[RE-wrenches] 24 vs. 48

[Kent Osterberg]

Mark,

The first step has to be to choose a battery system that stores the 
right amount of energy for the job to be done.  If it is a 24-volt 
battery system, it'll have twice as many amp hours as a 48-volt system. 
The fact that the 24-volt inverter has twice the charger rating means 
the charge rate (C/X) that the batteries see is the same either way. 
Considering that lots of parallel strings of batteries is trouble 
waiting to happen and that a 48-volt system is more efficient, except 
for the smallest systems 48-volts is usually the way to go.

Kent Osterberg
Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
www.bluemountainsolar.com
t: 541-568-4882


On 1/17/2012 9:20 AM, Mark Frye wrote:
> OK,
>
> But let's assume only one string, how important is it to develop a higher
> bulk charge current?
>
> Mark Frye
> Berkeley Solar Electric Systems
> 303 Redbud Way
> Nevada City,  CA 95959
> (530) 401-8024
> www.berkeleysolar.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Kent
> Osterberg
> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 9:16 AM
> To: RE-wrenches
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] 24 vs. 48
>
> Mark,
>
> A 24-volt inverter may produce twice as much charging current as a 48-volt
> inverter with the same power rating, but if you are putting batteries in
> parallel, the individual batteries get the same charging current either way.
> In the case of four parallel strings of four L16 batteries, a 100-amp
> 24-volt charge puts about 25 amps (if you are careful with the wiring and
> the batteries aren't sulfated) into each string of batteries. A 50-amp
> 48-volt charger would accomplish the same thing.
>
> Kent Osterberg
> Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
> www.bluemountainsolar.com
> t: 541-568-4882
>
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