other issues that can leave unprotected batteries susceptible to permanent damage. 

While you will still need to connect the battery to a charge controller, this added layer of protection should help your battery last much longer.

Stress-Free Expandability:

Finally, we are big fans of the rack-mountable design, as it makes it easy to expand your battery bank without having to take up too much space. The batteries are designed to slide into a rack, so you can easily stack them on top of each other.

While Signature Solar sells a 6-slot enclosed battery rack that was specifically designed for the EG4 Server Rack Battery, it comes with a price tag of $599.00, which is very expensive for such a simple racking system. With that being said, the cabinet-style design is very discreet, so it can be a good option if your budget allows for it.

Not only can the batteries be stacked inside a rack, which is great for storage purposes, you have the option to connect up to 16 batteries at a time. Given the battery’s 5.12kWh capacity, this means you have the potential to build a power storage system with a total capacity of 81.92kWh! While this level of storage capacity would be incredible, it does take us to our biggest criticism of this battery – they are incredibly difficult to come by.

What We Don’t Like About the EG4 Server Rack Battery

Supply Issues and Cost:

As mentioned above, there are serious supply issues with these batteries. They are almost always listed as being out of stock. Even when you are lucky enough to have the chance to place an order, shipping is often delayed for lengthy stretches of time.

Obviously, it can be a real hassle if you are waiting months for one of the most important components of your solar power system.

While they certainly have their advantages, these batteries also come with a fairly hefty price tag. At nearly $2,000 for a single battery, you need to be prepared to spend a significant sum if you are planning to fill a storage rack.

No Display Screen:

Another thing we do not like is that the basic model of this battery does not feature a built-in LCD display screen, which is becoming a bit of an industry standard for batteries that have this level of storage capacity. 

Without a display screen, it is difficult to assess any issues you are having with the battery. It also means that you will have to purchase a monitor separately or connect a laptop, which can be a bit of a hassle.

Lacking Side and Rear Vents:

We also noticed that the EG4 does not feature vents on the sides or rear of the battery. While the built-in Battery Management System should prevent overheating issues, we can’t help but think the battery could handle more intense demands if it featured a few vents and an internal fan.

What is Our Overall Impression of the EG4 GyLL Server Rack Batter?

Overall, we believe this is a very capable battery that certainly has a lot to offer. It could easily be a practical and dependable power storage solution for any grid-tied or off-grid solar power system – however, we just cannot see past the supply issues. 

The truth is, it is difficult for us to recommend any piece of solar equipment when consumers will likely face a frustrating and time-consuming ordering experience.

Given that several reputable deep-cycle battery manufacturers offer similar products, but do not have the same supply-chain issues, we would probably steer clear of the GyLL Server Rack Battery, unless, of course, you can order one with a guaranteed delivery date. 

Hopefully, these supply issues resolve themselves shortly, but until then, we would probably recommend looking elsewhere.

For More Information:

If you would more detail about what this battery has to offer, consider watching the following video review from David Poz’s YouTube channel: Testing and Reviewing the GyLL LiFePO4 Battery.

What are the Alternatives to the EG4 GyLL Server Rack Battery?

Given the EG4 GyLL Server Rack Battery’s ongoing supply issues, we decided to offer some viable alternatives. The following batteries offer many of the same benefits you would get with the EG4, as well as some features that it lacks:

The Jakiper 48V LiFePO4 Server Rack Battery

The Jakiper 48V Server Rack Battery is fairly similar to the EG4, as it also features the same 5,120wh / 5.12kWh storage capacity and the same server rack-mountable design. It also features the latest LiFePO4 lithium cells, so you can expect the same level of quality and performance, as well as a lengthy lifespan.

While the two batteries seem fairly similar on paper, one of the things that set the Jakiper Server Rack Battery apart is the fact that you do not have to worry about supply issues, or unexpected delays, as Jakiper seems more than capable of keeping up with demand.

There are also a few features the Jakiper offers that you do not get with the EG4. For starters, the built-in Battery Management System is more advanced in the Jakiper, as it offers 10 layers of protection and includes six separate temperature sensors, so you will never have to worry about over-heating issues, or your battery operating in temperatures that are cold enough to cause damage to the lithium cells.

In fact, the built-in Battery Management System is so advanced and so reliable, that Jakiper backs the battery with an industry-leading 10-year warranty! While the EG4’s 5-year warranty is nothing to look down on, a 10-year warranty is truly impressive. In fact, the warranty is so comprehensive that Jakiper will even honor it if you transfer ownership of the battery to someone else! It is a true ‘no-questions-asked’ warranty.

We also like that the Jakiper features a stainless-steel exterior case, which protects the battery, as well as stainless-steel handles, which make it easier to transport and slide into a storage rack. Thanks to pre-installed side-mounted brackets, you can even connect the batteries together side by side.

You also get a built-in LCD display screen standard, which means you can easily monitor your battery’s performance as it operates. As an added bonus, there are no restrictions on how many batteries you wire together, as Jakiper designed their 48V Server Rack Battery so it can be connected in parallel to an unlimited number of batteries. This means you can build a power storage system as large as you would like with zero restrictions.

Overall, the two batteries are fairly similar, but the Jakiper offers a few extra features. More importantly, you will not have to deal with frustrating supply issues, which is why we think it is a superior option.

BigBattery 48V GRIZ 9.2kWh Lithium Powerwall

If you have significant power storage needs, another option is the BigBattery 48V GRIZ Lithium Powerwall. Essentially, this pre-assembled battery bank offers the same space-saving convenience you would get with rack-mounted battery packs, but everything is already within a self-contained unit.

The BigBattery GRIZ also features the latest LiFePO4 lithium cells and has a massive storage capacity of 9,200Wh or 9.2kWh. This means it almost offers twice the storage capacity that you would get with either the EG4 or the Jakiper. Given that the whole system can be purchased for under $4,000, this represents excellent value.

For added convenience, the BigBattery GRIZ sits on pre-installed wheels, so you can easily move it to where it is needed. It can also be connected in parallel with up to 8 other GRIZ Powerwalls. Like the Jakiper, it also features a built-in LCD display screen, so you can easily monitor your battery system without having to connect it to a laptop.

It also features pre-installed Anderson connections, which means it can be connected to a power inverter, charge controller, and additional batteries in minutes. We really like that you can easily connect two of the BigBattery GRIZ Powerwalls and build an 18+kWh 48V battery bank, without taking up much space or having to worry about a lengthy or complicated installation process. For comparison, the popular Tesla Powerwall 2 only offers 13.5kWh worth of storage and it would cost significantly more than two BigBattery GRIZ Powerwalls.

Finally, BigBattery backs the GRIZ with a 10-year warranty. Given that it is also designed and manufactured in the United States, rather than at an off-shore facility, which is the case with the EG4, BigBattery is able to maintain a reliable supply chain, and orders are often fulfilled quickly and without hassle.

Overall, this is another alternative to the EG4 Server Rack Battery that we believe is a superior choice!

Wrapping Up

We hope that this review of the EG4 GyLL Lithium Server Rack Battery has been helpful. Although the battery is packed with features and built to last, we still struggle with how hard it is to actually obtain one. Also, the fact that there is not an LCD screen on the battery becomes inconvenient very quickly!

Even though this is an extremely capable battery, we recommend taking a look somewhere else, as many other options have comparable, or even beat, the specs of this battery. 

For more related topics, check out some of our other articles here at Ecotality!

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