HUP VS Rolls [RE-wrenches]

[James Surrette]

Good morning All,
 
I've recently been forwarded this discussion string from numerous individuals and have happily been accepted to weight in.  
 
Firstly, like all manufactures, we are not error free and I am sure when our batteries have failed it has been at the least opportune time.  However, it appears that the major concerns that have been addressed are not related to cell failure, etc but;
 
1. Charge acceptance / ability to recharge
2.  Long-term performance concerns
 
I noticed one comparison in particular of a bank of older L-16 to a new bank of S-530, which is a high capacity (400AH @ 20hr) L-16.  If the old bank of batteries was originally ~325AH (20hr) and had cycled to 80% of original capacity (which is common), then the bank at replacement is sitting at or near 260AH.  Jumping to 400AH is a 35% increase in total capacity.  Now, I've only been in the battery business for 14 years, which is much less than the majority of installers, but one item I have learned is the client will always use the energy that is provided....regardless of their ability to recharge.  So, now the generator is run for the same time as always and the bank is only charged to ~80% - or deficit cycled.  If this is repeated often enough - say 3-4 months at ~ 70F, you'll get sulfation - regardless of the manufacture (assuming flooded lead-acid) and voltage will rise quickly and acceptance will drop.  I am not saying that I am 100% certain this occurred in this instance but I've witnessed this in the past.
 
With regards to our battery's characteristics in general, there are a few things that we are known for;
 
i) Think plate manufacturer (0.165" - 0.180" pasted positives in an L-16, 0.265" - 0.290" on Series 5000)
ii) Dense active material, i.e. oxide (we paste at 78-80 cube weight - 78g{paste}/cu inch)
 
When these two characteristics are combined, you yield good cycle life, good (true) capacity but, as a result of the density, you will have higher resistance (than a less dense product) and this is a function of the electrochemical reaction.  When charging from renewables, this is not an issue as systems are seldom capable of pushing the bank to maximum acceptance (which will approach ~ 20% of capacity).  However, when charging off a generator / grid you may notice lower acceptance... when trying to quickly "boost" when operating at the lower end of the voltage settings.  This is why we recommend getting the bank to 100% SOC once every thirty days - even if it requires a monthly equalization charge.   We do not require a C/5 charge per week to maintain warranty but I can not stress enough the importance of reaching 100% SOC every 30 days...for our product or any other flooded lead acid.  
 
With regards to voltage settings we promote the "60-Day" watering cycle rule of thumb.  Batteries in the RE market generally suffer from death by undercharging not overcharging, so set the voltage settings on the aggressive side and cut back if the client needs to add water more than every 60 days.  
 
With regards to reliability, of course the installers input / experience is golden.  From the factory perspective, we've supplied batteries to >1000 systems per annum for the past 12 years with less than 1% failure.  Unfortunately, like all commodities, lead is threw the roof and, like all batteries, ours are more expensive than they were a year ago .
 
We are happy to even to be in the comparison with suppliers like General (HUP), East Penn (Deka), Trojan, etc as these are world class products that operate on a global scale and we are proud to compete in the RE Market with them.  Not sure if this long winded narrative is of assistance but if I can answer more specific questions, please let me know.
 
Regards,
 
Jamie
 
 
  
 
 
James Surrette

Surrette Battery Co. Ltd
1 Station Rd.
Springhill, NS, CAN
B0M 1X0

Direct: 902.597.4027
Fax: 902.597.8447

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