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MSEE, PE -
Ha, you guys really dont like it, I was just using it to make it clearly defined what I was saying against what I was quoting is all.
The more I read the more I see conflicting opinions and for someone like me who is brand new to all this its become more confusing than clarifying which is one of the reasons for salesmen I guess
Ok, perhaps I should broaden my questions a little. So as I said I am going to build a living space in a 12 meter refrigerated semi trailer and I have a site in mind but I have to negotiate with owners more before I can be sure it will happen. I have to plan for the fact I dont know where I will put it hence my desire to go off grid, then I can pretty much put it anywhere. Also if I get the solar set up first we can use the power for out tools for the build.
So apparently my assumptions about how long it takes to charge AGM to 100% against lithium are wrong, so this comes down more to the type of AGM and the chargers capability to provide enough power to a large bank of AGM's?
Even if I do decide to go AGM I definitely want a charger/Inverter capable of Lipo for down the track, as I see prices dropping hugely in the next few years with what Tesla is doing.
I have a friend who works at Tindo Solar, they make aussie made panels that are tested to give a true 250 watts of power with enough light and say that a lot of imported panels can sometimes be only 80% or 90% of capacity of what they claim, Tindo also say theirs are more efficient under high temps because most imported panels are made for much cooler climates. However Tindo panels are more expensive, about 300 au per 250watt panel. I can get something that 'seems' comparable on ebay for 250au per panel. If I bought say 12 panels thats a 600au saving, I could just buy 2 more panels which would more than make up for Tindo's more efficient panels, is this sound thinking?
If you guys have some reading/video material that would give a beginner a head start it would really be appreciated, as Im afraid of boring this forum to death with my 101 newbie question that will likely follow
...... perhaps Im down to 98 by now!
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Living off grid is not as simple as saying I use X Kwh per month on grid so what do I need to supply that with off grid solar.
For off grid you need to consider when you will use that power.
If you want to use an air con, washing machine, clothes dryer etc at night then your system will need to be huge or run a genset a lot.
If you want to use a welder then you need a genset to suit.
If you are home all day you can take advantage of the sun, when we are both working full time we burn a lot more diesel to do washing etc at night.
So as well as a realistic energy audit that I think was suggested earlier you need to get your head around the fact that off grid is a lifestyle, not just a different place to get electricity from.Comment
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It's all relative and scalable. That charge has been levied against me elsewhere, from those who have no intention of EVER looking into lifepo4. At least we are on the field, apples-to-apples (one is just bigger than the other!) It is almost as if in the Pb world, that a guy with a flooded battery on a bench top is irrelevant unless he starts out with a 10Kw bank of Rolls-Surrettes as his first project.
True enough, but the worth is far more than mere upfront cost, or weight, even in a fixed installation. It has to do with operational freedom.The cost is 3 times as much as FLA, so unless you have a weight issue or storing them inside they do not seem to be worth it.
No sulfation, so no need to keep or desire them to be fully charged.
PSOC operations are not only totally possible, but from a lifecycle standpoint, encouraged!
Ability to walk away from them in a discharged state and return a year or more later at nearly the same SOC. (no parasitic draws of course)
So IF that operational freedom is important and represents a big break from maintaining a lead-acid based project badly, this could be a major turning point for many.
A bench-top project or Golf-Cart provides the hands-on that is so important, but the biggest thing about it is that unlike mere talk, experience even at the small level, breaks the so-called "lead-acid" operational mentality and prepares you for the bigger stuff should one want to go there.
Put it this way - I'd first trust the guy with a bench top flooded, rather than a guy whose only experience is with AA flashlights merely *talking* about wet-cells.
Anyway, all of this is old news and has been hashed to death since 2008 or so in most forums. I think many are just burned out of repeating the same thing over and over, or more likely, going lifepo4 has turned the corner into being a commodity product. If you want it, it is easy to get these days.Comment
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Howdy, I think PNJ is right this thread feels like it needs to either be deleted or turned into a sticky, ?It's all relative and scalable. That charge has been levied against me elsewhere, from those who have no intention of EVER looking into lifepo4. At least we are on the field, apples-to-apples (one is just bigger than the other!) It is almost as if in the Pb world, that a guy with a flooded battery on a bench top is irrelevant unless he starts out with a 10Kw bank of Rolls-Surrettes as his first project.
