General Discussion

DustyJoe

(849 posts)

93. batteries

Tue Feb 17, 2015, 08:53 PM

Feb 2015

Drawbacks to acid batteries is correct.

Deep cycle batteries last longest if they are not drawn down below 50% or about 12.1 volts, 12.7 is considered full charge. But when a deep cycle battery is fully discharged it can be recharged compared to a car bettery where if it goes completely dead will hold a smaller amp hour of charge. Also the charge levels change as the lead plates collect sulfates that diminish the space between plates, this requires using a desulfating charger periodically that will send small burst cycles of voltage to break up the sulfides. (kinda like Dr's breaking a kidney stone up with soundwaves).

Most invertors stop working once battery voltage drops below 11.8 volts or so.

So yes, acid batteries do have drawbacks, but costwise the best bang for the buck. A 120 Amp Hour deep cycle can be bought for under $100.00 still.

I'm ready for Tesla or anyone to bring a battery online that can store an average homes needs for overnight in the winter. It'll happen ecentually.

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Highlight:

Tesla Motors Announces A New Home Battery; Living Off The Grid Will Soon Be Status Quo [View all] KamaAina Feb 2015 OP

k/r, very cool. 99Forever Feb 2015 #1

Apartments too? abelenkpe Feb 2015 #2

Well, hopefully landlords hate utilities as much as everyone else KamaAina Feb 2015 #3

Oh no! Have heard bad things about PG&E abelenkpe Feb 2015 #7

Well, they haven't blown up a neighborhood in the past couple of years KamaAina Feb 2015 #9

I have SMUD shanti Feb 2015 #80

The only place in the world where voters voted to decommission a nuke plant! KamaAina Feb 2015 #81

It doesn't hurt shanti Feb 2015 #83

I'm a landlord PasadenaTrudy Feb 2015 #19

What charging system is the apartment equipped with? / How will you charge the battery? n/t lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #32

by running your cars V8 snooper2 Feb 2015 #111

There are lots of plans for "community solar"... kristopher Feb 2015 #61

If that becomes popular, the power companies will make it illegal. dixiegrrrrl Feb 2015 #4

You are right. That will be the next fight. nt ladjf Feb 2015 #33

** Bingo! ** Duppers Feb 2015 #86

GAH!!! AngryDem001 Feb 2015 #96

Kick! Agschmid Feb 2015 #5

I wonder how "relatively cheap" it is. n/t PoliticAverse Feb 2015 #6

It probably depends on life span and obxhead Feb 2015 #23

As with any home improvement, the cost will be included in the price of the house (or your loss JDPriestly Feb 2015 #25

Well, yeah, IF ashling Feb 2015 #29

Tesla and Apple are both working on advancing battery technology. onehandle Feb 2015 #8

+1000 JDPriestly Feb 2015 #52

Relatively cheap, compared to what? tridim Feb 2015 #10

Relatively cheap, like his car? dumbcat Feb 2015 #21

The expectation is for LIon at <$100/kwh of capacity by 2017 kristopher Feb 2015 #64

People already do use batteries to store the energy they create during the day. cbayer Feb 2015 #11

We also have a bank of golf cart batteries for our photovoltaics. Problem is, if power goes out peacebird Feb 2015 #12

Agree. If your energy source isn't happening, then the batteries are only going to cbayer Feb 2015 #13

Yes, fortunately the panel shed snow pretty quickly. We haven't ever even taken the generator peacebird Feb 2015 #14

I'm not sure you are going to want to set that thing up in the dark, lol. cbayer Feb 2015 #15

We have solar hot water tank that then flows into a traditional hotwater tank which rarely needs to peacebird Feb 2015 #16

We saw a lot of those in our travels cbayer Feb 2015 #20

batteries DustyJoe Feb 2015 #93

All true. cbayer Feb 2015 #118

This sounds like a pack for those who don't want to build their own. I'd rather build my own... uponit7771 Feb 2015 #34

I'm not sure what you mean by build your own. cbayer Feb 2015 #40

Yeap, do the wiring... the balance taps etc... I do that for EDF... not hard just will take longer.. uponit7771 Feb 2015 #44

Ah you know a lot about this, and even though I live off a system, cbayer Feb 2015 #50

I don't know the exact answer to your question dumbcat Feb 2015 #62

The price of storage - Musk's LIon packs are expected to be <$100/kwh by 2017 kristopher Feb 2015 #66

Thans for that. cbayer Feb 2015 #67

I've built lithium packs by hand for the ebikes I have also built Fumesucker Feb 2015 #112

This is commonplace in some places outside the US. closeupready Feb 2015 #17

looking forward to it. hopemountain Feb 2015 #18

Bring it on. Can't happen soon enough. mountain grammy Feb 2015 #22

OK, nice article, but why does the link show a picture of a Nissan Leaf 90 KW power pack? Fred Sanders Feb 2015 #24

I wish it was 90 MW dumbcat Feb 2015 #27

Yes, that would be nice, my error...it is KW. Fred Sanders Feb 2015 #28

Keep in mind that weight is not so much a factor for home storage as it is for vehicles. NYC_SKP Feb 2015 #109

Home battery packs as an alternative to emergency generators is surely the first step. Fred Sanders Feb 2015 #110

I looked at an Escape Energi and a Fusion Energi because they offered Level 2-240 V charging NYC_SKP Feb 2015 #114

Wouldn't the Right Wingnuts love to get off the grid? Do they know what "grid" means? nm rhett o rick Feb 2015 #26

