Also, besides being able to lift Battleborn 12v batteries myself, which is definitely a big advantage, is there any reason, if/when expanding my battery system, to not use 48v batteries like SOK or E4G server racks? I could get 4 of those for ~20kwh for around $5k rather than 16 Battle Born 12v for likely double...
Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher, and A/C!?
- Thread starter DrZ123
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Anyone have an opinion on this? Thanks!
Kenny_
Solar Wizard
Haven't read every word of above posts, but...I'd be very concerned about those exposed 'buss bars' and all that battery power. Very dangerous and likely not anywhere near code (not that that is a big deal to me, but safety IS!).
Hey so I'm taking over this system as a new homeowner and a complete noob to this. Which areas should I cover for safety? Thx
Kenny_
Solar Wizard
timselectric
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No problem at all.
I'll get some plastic boxes or something to cover those.
Any cons to getting the 48v ones?
timselectric
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It's the better option.
I never recommend putting BMS controlled batteries in series. As you will learn, they will require balancing from time to time.
As recommended earlier in this thread, I am going to get battery balancers for them. I assume I need 4 balancers for each 4 block of batteries correct? I don't need a balancer for the 4 balancers do I?
How about this for a washer dryer combo?Runs off of 120v. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/ge-pro...cb261291fc081d5c53e07642754536fb&gclsrc=3p.ds
timselectric
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Correct
no
Only for the series batteries.
Parallel takes care of themselves.
That's a pretty cool concept. I had kind of settled on a Propane dryer as to not strain my solar setup, since I do have other items that need electric that will be added.
Any advantage of this over propane besides being more "off grid" and cleaner?
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Cost - propane dryers are expensive, electric are cheap.
Safety - volatile gases leak more easily than electricity it seems.
Delivery - propane needs to be delivered, photons come to your door on their own?
Safety - volatile gases leak more easily than electricity it seems.
Delivery - propane needs to be delivered, photons come to your door on their own?
No venting required, run during day to take advantage of solar, less expensive then propane. Heat pump technology for drying. Uses 15 amp cuircut breaker so must not pull that much power. You need to look at propane prices. It aint cheap. My wifes family uses propane to heat the farmhouse. Averaging about $300 a month. That was before Bidenomics.
Thi
This is for a summer, second home used almost exclusively on weekends. Figure 20-30 loads of laundry a year. My concern is more running out of battery capacity than the cost of propane, which I can't see being that much when only being used for the dryer, stove, and possibly hot water heater. Maybe I'm mistaken?
I could be wrong, ive been wrong a couple million times before, but I think in the long run you would be better off putting in more solar and using an induction cooktop, a washer/dryer combo like the one I showed you, and maybe 2-3 seperate mini splits. Its not just the cost of propane. It's also the delivery cost. I'm not sure how to do it but I would research how much propane each unit uses then multiply that by how often you plan on using it. Multiply that times per gallon rate of propane. Let us know what figure you come up with.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Those battleborn 12 volt batteries are worth good money to people that really like them, you might want to consider setting yourself up with 48 volt rack batteries and then selling your battleborns. I used to be blase about mixing different battery types but I have learned in my setup that they don't always play well together. It's not the battery cells themselves but the BMS'S.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Or re-use them in a mobile cart?
One of the reasons the current owner said he used the 12volt ones is for easy transport. The home is on an island only accessible by small boat and then the house is up about 50 feet of stairs and dirt path. He did the install himself and wanted flexability to move the system himself if need be.
I also would like that flexibility, but the 48V racks do seem much simpler and economical.
I was think to add an additional 2k w of solar and maybe 2-4 48V rack batteries, with an added inverter, but keep everything I have already. To start disassembling the system and selling pieces, considering the location, would be very difficult.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
There are 24v 48v server rack batteries that are lower Ah - I believe I have seen 25Ah and 50Ah models - these would be considerably lighter (each) and can still be set parallel to achieve the total storage you need.
I also haven't read all of the posts in this thread, but here's a little story about why I just switched a propane dryer out to electric.
We have two houses on our property, which is on an island in a lake in Maine, with 1/3-mile of waterfront. We live in one house, and my wife satisfies her "inn keeper fantasies", as I like to tease her, by renting out the other house to vacationers during the summer months, a week or two at a time. Well, the propane dryer in that guest house died suddenly, and after looking at the timing and cost of parts replacement it made sense to just buy a new dryer. Guests seem to like clean, dry clothes... I called up the local appliance store and they could have either a propane or an electric ready in about an hour for me (we've done a lot of business with them). But, they couldn't install the gas dryer - the propane company had to do that.
