More Solar for "Us"
Ok, I went off.the deep end? Bought 3 used 37watt uni-solar panels and a blue sky 2000e controller for the hefty price of $400, They were being listed as 75w panels, they are not The tested open...
Forum Discussion
MrWizard wrote:
yes..
my once a week ( at least ) full charge run, lets the solar do a good top off/gassing,( as long as there is good sun ) even after the WFCO has dropped in to absorption mode
I think the only people burning more generator fuel than me are those with auto-start generators, maybe fully all electric large DP's
IF my fridge was LP, i would have considerably less generator run time
BUT I do love the electric fridge, NO temperature fluctuations NO hassles, everything the right temp all the time
It's all about priorities!
Yours seem to work for ya'.
And I guess refilling the gas tanks with the toad is a little easier than propane tanks would be, eh? But I would think propane would be a lot more efficient. And propane her in Southern Oregon is only about $2.65 a gallon. Hasn't gone up much, but, of course gas and diesel sure have.
I went back to BFL's "Solar Top-off" thread and didn't find a good resolution. I think the only way you could be avoiding progressive capacity loss is by your aforementioned equalizing sessions.
The first few posts do a good job of framing, but later mexbungalows sums it up pretty well with...
"...When I had a large system, even nine hundred watts would not "top charge". Time enters into the equation. You cannot force-feed a battery so don't try..."
And as far as PT's gassing figures are concerned, 25C is pretty warm for wintertime, even in your neck of the woods. Unless you're really hitting them with the voltage, then you may not be getting gassing for many of the winter months. I don't know.
And as far as charging giving the battery temperature a boost is concerned, I hit my 27s with 16.5V for about 12 hours. The temp rose less than 10F as measured via infrared laser thermometer fired both around and down the cells.
But like you said... you're one of OPEC's best friends with all that generator fuel your using. :) So you're probably doing your batteries some good service there. I think that's the way to go. Not just for longevity, but more to keep PCL at bay. No sense having all of that capacity if it's severely diminished in just a week's time.
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