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high</title></head><body>
<div>Hi Roy,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Hi temperatures will hit the battery capacity but will the
battery efficiency be that much affected? If the battery
capacity is inadequate then you need to compare the aircon running
cost to the cost of buying a 10% larger battery. Don't
you?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Cheers</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Hugh</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Bob is correct, I do have an off grid
client that uses an AC unit to keep the batteries cool.<br>
Although we're not in a high temp climate, it does get into the 80's
and low 90's here<br>
in the summer.<br>
<br>
By my calculations, he was losing an 'average' of 10% storage capacity
during the 5 month<br>
period from late spring to early fall. In July and August it was
closer to 18%, but for calculation<br>
purposes, 10% is close enough. His bank capacity is 4800AH @ 48 VDC.
That's 230,400 watt hours<br>
and 10% of that rounds out to 23,000 watt hours lost to heat.<br>
<br>
I showed up one day to check something in the power shed and was
dismayed to see a window<br>
AC unit installed there. An interesting customer discussion ensued and
I had to admit he was<br>
correct in his calculations.<br>
<br>
The Energy Star rated AC unit consumes no more than 3,000 watt hours
per day, even in the<br>
highest heat. Essentially, he's 'spending" 3 kilowatt hours to
'buy back' 20 kilowatt hours of<br>
storage. He got me on that one!<br>
<br>
That reasoning didn't work on the 6 other AC units that appeared on
his house the following<br>
week. But that's another story altogether!</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><tt>Roy Butler<br>
NABCEP Certified Solar PV InstallerŪ<br>
NYSERDA eligible PV & wind installer<br>
PA Sunshine Program Approved PV Installer<br>
Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC<br>
8902 Route 46<br>
Arkport, NY 14807<br>
607-324-9747<br>
<br>
</tt><a
href="http://www.four-winds-energy.com"><tt>www.four-winds-energy.com</tt
></a><tt><br>
<br>
Although no trees were killed in the sending of this message,<br>
a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.<br>
<br>
<span
></span> </tt></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
On 4/22/2011 7:40 AM, bob ellison wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Calibri" size="+1"
color="#000000">I believe Roy has a customer with a huge battery bank
that air conditioned the battery room. He ran the numbers and the air
conditioning actually made sense.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Calibri" size="+1"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Calibri" size="+1"
color="#000000">Bob Ellison</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Calibri" size="+1"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Tahoma"
size="-1"><b>From:</b></font> <a
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org"><font
face="Tahoma"
size="-1">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</font></a><font
face="Tahoma" size="-1"> [</font><a
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org"><font
face="Tahoma"
size="-1">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</font></a><font
face="Tahoma" size="-1">]<b> On Behalf Of</b> R Ray Walters<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 21, 2011 4:50 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Air conditioning for batteies in
high temperature climate</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Times New Roman"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman">Are you
using temperature compensation? It lowers the voltage when its
hot.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman">Also, have
you considered setting the batteries in a below ground vault? I've had
good luck with in floor battery boxes.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman">Finally,
AGMs and L16s just don't last very long anyway. AGMs maybe 3 years,
and L16s I've seen die in under 5 years and we get to 15 below
zero.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman">My
suggestion: temp comp, ground vault, HUP or equivalent cycle
life.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Times New Roman"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica" size="-2"
color="#000000">R. Walters</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com"><font
face="Helvetica" size="-2"
color="#000000">ray@solarray.com</font></a><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica" size="-2"
color="#000000">Solar Engineer</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica" size="-2"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica" size="-2"
color="#000000"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica" size="-2"
color="#000000"><br>
<br>
</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Times New Roman"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman">On Apr 21,
2011, at 1:22 PM, Starlight Solar, Larry Crutcher wrote:</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Times New Roman"><br>
<br>
</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Hello
Battery Wrenches,</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica"
size="+1"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Over the
years I have had several battery banks in Baja and
Sonora Mexico fail in just 36 to 48 months. These have been
L16 or 8D AGM or flooded banks, 24 and 48 volt systems. The
charging systems are working properly and
programmed to manufacturer recommended set points and
discharges are rarely over 30% DoD. Some batteries are only
used on weekends, some are discharged daily. I believe what is
affecting the short life is the high temperature they live in for 5
months each year. Temps. can hit 115 F in vented battery rooms. I have
been thinking about a small air conditioner and insulated battery
box to keep the battery at no more than 80 F. There are some
portable units that draw about 600 watts and the run time would be
very little with a highly insulated enclosure. There is ample power to
do this on the home I am changing batteries in now. Has anyone done
this and gained longer battery life?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica"
size="+1"> </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Best
Regards,</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Verdana" size="-1">Larry
Crutcher<br>
</font><a href="http://www.starlightsolar.com/"><font face="Verdana"
size="-1">Starlight Solar Power Systems</font></a><font
face="Verdana" size="-1"><br>
</font><font size="-2"><br>
<font color="#FF0000"><i>powered by </i></font></font><font
size="+1" color="#FF0000"><i><b>S</b></i></font><font size="-1"
color="#FF0000"><i><b>TARLIGHT</b></i></font><br>
</blockquote>
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<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Hugh Piggott<br>
<br>
Scoraig<br>
http://www.scoraigwind.co.uk</div>
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