Lifepo4 and inverter high temperatures? And how to deal with it in a shed

[ericfx1984]

I know for the low temperature on the battery at least you can go pretty low just don't freeze the batteries

I imagine the rules are pretty similar on the inverter but it can probably tolerate some freezing

But I'm more concerned about is high temperatures

What is the practical maximum operating temperature for the inverter and the battery

I guess the next question would be how do I deal with extremely high temperatures, my battery is an inverters are in a shed that is insulated but not very well.. can I just do a vent fan to pull off some of the heat or should I add a small window ac? Thank you

 

[LydMekk]

Small AC would be my suggestion.
Try to keep the room at no higher than 25c.
Both inverter and batteries will thank you.

 

[SplitUniverse]

Ideally you want a "conditioned space" for the inverters and LiFePo4 batteries, especially since some inverters will actually draw the air over the electronics. Some inverters actually have the compartment with the electronics boards sealed up and only circulate air over the heatsinks that are on the outside of that compartment.
As long as you can stand to spend some length of time in the shed then the temperature is not a very large concern, on the Solark 15K for example, the fan starts at 50C and stops once the heatsink temperature drops to 45C, that's not a temperature any of us would enjoy for any length of time.
Regular air exchange from outside should provide more than enough cooling capacity for the units.
If you have a unit that draws air over the circuit boards themselves I would be more concerned with the dust and other crap in the air than the temperature itself.

 

[SouthernSolar]

The temperature range is in the specs of your inverter. Typically around 55 c or 130 f.

If your shed is ventilated it should stay near ambient temperature

 

[OM617YOTA]

I tried ventilating my solar trailer with fans. Obviously that only got the trailer down to ambient, but I wanted my equipment kept cooler. Ultimately went with a window AC and should have just done that from the beginning. Cost about the same, keeps the equipment much happier, and even burns less power than the fans. Make sure you get an AC with an eco mode, not running the fan continuously.

 

[Bluedog225]

Get some 2 inch polyiso foam off craigslist. Is it work with. And often very cheap.

Build a box. Insulated. If it’s a tiny box, just big enough to hold your stuff, stick the cheapest window unit you can find and keep the insides at 72.

I insulated my shipping container. Got a portable air conditioner with a dual hose. Solar has no trouble keeping up with the demand. Everything stays nice and cool all summer long even when it’s 105 outside.

 

[kc130up]

A small 9K BTU mini split is my vote (something with pre-charged lines.) Cheap, easy to install, and with enough cooling to overcome any insulation issues.

 

[ericfx1984]

A small 9K BTU mini split is my vote (something with pre-charged lines.) Cheap, easy to install, and with enough cooling to overcome any insulation issues.

Yeah I considered that.. I've installed quite a few of those here locally I run a small handyman business and I do a lot of off-grid solar installs, welding, and mini split installs

 

[kc130up]

I made the mistake of buying a 6K BTU floor AC for my 16x10 shed and it struggles to keep the temp below 80 at high noon.

I need to sell it on FBM and get the 9K mini split!

 

[outboard1196]

I know for the low temperature on the battery at least you can go pretty low just don't freeze the batteries

I imagine the rules are pretty similar on the inverter but it can probably tolerate some freezing

But I'm more concerned about is high temperatures

What is the practical maximum operating temperature for the inverter and the battery

I guess the next question would be how do I deal with extremely high temperatures, my battery is an inverters are in a shed that is insulated but not very well.. can I just do a vent fan to pull off some of the heat or should I add a small window ac? Thank you

How big are your batteries?

 

[ericfx1984]

How big are your batteries?

They are both 16s, one of them is 280 amp hours the other one is 304 amp hours

 

[ericfx1984]

I made the mistake of buying a 6K BTU floor AC for my 16x10 shed and it struggles to keep the temp below 80 at high noon.

I need to sell it on FBM and get the 9K mini split!

