> > We do discuss NiFe (Edison) battery banks with the students in all our > off-grid classes. I would only recommend them (at this time) for > experienced off-grid experts, DIY or professional. I would not touch a NiFe > install with a 10-foot pole for any typical off-grid consulting customer of > ours. > > Be sure to look into the disadvantages of NiFe cell, before plunking down > a bunch of money: > ~extremely low efficiency on both charge and discharge; > ~very expensive; > ~very high self-discharge rate; > ~only source is China (we used to be able to get Hungarian ones, no > longer), we hear of problems with the Chinese cells; > ~non-typical charge cycle performance, and only the Midnite Solar Classic > controller has a setting for NiFe that we know of. Get it wrong, and they > will behave bizarrely and dangerously ; > ~We do not know of any modern inverter/charger that can properly charge > and maintain NiFe cells via a backup generator. > ~ controller / charger settings for NiCad will be CLOSE to correct for NiFe, but not exactly right
> > What is the chance that *MY* next battery bank will be NiFe? (Currently I > am using typical lead-antimony batteries, L-16s) Very high chance, if i can > get a decent deal. But at this time, you had better be an experienced > off-grid expert to want to fiddle with these things. "Turn-key system" is > not in the lexicon right now for off-grid NiFe battery banks. Great old > technology -- but there are a whole lot of darned good reasons it is not > common now. ** > > -- > Dan Fink, > Executive Director; > Otherpower > Buckville Energy Consulting > Buckville Publications LLC > NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education Providers > 970.672.4342 (voicemail) > > > **** > > Anyone know anything about Nickel-Iron Batteries? We sold some many years > ago but our supplier stopped carrying them. I have a client with a fairly > large bank of Hawker industrial batteries; 2100ah @ 48v. He is asking about > replacing them with Ni-Fe as he has heard that they will last virtually > forever, or at least longer than he might. Any thoughts on this? Also, any > suggestions of good suppliers? Thanks.**** > > > > >
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