The Lowdown on Solar and Lithium Batteries

[neoneddy]

Not sure if it's feasible everywhere, but I've been hounding down these telecom AGM batteries.  18 months on a set of 6, added 4 more recently.  I'm paying near scrap value for them these days.  I've got $1200 into this battery bank. My rough calculations show 23,040 watt hours at a 20 hour rate.   I haven't done a full capacity test on the new batteries yet, but I've taken the entire bank down to 40% soc without issue, I think we were still above 12v or darn close.

Next bank will be lithium for sure, but for now, hard to beat these in a bus.

[muldoonman]

Eddy you could have lithium's for what your wire costs.

[neoneddy]

I do equal lengths to a common bus bar because I was getting imbalances when I'd run my Air Conditioner all night.   I didn't cost that much, Maybe $100 I think?  I make my own cables and crimp my own lugs with the 2/0 wire.

[dtcerrato]

We're gonna be cutting & crimping our own 4/0 wire & lugs with the new Magnum MS2812 real soon on a 12 vdc system. We're not set on batteries yet and been reading into this one steady. I may be tempted into AGMcs but don't see Liths in our future yet.

[buswarrior]

My 8-D LifeLines are 155 pounds ea x 6 ,the problem I have with ion batteries is the cost for one reason $10 a amp hour vs a dollar for golf cart batteries or $3 dollars for AGM batteries .a big difference for no more than the average owner uses his RV, fulltimers is a different ball game,no way would I invest 10 to 15 grand on a electrical system in a $7500.00 bus make no sense to me

Right there, cost per amp/hour to acquire, we could adjust that to cost per usable amp/hour to get the field a little more level.

Since none of us has to put together budget documents for the boss...

Every busnut is going to do, what they want to do, and none of it has to make sence.

Every faith has its Evangelists, and they sure don't like being put in the same room...

Golf cart batteries and one of those fancy new Balmar smart monitors to watch 'em live a long life for me, thanks.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[windtrader]

Most are pretty much in the DIY camp so building your own battery bank is realistic. I just built a 12kW lithium ion pack for about $1500 including hardware (busbars, bolts, nuts, etc.). That is about $100 a kilowatt. Other brand names mentioned here are more like $1000 per kilowatt. Weight is about 125 pounds.

[Dave5Cs]

Don are you getting your aluminum over on west El camino. There is a good place with decent pricing next to RV parts store and Happy Daze RV.

[windtrader]

Cardo? I've been going to Big R Metal on Roseville Road and a place off Sunrise in Rancho. Will check out the place on W El Camino. Thanks for the tip.

[someguy]

Used Tesla battery packs are going to totally change RV energy storage in the near future.  They are feasible right now, but it is technically finicky.   

As far as keeping warm at -20 on a snowmobiling trip, why not leave the coach engine idle while it is driving 2x 150A 24V alternators ?  Truckers do it all the time.   You should have more than enough heat and electricity to do whatever you want. 

I'm assuming the coach heat system is tied into the engine and the coach has an inverter or two to use the power from the alternators.

[Dave5Cs]

Lot of them are using Leaf batteries also with little problem at all.

[ccbmster]

The majority of people in the DIY Solar world are going with the EVE 280ah LifePo4 cells.  Really not hard at all to build a 12v 280ah hour battery for 40% or more less than buying a drop in LifePo4 battery.
Heck, if I can do it almost anyone can.

[Fred Mc]

What was your price for the EVE lithiums including shipping.

[ccbmster]

I can give you an exact quote if you know how many you want and will give me your zip code.
I am actually putting the finishing touches on a very large buy and have arranged for some of them to be dropped shipped to other people.  They get the bulk buy price, but get them shipped right to their door.
The price would be DDP....meaning it includes everything. No extra charges or surprises when they hit the states.
The shipping is less per cell the more cells you get, since higher weights get lower rates per KG.
Nearly all of the orders that I am having dropped shipped have run from $90.00 to just under $100.00 per cell.
So with four cells to make a 12v battery, you end up with a 280ah battery for between $450 and $500 on the high side, depending on what BMS you get.  A 12v 100ah Battle Born ready to drop in runs between $900 and $1,000.
These cells all come with bus bars and screws.  So some wire, the BMS, some plywood to make a case out of (or a lot of guys are using ammo can or any kind of plastic box that is the right dimensions) and you are in business.

[ccbmster]

What was your price for the EVE lithiums including shipping.

I have to correct that last post for you....after I sent it, I went in and looked at where you are, and that is a problem price wise.
Right now they are not allowed so ship by boat or rail to Canada.  So they have to ship by air.  Shipping by air means you get them a LOT faster, but the freight charges are a LOT higher.  Unless you happen to be heading to the stats LOL, it will cost you more.  I have one order from a guy in Canada (Canada K0K 2T0), and for 8 cells it will cost him $1,199.80 for 8 cells.  So a just a bit under $150.00 per cell because of the darn air freight.  But he will still end up with 2 280ah 12v batteries (or one 24v battery) for $500 or $600 less than he would pay for 2 Battle Born 12v 100ah batteries.

[Fred Mc]

'Ill keep that in mind for when they open the frikken border. Still have a package at my drop off depot in Lynden.Wa.Its been there for 4 months Can't go camping where we like in Wa state either.