For us Heinlein fans... SusanCalvin Feb 2015 #30

Me too! KamaAina Feb 2015 #31

Hey back! SusanCalvin Feb 2015 #97

I love EPIC! KamaAina Feb 2015 #104

Excellent idea! SusanCalvin Feb 2015 #119

What part of the state are you in? KamaAina Feb 2015 #120

Oh, I'm in Texas SusanCalvin Feb 2015 #121

So much for that brilliant plan KamaAina Feb 2015 #122

Well, SusanCalvin Feb 2015 #124

What is shipstone tech? tia uponit7771 Feb 2015 #36

A Shipstone was a device that could store essentially limitless power KamaAina Feb 2015 #45

Thx! uponit7771 Feb 2015 #49

Same here. Doc Holliday Feb 2015 #116

I see little advantage over a grid-tied system. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #35

But when there's no source (dark, no wind) the costomer has to get from the grid... uponit7771 Feb 2015 #37

Yes. In that case, the utility serves as the battery. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #41

A grid tied system is good for us but not the utilities... kristopher Feb 2015 #72

Thanks. I didn't know that any states had abandoned net metering. n/t lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #79

Any battery system is going to have a defined period of time when the charge will be exhausted. cbayer Feb 2015 #43

The pack wont last forever you can "potentially" stay of the grid forever... the power source uponit7771 Feb 2015 #46

That's true with current systems too. cbayer Feb 2015 #51

One of your neighbors will buy a big field of solar panels and CAT natural gas/diesel and share. hunter Feb 2015 #54

I would very much like it to be broken. cbayer Feb 2015 #56

Hopefully the pack would store enough to last until the sun comes back out csziggy Feb 2015 #60

I would never have this system without an alternate charing system that involved cbayer Feb 2015 #65

We did go with a solar water heater but not PV csziggy Feb 2015 #91

at the lowest teir rate itsrobert Feb 2015 #38

How much does the battery reimburse the homeowner for power in excess of household need? lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #47

I have friends who will never be on the grid Tsiyu Feb 2015 #58

Our family has a remote vacation cabin for which this would be great... lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #78

They already make cars for the 1% who dont want to pay gas dilby Feb 2015 #39

Sales taxes and income taxes are paid by Tesla owners. KeepItReal Feb 2015 #71

States get 20-50% of their transportation spending from gas taxes. dilby Feb 2015 #74

So tolls on every road then? Every person pays to sustain an electric company's business model? KeepItReal Feb 2015 #82

I think there should be GPS monitors in every vehicle and people should be taxed based on miles dilby Feb 2015 #89

So you're proposing a national system where the government tracks every movement of your car? hughee99 Feb 2015 #92

No it's a solution to the problem of our roads crumbling around us because there is not enough money dilby Feb 2015 #94

So your solution to this problem would be a massive invasion of every person's privacy? hughee99 Feb 2015 #98

You want to stick a GPS on my Oldsmobile? I hate you. Throd Feb 2015 #101

The NSA is behind this idea, 100% Lancero Feb 2015 #95

well, at least they aren't challenging any hay taxes quakerboy Feb 2015 #105

This can't happen soon enough. blackspade Feb 2015 #42

Residential electricity will soon be beyond control of the oligarchs. hunter Feb 2015 #48

I sure like the idea... sendero Feb 2015 #53

Well obviously, if it will be in production with a couple of years. Yo_Mama Feb 2015 #76

I dream of going out to the Mojave desert and living like a desert rat aint_no_life_nowhere Feb 2015 #55

Oh HELL yes! Soon as I can afford it anyway. Itd be great right now, ice took out the pwr! nt 7962 Feb 2015 #57

We are in a constant stalemate with new technologies olddots Feb 2015 #59

K&R DeSwiss Feb 2015 #63

Well, considering that they have successfully lobbied legislatures to impose tblue37 Feb 2015 #68

Look closely at this legislation IdiotsforPalin Feb 2015 #77

Don't think this is just ALEC SnakeEyes Feb 2015 #100

You're right. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2015 #88

Do you use gas for anything? If so you still need utilities. Also, even still_one Feb 2015 #69

at first blush, extremely cool heaven05 Feb 2015 #70

Oh, those fuckers will make it illegal if they can. Enthusiast Feb 2015 #73

I wish I could afford the Tesla car and these new home batteries. Jamastiene Feb 2015 #75

This is a back-up battery, not a replacement for your elec. utility. Hoppy Feb 2015 #84

I can see them being a "rental" item packman Feb 2015 #85

I don't think in all places one can live in non-"hooked up" dwellings. Or at least, not receive WinkyDink Feb 2015 #87

I don't think you need the sarcasm thingy. Dark n Stormy Knight Feb 2015 #90

We need multi-volt houses. Spitfire of ATJ Feb 2015 #99

My monopoly power company has been going to renewables very quickly Warpy Feb 2015 #102

The utilities will just have their sulphurdunn Feb 2015 #103

IT's never really been an energy crisis Android3.14 Feb 2015 #106

I like my electric company. LWolf Feb 2015 #107

Me too. Xithras Feb 2015 #113

If I could generate my own power, LWolf Feb 2015 #123

And Congress will pass meaningful tax credits to help support this transition, right? paparush Feb 2015 #108

I'm sure more corporate welfare will be flowing to Tesla. n/t PoliticAverse Feb 2015 #117

This would be sooooo great! C Moon Feb 2015 #115