The Battery Thread (Solar / Inverter)

[Tinuva]

You'd be surprised, modern building standards are lax, hardly any residential garages have ceilings, and those that do have no insulation. Sun beats down on the IBR and it becomes very hot, not quite oven temperature, but hot enough to decrease the life of batteries and electronics (as well as other stored items). There is also inadequate ventilation, some around the main garage doors, but nothing high on the roof.

Good thing my garage has a ceiling then with insulation

 

[Neuk_]

How hot was the warehouse where the LA batteries are stored?

I can't give a Deg C reading but I didn't notice it being hot at all.

 

[RonSwanson]

Good thing my garage has a ceiling then with insulation

Probably built during apartheid

 

[Tinuva]

Probably built during apartheid

Naw this house was built 95 so literally after.

 

[RonSwanson]

Naw this house was built 95 so literally after.

still one of the good ones then.
"Boil the frog slowly "*

*My own emphasis added on the slow part.

 

[johnjm]

I can't give a Deg C reading but I didn't notice it being hot at all.

I monitor the temps on my batteries and I have a smart temp control in the garage where my batteries and kit are.

Ok hot summer days it does hit 32 especially when a hot car or two are parked in it as well. On those days I let the air flow from the top garage door that can open independently and then open a sliding door on the other side of the garage. 2 degrees.

I dont find these temps damaging to kit at all to be honest. 40+ sure it can’t be good but it’s never become that high.

 

[Neuk_]

I monitor the temps on my batteries and I have a smart temp control in the garage where my batteries and kit are.

Ok hot summer days it does hit 32 especially when a hot car or two are parked in it as well. On those days I let the air flow from the top garage door that can open independently and then open a sliding door on the other side of the garage. 2 degrees.

I dont find these temps damaging to kit at all to be honest. 40+ sure it can’t be good but it’s never become that high.

I want to do something similar with our small garage, battery temperature is already monitored and our ESS controller will take appropriate action if battery temperature gets too high. Luckily it doesn't get too hot in our small garage despite it having a tin roof, it was built in '49 from what we can tell so was built properly, and the side door to it is open on a daily basis to help with temperatures.

 

[The_Traveller]

I don’t monitor my battery temp daily, but every now and then I do go through the VRM remote console and always find the temp sitting at either at 30 or 31. Never higher or lower than this.

 

[Neuk_]

I don’t monitor my battery temp daily, but every now and then I do go through the VRM remote console and always find the temp sitting at either at 30 or 31. Never higher or lower than this.

What batteries do you have? Our LA's sit in the mid 20's regularly.

 

[The_Traveller]

What batteries do you have? Our LA's sit in the mid 20's regularly.

I’ve got a 8 x Us3000B sitting in my garage together with everything else above it on the wall.

 

[Neuk_]

I’ve got a 8 x Us3000B sitting in my garage together with everything else above it on the wall.

Capacity for days, for us at least based on our consumption, I am looking forward to going LiFePo when the LA's die.

 

[wingnut771]

I’ve got a 8 x Us3000B sitting in my garage together with everything else above it on the wall.

Have you checked this?

 

[AchmatK]

I’ve got a 8 x Us3000B sitting in my garage together with everything else above it on the wall.

3 x US3000B battery temperature for yesterday.

 

[The_Traveller]

Have you checked this?

Yeah a week or two after install I started understanding this and with many questions to Jaco.

Good to understand these things, thanks for the video

 

[Neuk_]

We have been load shed from 14:00, our domestic put our dishwasher on and I thought it would be fine as there is plenty sun and the batteries to boost any shortfall but it is hot today and our inverter got a little hot and shut itself down for a few minutes Good to know the safety features work well though.

 

[johnjm]

We have been load shed from 14:00, our domestic put our dishwasher on and I thought it would be fine as there is plenty sun and the batteries to boost any shortfall but it is hot today and our inverter got a little hot and shut itself down for a few minutes Good to know the safety features work well though.

We were loadshed yesterday from 2pm to 4pm. My system with pap batteries worked fine, but they are so bad that when the power draw is high the voltage drops so badly even the MPPT struggles to fill the gap.

Really need to order new batteries, we have lodshedding tonight at 10pm so it’s pointless even trying to use the batteries. Bah.

 

[Neuk_]

We were loadshed yesterday from 2pm to 4pm. My system with pap batteries worked fine, but they are so bad that when the power draw is high the voltage drops so badly even the MPPT struggles to fill the gap.

Really need to order new batteries, we have lodshedding tonight at 10pm so it’s pointless even trying to use the batteries. Bah.

We are being load shed today again from 14:00 - 16:30 and 22:00 - 00:30 so I'll limit load and monitor the inverter.

Are you able to use LiFePo batteries with your inverter?

 

[johnjm]

We are being load shed today again from 14:00 - 16:30 and 22:00 - 00:30 so I'll limit load and monitor the inverter.

Are you able to use LiFePo batteries with your inverter?

Yeah I can use lithium, the specs for the blue novas will would perfectly with mine.

I just find the R9k each so 18k for 24v over the top when even 2x LA at R5k total would actually meet my needs.

If I had a 12v system I’d do it, but having to get two for series is really a grudge

 

[Neuk_]

Yeah I can use lithium, the specs for the blue novas will would perfectly with mine.

I just find the R9k each so 18k for 24v over the top when even 2x LA at R5k total would actually meet my needs.

If I had a 12v system I’d do it, but having to get two for series is really a grudge

I am not sure what your future plans are but I would suggest LiFePo, they are initially more expensive but their usability and life span make them cheaper in the long run. We could have spent a little more than we spent on the four LA's for a LiFePo, gotten far more use out of the LiFePo and added more as and when we could whereas we sit now waiting for the LA's to die before we can do anything.

 

[TheChamp]

Yeah I can use lithium, the specs for the blue novas will would perfectly with mine.

I just find the R9k each so 18k for 24v over the top when even 2x LA at R5k total would actually meet my needs.

If I had a 12v system I’d do it, but having to get two for series is really a grudge

I am in the same boat as you, I've been strongly considering very dodgy brands since I am too much of a chance, I just want to have a meaningful discussion on how bad can they really be compared to lead acid, whose price does not seem to be coming down.

Not too far off from lead acid in pricing.

Hoselect 100AH 12Volt LiFePo4 Battery

Hoselect 100AH 12.8Volt LiFePo4 Battery (10003445) Dimensions: 37cm (w) x 33cm (d) x 14cm (h) Weight: 22.8KG

www.electromannsa.com