MEGAWATT 60-AMP INTRODUCTION
To be available starting the last week in January. $110.00
Forum Discussion
Hi Reed,
Excellent information. Unfortunately I need a bank that can survive -40. As you pointed out I would not get much in the way of wattage from the solar, especially during a day where the sun is only up for 8 hours. There is no shore power where I needs must store for the winter. I could, in theory, super insulate the container for the LI and use a heat source--but I really believe it is not yet practical.
I did receive information from one of the 12 volt LI makers and they suggested that I must have heaters in the storage area for the conditions where I live.
Excellent information. Unfortunately I need a bank that can survive -40. As you pointed out I would not get much in the way of wattage from the solar, especially during a day where the sun is only up for 8 hours. There is no shore power where I needs must store for the winter. I could, in theory, super insulate the container for the LI and use a heat source--but I really believe it is not yet practical.
I did receive information from one of the 12 volt LI makers and they suggested that I must have heaters in the storage area for the conditions where I live.
reed cundiff wrote:
Pianotuna - someone at Escapees Forum has had LFP installed by AM-Solar. He was asked to bring it back to have electric heaters installed under the battery bank to keep it above 0C. My wife uses a heating pad for her back (we are 74) and it only uses 50 to 60 W so we are good for several days (9.6 kW-hr battery bank). A heating "blanket" of similar wattage would probably be sufficient to keep the bank above freezing. Others claim that LFP will not be damaged if the charge rate is below C/10. Doubt that solar will get above this rate in winter time.
We did leave the system running at our older son's place when we took off to spend 12 weeks in Honduras and Guatemala a year ago. His place is at 7800' in mountains of northern New Mexico and temperatures dropped to -20 F (-29C). We noted no change in capacity when we returned. Probably never dropped more than -400 W a day and the charge rate would have probably been about C/20 or less.
Reed and Elaine
