Stacking AI-W5.1-B battery modules
Tool-free stacking of AI-W5.1-B modules — base, modules and PDU, capacity steps, and what to set at commissioning.
The AI-W5.1-B is designed for tool-free stacking. Each module is 5.12 kWh; a battery-only string (PDU1) takes 1–6 modules (5.12 → 30.72 kWh), the string under the inverter (PDU3) takes 1–5 (to 25.6 kWh), and multiple strings parallel for larger systems.
Assembly order
- Base on the floor — level it; the stack rises from here. The current datasheet lists floor mounting only.
- Battery modules stack on the base, locating onto the inter-module terminals — no power wiring between modules.
- PDU (Power Distribution Unit) goes on top; it carries the power + communication interface to the inverter and the status LEDs. The main system takes a PDU3 with the inverter above it; a battery-only expansion cluster is topped by a PDU1. Neither has a screen — see PDU1 vs PDU3.
Rated IP65 after stacking — the enclosure rating depends on the stack being properly closed up. Don’t leave it part-assembled outdoors.
Capacity steps
| Modules | Nominal energy |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5.12 kWh |
| 2 | 10.24 kWh |
| 3 | 15.36 kWh |
| 4 | 20.48 kWh |
| 5 | 25.6 kWh |
| 6 | 30.72 kWh |
Up to 6 modules in parallel per string (5 in the inverter’s PDU3 string, per Deye’s AU brochure of 28 Aug 2026); multiple strings expand further (the datasheet notes a max of 184 kWh across clusters).
The datasheet gives both figures in one line: “Max. 6 clusters in parallel (36 pcs), Max capacity 184 kWh.” The module count is printed beside the energy figure, and the PDU1 manual’s model table names every configuration from one module (AI-W5.1-B) to thirty-six (AI-W184.3-B) — an eleven-module system is AI-W56.3-B, not an exception. What that ceiling does not tell you is how many modules sit on one inverter: reaching it changes the wiring and the number of inverters. Size the array from the datasheet, then confirm the per-inverter arrangement against that inverter’s manual.
At commissioning
- Modules auto-network — confirm the PDU LEDs show all modules present (five blue SOC segments plus RUN/ALARM/ERROR).
- In DeyeCloud, set the battery type and confirm the module count so SOC/energy reporting is correct.
- Charge/discharge current is 100 A nominal per the datasheet — don’t set the inverter above the battery’s limit.
Full numbers are on the AI-W5.1 product page and in the user manual.
