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32kWh LiFePO4 DIY Battery Build with EVE 628Ah Cells: 90-Minute Build Walkthrough

By OffGrid Masterplan | April 2026 | Filed under: Battery Guides

Most DIY solar jobs I've seen are modest affairs, just a few hundred amp-hours or a few kilowatt-hours to run a small cabin or supplement a grid-connected home, but Will Prowse's latest project is not modest. He assembled a 32kWh lithium battery bank using 16 EVE MB56 51.2V 628Ah cells in a configuration he completed in approximately 90 minutes on camera. The result is a serious energy storage system capable of running an entire property off-grid for extended periods.

Check Specs Before Assuming Limits

Cells landed from Yixiang Power, slapped together with a 200A BMS until Will in the video caught the actual limit was 300A, not the 200A he'd first thought. That correction was an honest moment and proves the value of checking specs instead of just assuming them.

Spec Breakdown: What 32kWh Actually Means

The rated capacity of this bank is 32kWh at 51.2V nominal. To put that in practical terms for an Australian off-grid context:

• A typical medium household consumes 20 to 30kWh per day. This bank could supply that load for more than a full day on a single charge.
• At a 300A BMS limit and 51.2V, the continuous discharge power is around 15.3kW. Peak surge capacity above that is available for short periods.
• The cells themselves are rated for deep cycle use, making them suitable for daily cycling in an off-grid solar application.

If you've got a big block, a heavy baseload, or need three-phase power, a 32kWh bank like this gives you enough buffer to ride out a few cloudy days without firing up the backup generator.

The Build Process: 90 Minutes to a 32kWh Battery

I've been wiring solar, batteries and sheds in central QLD for twenty-two years, so seeing Will stack and wire those cells, install the BMS, and have the whole 32kWh LiFePO4 pack ready for testing with EVE 628Ah cells in under two hours hit hard. Most of us lose days on smaller setups, but the secret is simple: plan it all first. You must nail down cell arrangement, busbar sizing, BMS connections and enclosure layout before you touch a single cell.

The timecodes in the video are useful navigation:

• 0:00 — Intro
• 0:29 — Build process (starts quickly)
• 2:10 — First capacity test
• 3:36 — Battery cart charging an EV (a practical real-world use case)
• 5:26 — Incident (note: Will mentions a foot injury during the build, a reminder that battery packs are heavy and safety precautions matter)
• 8:17 — 200A max load test

Capacity Testing and Real-World Results

That capacity test is the only bit that matters on a big DIY build. Will ran a controlled discharge to see if the pack actually delivers the amp-hours it claims versus the spec sheet. Those results give you a hard figure to work with when planning your solar setup, and they also confirm whether the BMS is actually doing its job throughout the discharge.

The real test is whether Will can actually charge his EV with this battery. That is a proper use for a big off-grid bank: a high-capacity setup capable of giving an electric vehicle a meaningful top-up is worth its weight in gold on a remote property where you can't plug into the grid.

Sizing a Solar Array to Charge a 32kWh Bank

Recharging the Bank

Spent twenty-two years wiring solar, batteries and sheds out here in central QLD, so I know this: to refill a 32kWh LiFePO4 bank, you need a solar array that can actually do the job. You have to replace 32kWh plus losses every single day. In summer right here in Australia, a well-oriented array of 10 to 15kW peak capacity will realistically deliver 40 to 60kWh per day in good conditions. In winter in southern Australia, that same array might produce 15 to 25kWh per day.

Sizing For Multi-Day Winter Buffer

With 32kWh of storage, you've got a multi-day buffer so winter production isn't an immediate crisis like it is with a small system. The sizing principle stays the same: aim to replenish the bank fully over a typical run of good-weather days, not just the single sunniest day of the year.

The Solar Panel Sizing Calculator will help you work through the numbers for your specific location and orientation. The Off-Grid Solar Calculator ties together the battery, solar array, and daily consumption into a complete system model.

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Final Thoughts

Build Overview

Will Prowse's 32kWh build is one of the most impressive DIY battery videos available and it serves as a useful reference for anyone planning a large off-grid storage system. The fact that it was completed in 90 minutes on camera is a testament to the value of thorough pre-planning.

I bumped the BMS rating from 200A to 300A in the build notes because you need to check your component specs yourself instead of trusting the listing or your first guess. A BMS that can't handle your actual load is a safety hazard.

Size Your Battery And Inverter

If you are sizing a large off-grid system, this build is worth watching as a reference point for what a serious storage system looks like. Use the Battery Sizing Calculator to determine whether you need this much capacity or whether a smaller bank would suit your situation, and the Inverter Size Calculator to make sure your inverter can handle the loads you plan to run.

Video and content courtesy of Will Prowse / DIY Solar Power. OffGrid Masterplan is an independent review platform. We have not been compensated for this content.