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Nickel Iron vs. Lead Acid - Off Grid battery debate

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  • Mike90250
    replied
    Originally posted by Sunking View Post
    Mike I understand why, and it sounds justifed as there was no other economical alternative.

    My comments are more aimed at people who are either already connected to the grid, or can be connected economically. It is foolish to go off-grid if you do not have too.

    Only question I would have asked or look into if you were my client at the time is did you check with local contractors and recieve bids to set poles and line to a demarc to meet the POCO? The POCO's do charge very high fees for their crews to set poles, but contractors are much less expensive.
    Contractors would have to purchase poles from PG&E, and then any repairs would be "my" responsiblity. 60Kv transformer on the last pole. It's rigged. I tried to put in underground phone line, but the AT&T spec was for concrete pull boxes that only 2 companies were authorised to build, at about $300 each, every 400', with a 4" condouit. Another rigged system. So now I'm looking to a cell phone 3G modem for the computers

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  • Sunking
    replied
    Originally posted by Mike90250 View Post
    Well, if I invested it, I'd still be living with candles and flashlight. I had 2 choices, be my own power company, or pay another power company, to install poles, and then buy power from them forever. Either way, if the poles don't exist, you will pay dearly. It's the daily nickel and dime that never stops.... But it's very much like a boat, which is a hole in the water that you try to fill up with money.
    Mike I understand why, and it sounds justifed as there was no other economical alternative.

    My comments are more aimed at people who are either already connected to the grid, or can be connected economically. It is foolish to go off-grid if you do not have too.

    Only question I would have asked or look into if you were my client at the time is did you check with local contractors and recieve bids to set poles and line to a demarc to meet the POCO? The POCO's do charge very high fees for their crews to set poles, but contractors are much less expensive.

    Leave a comment:


  • Offgrid
    replied
    Well Sunking,here in South Africa, we pay $189 for 1000kwh,that's HALF of what you get for almost the same price and it's said to increase again.To add insult to injury that load shed all the time and is run by the corrupt.That's why I want to get off grid...while I still can.

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  • Mike90250
    replied
    Originally posted by Sunking View Post
    That is the point I was trying to make Mike. Sorry I used you for an example, but you make an excellent example. Sad part is you are not done paying for it.

    People do not understand the expense and what they are asking for when they say I want to go off-grid. I think I am kidding when I say you will pay 10 to 20 times more for the rest of their lives, all up front in cash, in 5 year increments. I bet you could have put that $100K to better use like invest it and 5 to 10 years retire a millionaire.
    Well, if I invested it, I'd still be living with candles and flashlight. I had 2 choices, be my own power company, or pay another power company, to install poles, and then buy power from them forever. Either way, if the poles don't exist, you will pay dearly. It's the daily nickel and dime that never stops.... But it's very much like a boat, which is a hole in the water that you try to fill up with money.

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  • Sunking
    replied
    Originally posted by Mike90250 View Post
    About this point now, I've spent the 100K the electric co wanted to plant half mile of 65KV poles on my property, and I could now have all the power I want to pay for monthly.
    That is the point I was trying to make Mike. Sorry I used you for an example, but you make an excellent example. Sad part is you are not done paying for it.

    People do not understand the expense and what they are asking for when they say I want to go off-grid. I think I am kidding when I say you will pay 10 to 20 times more for the rest of their lives, all up front in cash, in 5 year increments. I bet you could have put that $100K to better use like invest it and 5 to 10 years retire a millionaire.

    Leave a comment:


  • Naptown
    replied
    Originally posted by Sunking View Post
    Well there is a difference between a hobby and necessity. Granted I know a lot of people who can afford $2000/month or more for a hobby , it pocket change for them. Bu tI am not one of them. Wife maybe, but not me.
    You got you a sugar momma?

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  • Mike90250
    replied
    About this point now, I've spent the 100K the electric co wanted to plant half mile of 65KV poles on my property, and I could now have all the power I want to pay for monthly.

    Leave a comment:


  • Sunking
    replied
    Originally posted by Offgrid View Post
    Sunking,yeah I guess.Solar is ridiculously priced here so I can't afford to tinker with something so expensive on a commercial level.Will just science experiment with one cell for now lol.
    Well there is a difference between a hobby and necessity. Granted I know a lot of people who can afford $2000/month or more for a hobby , it pocket change for them. Bu tI am not one of them. Wife maybe, but not me.

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  • Offgrid
    replied
    Mike thanks for the link and info.I will let you know how it works out.If well then you can get nickel cheap from South Africa since its 7 Rand to a Dollar lol.

    Sunking,yeah I guess.Solar is ridiculously priced here so I can't afford to tinker with something so expensive on a commercial level.Will just science experiment with one cell for now lol.

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  • Sunking
    replied
    Originally posted by Offgrid View Post
    I must say this though and its directed at Mike.Solar is our hobby,work,passion.When you love something,it becomes a little more than about the money so I can understand both views here.
    I understand that but in TX 2000 Kwh cost $200/month. To replace that with solar battery on a 5 year increment cost $2,200/month. Not much of a hobby watching gas bubbles rise to the top in a battery and stick it to the man so to speak. I can play a lot of golf, fish, golf ,and and make a lot of money to do it again on the savings Not too mention leave my kids a fortune.

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  • Mike90250
    replied
    supposedly, the NiFe chemstry pack is not ultra toxic (much less than a bucket of sulferic acid) and diluted, is a fertilizer.
    http://www.qualmega.com/Ni-Fe.html

    Suposedly, you can get into a thermal runaway situation in charging, but I don't have the charging capacity to go there.

    Leave a comment:


  • Offgrid
    replied
    @ Sunking

    Where I live that buys you 2000 Kwh per month (huge luxury home) for 30 years.
    Holy Mackrel!!!!! Considering we use about 1000Kwh a month for a family of 5 and pretty much no power friendly devices. (For now) Thats insane....Sunking,you such a kiljoy but I guess you are practical lol.

    I must say this though and its directed at Mike.Solar is our hobby,work,passion.When you love something,it becomes a little more than about the money so I can understand both views here.

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  • Offgrid
    replied
    lol. Hats off to you Mike.I hate mainstream opinion and Im rooting for your success.In regards to the Nickel...South Africa is one of the major nickel mining countrys so I guess that helps with the pricing since its local.I saw some youtube clips on the making of the NiFe batteries but wouldnt use glass jars,more like getting some large truck battery shells.My concern is the danger.Would this chemistry be more dangerous than a FLA.Ive seen thermal run away in early Lithium and thermal runaway and it scared the living crap out of me.I guess,its a question of making one small scale cell and pushing it to its abuse limits and seeing what happens.

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  • Mike90250
    replied
    Originally posted by Iron Bran View Post
    Mike, it sounds like you may have some vacation coming up. Why not pick up a fun battery book??? =)

    All the best,
    Bran
    Thanks Bran, but I'll still have a 3000 gallon water tank to move 1/4 mile and 600 ' up a hill. And fix the irrigation. And stake the house corners. And a thousand other things. I may even get some sleep. But vacation - no. That's just how I categorize it for my employer.

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  • Sunking
    replied
    Just ask Mike how much money he has invested in his system and you decide? $80K sounds about right Mike?

    Where I live that buys you 2000 Kwh per month (huge luxury home) for 30 years, but you do not have to buy batteries every 5 years. OK maybe 10 or 20 years with Iron batteries at $10K a pop.

    Invest that same money up front and retire in 15 to 20 years a very wealthy person along with your kids.

    Leave a comment:

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