[RE-wrenches] cycling flooded batteries is not necessary

[boB at midnitesolar.com]

On 2/19/2012 6:04 PM, Maverick Brown [Maverick Solar] wrote:
> Other than some statements I have heard about battery reaching full 
> capacity after X cycles... Maybe that is a wives-tale as well.


Right....   Not cycling like that associated with the memory effect of 
nicad batteries, but reaching full capacity after some
time in service is what I had heard from Jamie Surrette.  Can't remember 
exactly why but may have been from some plate forming.

boB



> Otherwise, maybe I was not clear. By cycling, I mean daily (or 
> periodic) Absorbas I mentioned in the email, not loading/draining the 
> battery (other than the clear statement to test to see if the 
> system actually works as a backup systemevery once in a while).No real 
> deep draining necessary. For instance, after some months without 
> issue, one customer called in a panic because the electricity did go 
> off one night and they had no backup. Turns out, somehow they turned 
> off the "Inverter" function. Easy solution, press a few buttons, etc. 
> to turn on the inverter.
> Maybe all I need is a Time function attached to Selling, like the 
> Charge function has on some brands. Who knows.
> It is clear that FLAs have a self discharge and some percent of 
> capacity is obtained during Absorb, so a long term Float only might 
> reduce some of the batteries capacity.
> Anyway, Outback does have the "Absorb before Sell" function when using 
> the FN-DC in the system. Not sure about the newer version of hardware. 
> The "Parameters Met" settings gave me fits until I figured it out. 
> Plus, the FN-DC is not free.
> The XW has a function for Absorb before/during sell. I think it 
> requires a XW CC. We use every brand of CC appropriate for the site. 
> Also, the setup instructions are weird in my mind since it requires 
> the Grid Support Voltage to programmed to very high value. I wish they 
> would just have added the function "Enhanced Interactive Mode = 
> Enable", etc.
> Ok, enough rambling...
> Maverick
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org 
> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of 
> *toddcory at finestplanet.com
> *Sent:* Saturday, February 18, 2012 3:37 PM
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] cycling flooded batteries is not necessary
>
> to reiterate wrenches:
>
> two battery manufacturers (surrette & trojan) have both stated there 
> is NO NEED to cycle floating, flooded lead-antimony batteries. i have 
> heard this urban legend for some time and it is nice to finally have 
> it put to rest as an incorrect myth.
>
> todd
>
> On Saturday, February 18, 2012 7:04am, "Doug Wells" 
> <dwells at thesolarspecialists.com> said:
>
> > Maverick,
> >
> > "But you would think after 20 years, inverter manufacturers would 
> make some
> > software similar to generator cycling to handle this cycling issue. "
> >
> > I believe that the XW Inverters have this ability in sell mode. There is
> > traditional sell voltage. And then there is a setting that puts the 
> batteries
> > through a traditional bulk cycle while still "selling" back any 
> excess energy.
> > The next question would be, is this better for battery longevity. 
> Seems like a
> > hybrid of the two would be ideal.
> >
> > Doug Wells
> > The Solar Specialists
> > Morrisville, VT 05661
> > (p) 802-223-7014
> > (c) 802-498-5856
> > www.thesolarspecialists.com
> >
> > _________________________
>

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