[RE-wrenches] Surrette L-16 battereis

tom at wagonmaker.com tom at wagonmaker.com
Tue Dec 15 11:34:02 PST 2015


Dan,

That problem of no AC at remote sites while waiting for replacement 
batteries is why I always recommend at least two strings paralleled 
through a buss bar rather than across terminals.  That way if one 
battery or cell fails in one series string you can very easily remove 
the string from the buss without any AC downtime at all.  It reduces 
capacity but that's far better than no AC at all for a month.  It's also 
my firm belief that it extends battery life with that configuration.

I understand the thinking that drives the push to single string 
installations but as someone who has lived off-grid for years in the 
past redundancy was more important to me than the alleged "ease" of a 
single string.

Tom


On 2015-12-15 11:04, Dan Fink wrote:
> While I also advocate single strings and minimizing parallel strings
> when off the grid, single strings have one big problem, especially in
> more remote areas and especially with 6 volt batteries - 1-4 weeks
> downtime of the whole AC side of the  system while waiting for a
> replacement battery and trying to receive and then deliver and install
> it. During a blizzard, as always, of course. (got a doozy going on in
> Colorado right here right now).
> 
> If there's a parallel string available, it's quick to rewire and
> bypass a string with a bad battery in it temporarily . And if they are
> 2v cells and only one has failed, some quick inverter / charger / PV
> controller reprogramming and bypassing that cell can quickly make a
> functionable  22v /46v  battery bank that will get your client by
> until a replacement 2v cell arrives. Won't work on 12v, 10v is too low
> for most every modern piece of equipment except DC loads.
> 
> Dan Fink
> Adjunct Professor, Ecotech Institute
> IREC Certified Instructor™ for: 
> ~ PV Installation Professional
> ~ Small Wind Installer
> Executive Director, Buckville Energy
> NABCEP Accredited Continuing Education Providers™
> 970.672.4342 [11]
>  
> 
> On Tue, Dec 15, 2015 at 11:08 AM, Howie Michaelson
> <howie at suncatchervt.com> wrote:
> 
>> While I have no experience with HUP, I do have many years of 
>> experience with Rolls/Surrette.  They are a robust battery, and in my 
>> opinion superior to Trojan and other mid-line flavors. I am not as 
>> adamant about staying away from L16s as Allan, although I'd 
>> whole-heartedly agree with keeping to one string wherever possible, 
>> and 2 at most.
>> 
>> Of course, going to the 2-volt batteries almost always allows for 
>> single strings, and give you a much more robust battery, and are often 
>> the right choice even for budget conscious clients.  However, they are 
>> a much larger investment and take a much more robust charging system.  
>> Sometimes it makes sense to start a new off-gridder on a set of less 
>> expensive "training" batteries, depending on your assessment of their 
>> learning curve, motivation, and budget.
>> 
>> As with all batteries, there are occasional cell failures, likely 
>> attributable to manu defects.  But I've found with Rolls, this is less 
>> common (except with the T12250 12-volt batteries which I have seen a 
>> significant failure rate over with the years).  And I have never had 
>> trouble getting batteries covered under warranty from them if I 
>> determine that the failure was not likely operator error.  But this is 
>> probably dependent upon having a good, trusting relationship with ones 
>> supplier, which I've always had with RAE Battery.
>> Howie
>> 
>> HOWIE MICHAELSON
>> _NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™_
>> Sun Catcher, LLC
>> Renewable Energy Systems Sales and Service
>> VT Solar Electric Incentive Partner
>> 802-272-0004 [10]
>> 
>> On Tue, Dec 15, 2015 at 12:37 PM, Allan Sindelar 
>> <allan at sindelarsolar.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Drake,
>>> Your request is missing specifics so my answer can only be generic. 
>>> Get away from all L16s. Go to one string of industrial cells. There 
>>> are numerous well-respected brands. I would put HUPs at about the 
>>> top. www.hupsolarone.com [8]. Spend some time on this website and it 
>>> will become more clear.
>>> Allan
>>> 
>>> ALLAN SINDELAR
>>> allan at sindelarsolar.com
>>> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>>> NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
>>> New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
>>> Founder (Retired), Positive Energy, Inc.
>>> 505 780-2738 [9] CELL
>>> 
>>>  
>>> On 12/15/2015 9:07 AM, Drake wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Hello Wrenches,
>>>> 
>>>> Even after my clients have learned to maintain their batteries 
>>>> properly, the Trojan L-16 batteries continue to crater, one cell at 
>>>> a time. One client is considering spending $12,000 on a nickel - 
>>>> iron battery bank he found on the web. This seems like a 
>>>> ridiculously large investment, but he is feeling desperate. We 
>>>> urgently need another option from the Trojan L-16s.
>>>> 
>>>> How are the Surrette L-16s holding up? Would you recommend them as 
>>>> worth the extra investment? 
>>>> 
>>>> What is the best battery to use in an off grid system these days.
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> 
>>>> Drake
>>>> 
>>>> Drake Chamberlin
>>>> Athens Electric LLC
>>>> OH License 44810
>>>> CO License 3773
>>>> NABCEP Certified Solar PV
>>>> 740-448-7328 [5]
>>>> http://athens-electric.com/ [6]
>>>> 
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