Quick question... Is this a single hose unit or a dual hose unit? If it's a single hose unit I'm not surprised.. if it's a dual hose unit then something is wrong.. you can modify your single hose unit to have a second hose so that it will pull fresh air from outside and pass that over everything that it's trying to cool and then pass the heated air outside so that you are not essentially taking your cold air jumping it into the air conditioner and then pushing it outside creating a negative air pressure which draws cold air from outside into your inside environment

I've got one unit that was a dual hose from the factory.. and then I have two other units that are not dual hose, but I was able to 3D print an adapter and then you can either screw it in place or bolt it in place or what I chose to do was plastic weld it in place.. from there you should cover the exhaust with an insulating blanket.. they sell the blankets for about $15 a piece

 

[kc130up]

I got a budget Vissani from Home depot rated for 350Sqft. It has a single hose.

The shed leaks like a sunken ship. Its not insulated, or airtight by anymeans.

My plan right now (before i but the mini split) is to see if I can vent the hot air from the "attic" using 2X 14" fans. There are 12" vents on either side, which made a difference, but its still 110F in the attic. The ground level is only 90, but its still hot...haha.

 

[ericfx1984]

Well the leaks are not good.. but not being insulated is a big deal insulate the shed and convert the air conditioning unit to dual hose.. if you do this you will be supremely happy with the results

 

[GA_Solar]

I've had batts and inverter, charger, in a shed for the last 7 years, running lead acid batts. I'm in the process of upgrading. I just insulated the shed. Foam board cut to fit in the framing 2x4's. The a foil wrap on top of that. Put a small window unit a/c in there, on a timer.

 

[ericfx1984]

Well I got mine installed a couple days ago... It's a $5 000 BTU window unit.. it's an older GE unit with a power save mode.. I popped it in power save set the digital dial to 78 Fahrenheit in 24 hours it used just over 3 KW hours a little bit more than I would like.. but honestly it takes quite a bit of energy to cool that place down when you consider all the heat producing items

 

[werepuppy]

80F in the shed is ok if you just want to run the batteries safely. For working inside the shed cooler is nice .

I don't know how big your build is but Batteryhookup has a custom made shed for bigger systems. Probably overkill for almost everyone here.

New XL Weatherproof Insulated Outdoor Battery Cabinet With Heat/AC

If you fill this cabinet with 3.2v 280ah lifepo4 cells you can fit 7 rows, each with 48 cells in 12x4 configuration, and have 300kWh of battery storage. Of course you can fill this with any type of battery you want and that will determine how many kWh you can fit inside. These genuine...

batteryhookup.com

 

[kc130up]

That is nice. I wonder if it qualifies for free shipping.

 

[werepuppy]

Nice, what is it?

 

[GA_Solar]

The

Well I got mine installed a couple days ago... It's a $5 000 BTU window unit.. it's an older GE unit with a power save mode.. I popped it in power save set the digital dial to 78 Fahrenheit in 24 hours it used just over 3 KW hours a little bit more than I would like.. but honestly it takes quite a bit of energy to cool that place down when you consider all the heat producing items

The data sheet on your batts will give you working temp range, longer life temp range, storage temp range. My a/c is set warmer, and only runs 10a-7p or so, uses little power. Batts stay well in the healthy temp ranges.

 

[shanethomasau]

I know for the low temperature on the battery at least you can go pretty low just don't freeze the batteries

I imagine the rules are pretty similar on the inverter but it can probably tolerate some freezing

But I'm more concerned about is high temperatures

What is the practical maximum operating temperature for the inverter and the battery

I guess the next question would be how do I deal with extremely high temperatures, my battery is an inverters are in a shed that is insulated but not very well.. can I just do a vent fan to pull off some of the heat or should I add a small window ac? Thank you

I,m living in the tropical Philippines my well ventilated and insulated shed is typically at 34C 93.2 F during day. My cheap Chinese battery's and inverters have worked well over the last year to keep me offgrid. 10mm foam insulation, foil both sides with air gap under metal roof. Ideally you paint roof and sides with heat reflective white paint. Some inverters manage heat better than others with fan selection and air path around electronics. My 6kw all in one inverter has no heat issues. LCD shows solar and inverters temps at 40 to 50C depending on loads.

 

[OM617YOTA]

I'll add, learn from my mistake. Even if you're not planning on actively cooling your solar enclosure in the beginning, design it to be insulated anyway in case you change your mind later.

Wishing I'd at least added insulation panels behind the breaker box, battery box, and inverter board while building. Instead I'm using a case of spray foam and attaching extension tubes to the foam dispenser nozzles to get foam all the way behind panels and fill gaps entirely. Not ideal, but better than having to take everything apart.