OK, I figured, I know those guys. The office is less than 10 minutes away, and all they need to do is swap out the connection. But noooooo.... The office told me it would be 2.5 weeks before they could get someone out to do that. WHAT??? I'm on the fire department, and we call in propane companies all the time to make quick repairs, so why on earth would it take that long? Well, it turns out that anything dealing with appliance installs goes to the bottom of their priority list, and no amount of reasoning would change the scheduler's mind. So, OK, I said - I need to REMOVE a propane appliance and have the line shut down. How long will THAT take to get scheduled? No joke, but she said, "We'll be there this morning." I was floored at this level of stupidity, but fine by me - removal it became.
So, I jumped in my truck, went to town, picked up everything needed to install a new sub panel (box was full), AND the new ELECTRIC dryer. I followed the propane guy in to our property as I returned. After explaining the situation, he just shook his head at the stupidity of the schedulers and told me that yes, changing out the dryer would actually take less time than shutting down and removing the line to it. But I now had an electric dryer on the truck, so that horse had left the barn. He also said I was the 3rd or 4th person he'd seen do this in the last month or so, for the same reason - they needed an appliance replaced NOW, not weeks from now, so electric it became. I asked if they realized that they were loosing customers like crazy because of this policy. He said he wasn't sure management was smart enough to realize it. Anyway, he shut down and removed the line, capped it back where it teed off to the other appliances, and I installed a new sub panel and dryer. Guests were back in business by the time they got back from their day's fun-in-the-sun.
So... the moral of the story is that I can and will do almost anything related to electricity, but I can't and won't do almost anything related to propane. I've had to help clean up the mess after a propane explosion at a home, and it's a long way from pretty, I can assure you. So, I've probably purchased my last propane appliance, except for a backup generator. It's all electric for my future. Bring on more panels and batteries, folks. I know how to work on those, and I don't have to wait weeks for someone else to do an emergency repair.
We have two houses on our property, which is on an island in a lake in Maine, with 1/3-mile of waterfront. We live in one house, and my wife satisfies her "inn keeper fantasies", as I like to tease her, by renting out the other house to vacationers during the summer months, a week or two at a time. Well, the propane dryer in that guest house died suddenly, and after looking at the timing and cost of parts replacement it made sense to just buy a new dryer. Guests seem to like clean, dry clothes... I called up the local appliance store and they could have either a propane or an electric ready in about an hour for me (we've done a lot of business with them). But, they couldn't install the gas dryer - the propane company had to do that.
OK, I figured, I know those guys. The office is less than 10 minutes away, and all they need to do is swap out the connection. But noooooo.... The office told me it would be 2.5 weeks before they could get someone out to do that. WHAT??? I'm on the fire department, and we call in propane companies all the time to make quick repairs, so why on earth would it take that long? Well, it turns out that anything dealing with appliance installs goes to the bottom of their priority list, and no amount of reasoning would change the scheduler's mind. So, OK, I said - I need to REMOVE a propane appliance and have the line shut down. How long will THAT take to get scheduled? No joke, but she said, "We'll be there this morning." I was floored at this level of stupidity, but fine by me - removal it became.
So, I jumped in my truck, went to town, picked up everything needed to install a new sub panel (box was full), AND the new ELECTRIC dryer. I followed the propane guy in to our property as I returned. After explaining the situation, he just shook his head at the stupidity of the schedulers and told me that yes, changing out the dryer would actually take less time than shutting down and removing the line to it. But I now had an electric dryer on the truck, so that horse had left the barn. He also said I was the 3rd or 4th person he'd seen do this in the last month or so, for the same reason - they needed an appliance replaced NOW, not weeks from now, so electric it became. I asked if they realized that they were loosing customers like crazy because of this policy. He said he wasn't sure management was smart enough to realize it. Anyway, he shut down and removed the line, capped it back where it teed off to the other appliances, and I installed a new sub panel and dryer. Guests were back in business by the time they got back from their day's fun-in-the-sun.
So... the moral of the story is that I can and will do almost anything related to electricity, but I can't and won't do almost anything related to propane. I've had to help clean up the mess after a propane explosion at a home, and it's a long way from pretty, I can assure you. So, I've probably purchased my last propane appliance, except for a backup generator. It's all electric for my future. Bring on more panels and batteries, folks. I know how to work on those, and I don't have to wait weeks for someone else to do an emergency repair.
timselectric
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Diy your own batteries.
Cheaper and definitely lighter. Carrying one cell each time.
Cheaper and definitely lighter. Carrying one cell each time.
Well that is what is there now, right? The 12v 100ah Battleborns set in in 48V configuration. But at $700 a pop when you can get a 48V like the EG4 100ah for $1500, doesnt that mean the Battleborns are double the price?
timselectric
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No
Those are pre made 12v batteries put in series.
I'm referring to building your own batteries.
Like this.
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