[RE-wrenches] Trojan RE Series Tech question

Tue Aug 2 17:04:43 PDT 2011

Hi Dave,

Since the battery bank will be standing with little discharge for 8 months, there is no need for daily high voltage. I would recommend a lower voltage daily charge up to about 14 volts for 1 hour. Set the float voltage for 13.2 (per Trojan instructions). I would also set a 30 day equalize charge for 1 hour at 14.8~15 volts. Make sure they do a full and proper equalization cycle before they start this lower voltage regime. 

I would disable the Solar Boost 50 and just use the Outback to maintain the bank. This should keep it healthy without much water loss. 

We have customers in Mexico that leave for 6-8 months in the summer. In addition to this charge method, we install Water Miser caps to minimize water loss. This has been very successful for our off grid customers.

Larry Crutcher
Starlight Solar Power Systems

On Aug 2, 2011, at 2:49 PM, Dave Palumbo wrote:

> 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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