[RE-wrenches] Trojan RE Series Tech question

Dave Palumbo dave at independentpowerllc.com
Tue Aug 2 14:49:36 PDT 2011


Our go to guy at Trojan, Ron Parades, is evidently gone. That's what they
said at his old phone extension at Trojan. I left a message for tech support
there and have not heard back as of yet.

 

Is there another Trojan Tech person to  specifically ask for now? And is
there one on this list helping out as Ron did previously?

 

I have a question on the Trojan RE Series charging voltage settings. I know
the specific gravity is lower on this series and the bulk charge voltage is
correspondingly lower than the old L-16's.

 

I have an off grid system for a remote home where the client is only there
from June through October. He has 1,560 Watts of solar and a new battery
bank rated at 2,220 AH at 12 volts (12 L-16 RE-2V batteries). 

That is a charge rate in the C/20 range. The homeowner uses the system
reasonable hard when they are there but during the winter the load is only
15AH per day for a low voltage security system.

 

He has previously serviced his Rolls CH-375's (1,400AH with 450 Watts of PV
on that system, about a C/33 rate) in October before leaving for 7 months
and has not had a problem with the battery electrolyte boiling off too much
over that time period. He got 10 years out of the Rolls batteries using it
in this way. The charge voltage for that system was 14.6  through a Solar
Boost 50.

 

The new system will have 1,110 Watts charging through a Out Back FM 80
alongside the original array on the Solar Boost for the total of 1,560 Watts
of PV.

 

I am thinking of charging at 14.6 Bulk with a two hour absorption time
period in the summer  and then changing it for the 7 month period when the
system is lightly used. 

 

My question is, how low should I set the two charge controllers for
winter/spring use to minimize water consumption? I'm thinking of 14.2 or
14.3 Volts, with a reduced absorption time of one hour. 

And what should the float voltage setting be? The batteries are in a
basement that is kept at about 55 degrees. There is temperature compensation
on the battery charging.

 

Thank you,

 

David Palumbo

Independent Power LLC 

462 Solar Way Drive

Hyde Park, VT 05655

www.independentpowerllc.com 

NABCEP Certified PV Installer

Vermont Solar Partner

23 Years Experience, (802) 888-7194 

 

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