[RE-wrenches] Battery cell shorting

[Dan Fink]

Wrenches, Nathan, Ray;

I'm also seeing a big red flag on battery connections and possible 
corrosion.

No info was provided on system battery bank voltage ( I am assuming 24v, 
from the SW inverter model number), or how the battery bank is 
configured as far as series vs. parallel.

With series/parallel hookups, entire blocks of the battery bank (not 
just ends of individual series strings) can be fatally compromised by a 
single bad connection, which may not even be the fault of the 
installer...though the installer should be watching for problems, which 
can creep up very slowly.

This seems to be a good example to promote battery maintenance contracts 
with system owners. In an off-grid situation, the battery bill for a 
simple 8 x L16 battery bank is usually over $30 per month, amortised 
over the life of the battery bank. Easily $60/month for a big system 
with 16 x L16s.

Why not tack on a bit, with some regular site visits to check? Your 
off-grid customer is already paying monthly for battery backup, it's up 
to *you* to educate them to the point that they know they *are* paying a 
monthly "battery bill," even if you are doing your job to the 101% level.

DAN FINK
Buckville Energy Consulting
http://www.buckville.com/