Re: [RE-wrenches] Are Thick Plate Batteries Worth the Price?

All, I've worked with most battery types in 23 years in the trade. There are no easy answers here. We see the unusual T-105 battery bank go 12 years. Conversely we have seen people blow through L-16's in 3 years. I personally have some gigantic (Hoppecke LA's 330lbs each cell) 2v cells in my sh

Re: [RE-wrenches] Are Thick Plate Batteries Worth the Price?

Yes, in old cabin systems, but I would agree that it is rare. I have seen L-16s that lasted 13 years, but that is not common. I wouldn't say that it is typical, on the other hand, I have seen batteries that got killed in just a few years too. I would not tell a customer to expect 25 ye

Re: [RE-wrenches] Are Thick Plate Batteries Worth the Price?

The large batteries as everyone else noted are definitely the way to go on off grid systems. You are strengthening the weakest link. However, consider 2 parallel strings. I no longer consider a single string to be optimum, after having a large pump on a pair of Outback inverters cause low volta

Re: [RE-wrenches] Are Thick Plate Batteries Worth the Price?

HI Nick, I gotta ask have you ever seen a battery last 25 years that wasn't in float and had to do some work, or even 15 years? jay peltz power On Oct 29, 2010, at 5:17 PM, Nick Soleil wrote: > You generally pay for what you get. The industrial 2V cells generally cost > more, but will last a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Are Thick Plate Batteries Worth the Price?

You generally pay for what you get. The industrial 2V cells generally cost more, but will last a lot longer (up to 25 yrs.) I think it depends on the customer's budget, and the long term plans for the property. Nick Soleil Project Manager Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC PO Box

[RE-wrenches] Are Thick Plate Batteries Worth the Price ?

Hey Folks.. Been eying single string thick plate battery configurations.. Opinions? thanks dbDan BrownFoxfire Energy Corp.Renewable Energy Systems(802)-483-2564www.Foxfire-Energy.comNABCEP #092907-44 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Addr

[RE-wrenches] Doing Business in Cleveland and Detroit

Are any installers who could help us with two projects in Cleveland and Detroit? We have an opportunity to install PV and SDHW on a number of single family dwellings in both cities. We are looking to do planning over the next three months and the installations as soon as the weather permits (April?

Re: [RE-wrenches] Power line shading

I have a system with Enphase inverters that has a 1/2" cable crossing 8-10ft above the array. I used the Enphase inverters specifically for isolating that shading, but have seen no noticeable impact on production from the modules being shaded. Dana Dana Brandt Ecotech Energy Systems, LLC www.ecot

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

The PVP 2000 is only 92% efficient. At 04:59 PM 10/29/2010, you wrote: PV Powered. . . Best regards, Mark Dickson, NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer ™ -- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Drake Sent: Fr

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

PV Powered. . . Best regards, Mark Dickson, NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer T _ From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Drake Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 2:41 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wre

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

Enphase is looking a little shaky for the application at this point. Does anyone know of an efficient inverter that would work out well to AC couple with a pair of Outbacks on an 1800 Watt array. The 90% efficiency range is what I've been seeing. The new high frequency SMA inverters look go

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

When I asked Enphase about AC coupling with their product a year ago the answer was a flat NO, so at least it appears they're moving in the right direction... Andrew Truitt NABCEP Certified PV Installer™ (ID# 032407-66) Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting (202) 486-7507 http://www.linkedin.com/pub

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

Indeed an interesting game. However, I am considering Enphase for a large res retrofit which will recieve CSI funding. I am obligated to provide my customer equipment that will be warrantied by the manufacture for 10 years. I have to have certainty NOW that the warranty will be honored in the ap

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

I bet if you don't push the issue, they will cover the warranty. If the inverter is truly failed, I am sure that you won't have an issue. But since they are so reliable, that probably won't happen anyway. However, if you were to install them in an ''off-grid" application, you can't expec

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

Funny, Because I got off the phone with Ehphase customer service the other day and they told me that they would not warranty their inverter in any "off-grid" application. My inquiry was in the context of putting them under the back generator with a isolation switch in a grid-tie with back genera

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase warranties

Hi Drake: I just spoke with Enphase customer service about interconnecting the Enphase to a battery inverters back up load center, and they will not void the warranty for this. They only void the warranty for physically altering the inverters, like changing the connector types. (OOPS, I a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

Hard way, had system that was nearly equal size, it seemed when the DG Inverter exceed the battery by 50% the DG inverter would shut down and do the grid error thing. I THINK I had frequency shift, took a while to figure it out took many emails. If the DG inverter did not exceed half I was fin

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

This is for an on grid system that would AC couple when the grid goes down. Would that still void the warranty? At 11:46 AM 10/29/2010, you wrote: Drake - fyi: you will void the warranty on the Enphase inverters. Andrew Truitt Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting 202 486-7507

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

Hi Darryl, Interesting you mention is 50% rule. Is this true for all bi-directional inverters? And curious how you found out? hard way or via engineer? thanks, jay On Oct 29, 2010, at 9:18 AM, Darryl Thayer wrote: > The Morningstar relay driver can exercize an AC laod to take the heaver load

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

The Morningstar relay driver can exercize an AC laod to take the heaver loads from the inverter by controlling AC loads as Jay mentions. BTW this works well but becareful to have the battery system inverter larger than the direct grid inverter otherwise the battery inverter will shut down the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

Don't forget that you can use a AC load as well for an AC coupled system. jay peltz power On Oct 28, 2010, at 8:25 PM, Kent Osterberg wrote: > Howie, > > In an ac coupled system with Outback inverters you could use a diversion > controller such as a Morningstar Tristar 60 on the dc side. Tha

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

Drake - fyi: you will void the warranty on the Enphase inverters. Andrew Truitt Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting 202 486-7507 http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713 Please excuse brevity and typos - this message was typed on tiny keys. On Oct 29, 2010 7:42 AM, "Drake" wrote: Gre

Re: [RE-wrenches] Charge Control in AC coupled system

Greetings Wrenches, I want to AC couple 8 Enphase M190s to a pair of Outback inverters, stacked in split phase. The use of micro inverters could allow for great method of controlling charge to the batteries. A morning Star Relay Driver could be employed to disconnect one or more inverters at