True enough, but the worth is far more than mere upfront cost, or weight, even in a fixed installation. It has to do with operational freedom.
No sulfation, so no need to keep or desire them to be fully charged.
PSOC operations are not only totally possible, but from a lifecycle standpoint, encouraged!
Ability to walk away from them in a discharged state and return a year or more later at nearly the same SOC. (no parasitic draws of course)
So IF that operational freedom is important and represents a big break from maintaining a lead-acid based project badly, this could be a major turning point for many.
A bench-top project or Golf-Cart provides the hands-on that is so important, but the biggest thing about it is that unlike mere talk, experience even at the small level, breaks the so-called "lead-acid" operational mentality and prepares you for the bigger stuff should one want to go there.
Put it this way - I'd first trust the guy with a bench top flooded, rather than a guy whose only experience is with AA flashlights merely *talking* about wet-cells.
Anyway, all of this is old news and has been hashed to death since 2008 or so in most forums. I think many are just burned out of repeating the same thing over and over, or more likely, going lifepo4 has turned the corner into being a commodity product. If you want it, it is easy to get these days.Comment
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It would be fairly obvious that if you don't have a PV Solar System using LiFePo4 batteries, then there should be no opinion since the poster doesn't have a functioning system to give a qualified answer on what components he could use.
Ripping my post apart in Quotes and name calling still doesn't answer his question.Comment
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There are many reasons why your opinion regarding the opinion of others is incorrect. Let's start with the opinion of those who purchased a system from an "expert". Any time they have a problem they call the expert. Nothing wrong with that, they paid for it. But do they know anything? They do have a functioning system, don't they? But they have one data point and not necessarily a deep or broad understanding of the subject.
Next take someone who is widely read and has made batteries and solar their hobby and passion. This sort of inquisitive endeavor has no bounds. A person like this can learn more about solar in a few months than a person who has a system learns in their lifetime.
As for whether or not someone can answer the question of the OP, there were not enough specifics given to answer the question even if it was about Flooded Lead Acid batteries. The only thing specific was the "sales" pitch with "I have a friend who works at Tindo Solar" !
Thanks for listening to my opinion
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Please answer his question. Your post is all well and good, but it is way off the original OP's post that was answered.
Originally Posted by jedics View Post
I noticed there isnt much of people posting what components they are actually using in their system here, is that because moderators dont want the site turning into a sales place?Comment
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I was not addressing the OP, I was addressing you (and indirectly commenting on his lack of enough information to answer the question).
Did you miss that part
LI is way over my head at the moment, and I am not afraid to admit that. But I am interested in learning and participating in all aspects of battery and solar technology.Comment
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Well in the first place the OP "solarnoobie" has not posted since 10-18-2012 so I doubt even providing an answer to his question would matter.
As for the later post from "jedics", his question concerned the lack of a parts list from an "existing working system" that used LiFePO4 batteries.
While I agree having "hands on" "real life" experience concerning technology is a better way to learn and understand what you are dealing with. Sometimes using that technology in a controlled environment (like a lab or test system) does provide useful data that is very accurate.
So asking only those that have first hand "real life" experience with a certain technology to provide data would be limiting all the positive data that might be gotten from other sources.
The original OP is long gone and this thread has more argumentative posts then useful data. So maybe it is time to close it or at least start a new one with up to date hardware data.Comment
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The Moderator has spoken, meanwhile back at the ranch I have 8, 260 amp hr LiFepo4 batteries ( $2,500 ) cycling everyday for the last 11 months. I have yet to see the Value in them vs other batteries. I'll let you guess why the other members that have them won't post in here, but I have been labeled as a " Hack " so what do I know.Comment
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