diy solar

diy solar

LiFePO4 heating pad for cold temperatures

I like the hard case, a beoch to clear off and difficult to put together(tiny pieces) but good.
Still have not wired mine up, need the battery, clock is ticking....
Just not hard wired for this stuff, not current enough...
 
Hi. I just installed my solution to this problem up here at 78 degrees north, inspired by lots of info on this forum.

Four 15w heatpads under a 4mm aluminium plate controlled by two XH-W3001 temp controllers kept my 8 LF280ks between 7-14 degrees celsius
(43-56 F) in a temperature of -15 to -18 C (5 to 0 degrees F).
5 days in theese conditions "cost" 60 Ah of the 560 Ah pack (2p4s) according to the victron smartshunt.
The battery box consists of 3/4"plywood lined with 2" of XPS styrofoam.

When my solar energy returns during March, it will contain itself. For now it should manage on its own just fine, as I am on-site atleast every 14 days. I recharge by a generator during our pitch black months.

I have a GSM monitor which will text me if I reach my set limits for temp and voltage.

JBD 200A 4s BMS with display.
 

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Hi. I just installed my solution to this problem up here at 78 degrees north, inspired by lots of info on this forum.

Four 15w heatpads under a 4mm aluminium plate controlled by two XH-W3001 temp controllers kept my 8 LF280ks between 7-14 degrees celsius
(43-56 F) in a temperature of -15 to -18 C (5 to 0 degrees F).
5 days in theese conditions "cost" 60 Ah of the 560 Ah pack (2p4s) according to the victron smartshunt.
The battery box consists of 3/4"plywood lined with 2" of XPS styrofoam.

When my solar energy returns during March, it will contain itself. For now it should manage on its own just fine, as I am on-site atleast every 14 days. I recharge by a generator during our pitch black months.

I have a GSM monitor which will text me if I reach my set limits for temp and voltage.

JBD 200A 4s BMS with display.
welcome, solar bear!

thank you for sharing,

neat application of aluminum heat spreader! taking notes for future building.. ?
 
*is in west usa*

it's.. like.. dark? every day!?

during november-december the lack of sunlight here felt very intense!
 
Yeah, darkness from November to late Febuary, then som twilight, and on the 8th of March we should be able to spot the sun in the south.
Then it turns very quick the other way, as we have midnight sun from 20th of April until 22nd of August, solar power 24/7!
Yikes. I'm pretty sure I'm subject to SAD (Seasonally Affective Disorder). I get grumpy here in Colorado when the sun comes up after 7 and goes down before 5. I don't think I could manage it up there.
 
Well, Norway is a long country from south to north, and I am on an island (Svalbard) north of the Norwegian mainland, so its not quite that bad in the rest of the country.

Red star on the picture marks my island
 

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-14 C today, so quite nice. The darkness is still here 100%, so looking forward to March! Do you have much sunlight down at 63°?

Not a lot. Mostly twilight with maybe an hour or two of sun at the horizon, but it's getting better every day. We've had (and still have) a ton of snow though, so most of the times what little sun there would be was hidden behind clouds. We had a very long cold streak with -20C and below for most of December and early January, but we've seen the first positive temperatures (+3C) on a couple of datys these last two weeks due to Föhn wind.
 
Presently, lithium batteries, which out perform flooded lead acid and AGM lead acid in so many ways, cannot be charged below 32 degrees and apparently should not even be stored below zero degrees. I guess if you need low temp tolerant batteries, go with AGM. Ayuh.
Here on Boston I store my electric motorcycle in an outdoor shed during the winter months at 50% SoC. Never had a problem. Same battery behavior during riding season for three years now. Storing below freezing is not an issue. But charging is.
 
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