[RE-wrenches] Winter Battery Maintenance

Sun May 1 23:41:35 EDT 2016

Larry,

             When you say "customers ruin the batteries" are they=20
sulphating to death or electrolyte getting too low or?  And your sure=20
its due to the lack of...cycling? watering? proper charging? during the=20
prolonged periods or just poor care overall.

Thanks for a bit more insight.

Bill

Feather River Solar Electric
Bill Battagin, Owner
4291 Nelson St.
Taylorsville, CA 95983
530.284.7849
CA Lic 874049
www.frenergy.net

On 5/1/2016 9:54 AM, Starlight Solar Power Systems wrote:
> Seasonal use is a very frequent application that we design for in=20
> Mexico and Canada. Usually the seasonal residence sets for 6 months or=20
> longer. We have tried several methods of preserving flooded battery=20
> life including water-miser caps, short absorb times, no absorb time, 2=20
> stage charge with the CV below gassing point and battery additives.=20
>  Even so, more than half of our Mexico customers ruin batteries in 3-5=20
> years due to prolonged periods without maintenance. The northern=20
> customers fair much better.
>
> AGM=E2=80=99s perform much better than flooded but Lithium batteries are =
the=20
> best for long term non-use. You can simply discharge the battery to=20
> 50% then turn off the battery and walk away. When you return in 6-7=20
> months, you will find it at the same SoC as when you left. For long=20
> term seasonal storage, that is all I recommend anymore.
>
> Larry Crutcher
> Starlight Solar Power Systems
>
>
>
> On Apr 30, 2016, at 12:54 PM, Dana <dana at solarwork.com=20
> <mailto:dana at solarwork.com>> wrote:
>
> I have yet to see any FLA battery that can go 4-5 months without=20
> service. Typically a FLA needs an increased voltage to attain the same=20
> full charge rating at low temps, but you still require watering. I=20
> have clients with shut down houses and no load situations, we back off=20
> the Absorb set point voltage, & time at full & they still require=20
> watering.
> This thread started with =E2=80=9C? I don't think the friend will be savv=
y=20
> enough to disconnect/connect them every year and I don't feel like=20
> having to go out there every season for them.=E2=80=9D
> Based on this statement would you still recommend FAL batteries? I=20
> have clients with AGMS that are partial year residents & their AGMS=20
> are at 8-10 years and still doing the job. That said some clients even=20
> full time occupants cannot water & test the SG on a FLA to save their=20
> life (or sustain the batteries life).
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---
> Dana Orzel
> Great Solar Works, Inc -  NABCEP # 051112-136
> E - *dana at solarwork.com <mailto:dana at solarwork.com>* - Web -=20
> solarwork.com <http://solarwork.com>
> O - 970.626.5253  C - *208.721.7003*
> "Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"
>
> *P*Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
> *From:*RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org]=20
> *On Behalf Of *Starlight Solar Power Systems
> *Sent:* Saturday, April 30, 2016 1:28 PM
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Winter Battery Maintenance
> I agree with Todd and Bob, leave the PV solar on, EQ off.
> I also instruct my customers to reduce the absorb timer to 0.1 hours.=20
> Since the battery is staying full, there is no need to spend time=20
> above cell gassing point which will increase water loss.
>
> Larry
>
> On Apr 30, 2016, at 10:28 AM, RE Ellison <reellison at gmail.com=20
> <mailto:reellison at gmail.com>> wrote:
> Everything mentioned so far works well however, if you're using a=20
> charge controller with an auto equalize function.
> Turn it off!
> I had a friend who has left his system over the winter for years with=20
> no issues and he shut his inverters off one year got back to the=20
> batteries being boiled dry
> After a lot of looking I figured out that it had gone into auto=20
> equalize and since the available sunshine per day was so low that it=20
> just kept trying all winter long to equalize the batteries
> There was a battery replacement in his future relatively quickly!
> It was an expensive lesson and I have since gone to all of the systems=20
> similar to that that I have installed over the years and shut off the=20
> auto equalize
> It's not an issue if somebody's around but they were gone for like=20
> five months and it was not a good outcome
> This particular system had three charge controllers,
> A combination of MX 60 and FM 60s I believe
> Just my thoughts,
> Bob ellison
>
>
> On Apr 30, 2016, at 12:43 PM, toddcory at finestplanet.com=20
> <mailto:toddcory at finestplanet.com> wrote:
>
>> i built a system for a friend's seasonal (summer) off-grid residence=20
>> in alaska.
>>
>> my instructions were simple:
>> leave the pv input & cc output breakers "on" and the load breakers=20
>> (inverter, dc sunfrost etc) "off".
>>
>> there was never a problem with winter freezing (even at -40f) until=20
>> one year when he accidently left the inverter's breaker on. even with=20
>> no load, the inverter's idle current drained the batteries and they=20
>> froze. he only made that mistake once.
>>
>> todd
>>
>> On Saturday, April 30, 2016 8:13am, "Solar" <dahlsolar at gmail.com=20
>> <mailto:dahlsolar at gmail.com>> said:
>>
>> > I do systems like this every year. (-45F winter temps). Use quick conn=
ects and
>> > train the customer on the batteries and their maintenance. Find=20
>> bats with freeze
>> > points that match your area. I typically mount the modules at=20
>> 90degree so snow
>> > never covers the array/module.
>> >
>> > I always recommend removal. I've thought about temp controlled=20
>> incandescent lamp
>> > with a timer in a battery box for really cold nights.... Haven't=20
>> got around to
>> > working through that design.
>> >
>> > I'm interested in the real seasoned off-grid installers thoughts=20
>> about this.
>> >
>> > Jesse Dahl
>> >
>> > NABCEP PV Installation Professional
>> > IBEW Local 292 - Electrician
>> > Electrical/Solar PV Instructor - HCC
>> >
>> > Sent from my iPhone
>> >
>> > > On Apr 30, 2016, at 9:07 AM, AE Solar=20
>> <autonomousenergies at gmail.com <mailto:autonomousenergies at gmail.com>>
>> > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Hey Wrenchers,
>> > >
>> > > A friend wants a very small battery set up at hunting cabin (like=20
>> under 1kW).
>> > It will only be used in the warmer months. I'm wondering what you=20
>> all recommend
>> > for the batteries over the winter. I assume the ideal situation=20
>> would be that they
>> > would be disconnected and brought somewhere warm for the winter=20
>> (the cabin will be
>> > subject to below freezing temps)??
>> > >
>> > > So long as they go into the colder months with a full charge is=20
>> it alright to
>> > leave them hooked up? I don't think the friend will be savvy enough to
>> > disconnect/connect them every year and I don't feel like having to=20
>> go out there
>> > every season for them.
>> > >
>> > > Thanks for any thoughts.
>> > > Adam
>> > >
>> > > Adam Katzman
>> > > Autonomous Energies
>> > >
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--=20
Feather River Solar Electric
Bill Battagin, Owner
4291 Nelson St.
Taylorsville, CA 95983
530.284.7849
CA Lic 874049
www.frenergy.net

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