[RE-wrenches] Solar Boost Controller in Senegal

[Darryl Thayer]

Just to add to the battery confusion, I have found the Rolls last longer and behave better is charged slowly.  I have some very fast charging AGMs I have only had on set of gels.  
DT

--- On Tue, 6/30/09, Walt Ratterman <wratterman at sunenergypower.com> wrote:

> From: Walt Ratterman <wratterman at sunenergypower.com>
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Boost Controller in Senegal
> To: "'Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar'" <larry at starlightsolar.com>, "'RE-wrenches'" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 5:19 PM
> 
> 
> 
>  
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> Hello Larry and
> others…. 
> 
>    
> 
> The slow charge rate for the
> Gel’s you mention confuses me
> further.  I had just finished researching this last
> week when I was in Sierra
> Leone, where we were setting up the DEKA 225AH Gel
> batteries on an Outback
> system, and checking the charge rate. 
> 
>    
> 
> I downloaded a charging
> instruction document from DEKA and was
> quite surprised. 
> 
>    
> 
> On the bulk charge rate, Rolls
> recommended 15% of C6. 
> 
> HUP recommends a minimum of 10%
> to a maximum of 20% of C6. 
> 
>    
> 
> But….DEKA recommended,
> for their GELS, “Maintain <= 30A per
> 100AH of C20 Rating.  That’s twice as fast as
> the Rolls!! 
> 
>    
> 
> Maybe I am reading this
> incorrectly. 
> 
>    
> 
> And, in the DEKA’s
> advantages / disadvantages sheet, they list
> quicker charging as one of the GEL’s
> advantages. 
> 
>    
> 
> I can forward any of you this
> DEKA charging sheet if you want,
> but I don’t think it is OK through the list
> serve. 
> 
>    
> 
> Thanks, 
> 
>    
> 
> Walt 
> 
>    
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From: Larry Crutcher,
> Starlight Solar [mailto:larry at starlightsolar.com] 
> 
> Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:37 PM
> 
> To: wratterman at sunenergypower.com; RE-wrenches
> 
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Boost Controller in
> Senegal 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> Hi Walt, 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You are right! Gel batteries will give
> many more cycles than
> AGM's. And they cost more so you you are not getting an
> equivalent value by
> them suppling AGM's.  
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A very big downside to Gel is if you
> accidently over-voltage
> the battery, you can permanently ruin it. I have seen many
> battery banks
> damaged from accidental high voltage charging. For that
> reason, I mostly sell
> AGM (in my market). They also charge slower because of
> the reduced charge
> voltage required. Also they are not quite as efficient as
> AGM so it takes more
> power/time to fully recharge.  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On the plus side, an AGM battery can
> be equalized if needed
> but never a Gel battery. Hope this helps. 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Kindest Regards, 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Larry Crutcher 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Starlight Solar 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (928) 941-1660 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Renewable Energy Products,
> Service and Installation 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mailing Address (NO
> SHIPPING): 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 11881 S Fortuna Rd. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> #210 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yuma, AZ 85367 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shipping and retail store (NO
> MAIL): 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2998 Shari Ave  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yuma, AZ 85365 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
>    
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Jun 30, 2009, at 2:43 PM, Walt
> Ratterman wrote: 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hello, 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Why do you say that AGM
> batteries are a better choice? 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have been reading about the
> differences, and all I see
> (comparing DEKA Gel versus DEKA AGM is that the cycle life
> of the AGM (at 50%
> DOD) is 500 cycles versus 1000 cycles for the
> Gel. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The AGM seems to have better
> resistance to freezing, but of
> course that is not a concern here. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What are the benefits of AGM
> that I am missing here?  (This
> could be important, because I was going to jump all over
> the fabricator for
> shipping AGM when the literature quotes GEL, and I was
> thinking GEL would have
> been a better choice.  Maybe they were trying to right
> think, but I would
> need to be educated more here… 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks!! 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Walt 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From: Wind-sun.com
> [mailto:windsun at wind-sun.com] 
> 
> Sent: Tuesday, June 30,
> 2009 7:30 AM
> 
> To: wratterman at sunenergypower.com;
> RE-wrenches
> 
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches]
> Solar Boost Controller in Senegal 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The AGM batteries are probably a
> better choice than gelled, but
> the fact that some are down to 5 volts is the real
> problem. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A typical AGM will lose around
> 1-2% charge per month at 25 degrees
> C. If they are at 5 volts, that indicates that they either
> sat around for over
> a year unused and uncharged, and possibly in a very high
> temperature
> environment. The 2nd possibility is that there is some kind
> of constant load on
> them, even when the units are not turned on - which would
> be poor design. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Midnite controller is not
> available yet, so your only real
> choices with the panels you have are the Outback FM60 or
> the Xantrex XW-SCC -
> both of them are in the $600 range. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ..................................................................................................
> 
> Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun
> Since 1979
> 
> Solar Discussion Forum: http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/
> 
> .................................................................................................. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version
> of virus signature
> database 4193 (20090626) __________
> 
> 
> 
> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.eset.com 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
> 
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
> 
> Options & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
> 
> Check out participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
> 
>