The Addiction Continues..

[TomW]

Well, I promised to post about this new battery bank we just had installed.

After about 8 years my [horribly abused while learning] original set of 8 T-105 Trojans have gotten pretty well used up. They were consuming way more than they gave back so...

This is a tiny photo of it before it was wired and the water saver caps were installed.

It is a Deka 600 AH @ 24 volts nominal set comprised of 12 2 volt cells with the EZ Link option and weighs in at about 1100#. Generally these are used in pallet jacks.

I tried to get a set of L-16 Trojans from my local Solar dealer but it was going to be nearly March before he got them in stock. I decided to seek another local source. We are big on "local" these days.

I tried to  contact several industrial grade battery companies online with absolutely no response from any of them until I found Remis Power Systems in Onalaska, Wisconsin about 50 miles away. Pat Remis, the CEO phoned me the very next business day after I emailed them over a weekend with the same info request the others ignored. That was about a month ago and not one other seller has replied.

Pat and I communicated back and forth for a few emails sorting out my options. Pat is extremely knowledgeable with something like 30 plus years in the battery business. We settled on a price and delivery.

I only wanted them delivered and set in place in the can and that was what was included in the cost. However, Pat delivered them himself and  insisted on properly installing the EZ Link connectors and battery out leads into my terminal block, ready to connect to the inverter. Since he very carefully assembled and torqued the nuts on the connectors it was a good thing because I don't have a torque wrench.  

The photos are over here:

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/album124

I take big detailed photos so I just link to them rather than mess around resizing. Just click on a thumbnail to see a higher resolution photo when in the Gallery.

There is a problem with that gallery for some folks. I tried to duplicate it here:

http://pics.ww.com/v/TomW/Battery/

Just so folks know who I dealt with:

Patrick K. Remis, C.E.O.

Remis Power Systems

W7982 County Hwy. Z

Onalaska, Wisconsin

Phone 608.781.7144 EXT 11

FAX: 608.781.1502

WebSite: http://www.remispowersystems.com

He also has branches in Madison, WI and dePere, WI

Tell him TomW sent you!

Good folks to deal with and I would recommend them to anyone interested in their product

I will not quote the price we settled on because that will likely change. I can tell you that the main components of the system, in order of cost lower to higher, is Inverter, Batteries, Solar Panels. No clue on turbine costs in there but its likely less than any other components in the system.

Just wanted to share.

Tom

[DamonHD]

All good stuff Tom.

As you know I'm deeply envious and I want something very similar even though I'm firmly on the grid here in suburban London!

Rgds

Damon

[ghurd]

Very Nice!

You are not in some never ending cycle, are you?

Not enough windmill for the battery...  Add more windmill.

Not enough battery for the windmill... Add more battery.

Repeat.

G-

[TomW]

G;

A cycle caused by addiction and regenerative feedback. It is a disease, you know.

It ain't "my hobby" no more! A bit sad, that.

Tom

[pepa]

    TomW, what really gets bad with this so-=called hobby is that you cant go to sleep because of thinking about a current project, you finally drift off to sleep and wake in the morning with tools and spare parts on the foot of the bed. that is when you know you have lost it. pepa

[behoof]

Thanks TomW, and I really liked the picture of you. Oh, hay wait a sec, there wasn't one that I saw. hmmmm, wonder why.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the great pics and info. Now I don't feel bad having the fork truck batts and their big ol footprint.

Nice looking room too by the way.

behoof

[bj]

   Pepa--I thought I was the only one doing that.  Glad to not be the

only one.

   Nice Tom.

   bj

[TomW]

Thanks for all the comments, folks.

There seems to be some issues for some folks accessing that initial gallery URL. here is a different site I moved some of it to:

http://pics.ww.com/v/TomW/Battery/

Enjoy.

Tom

[bob golding]

pepa,

 the first thing i do in the morning, even before a pee is fall over the tools,look at the voltage and current meters and check the wind turbine is still there. the cat thinks i am mad,but that,s cats for you.

[ghurd]

What is that little blue box, top left of the Square D box?

G-

[TomW]

G;

My 12 volt bank had a pulsing desulphator on it. I removed it when I upgraded that bank to VRLA batteries.

An http://Innovativeenergy.com sweeping pulse desufator. Their DS-1000 Battery Conditioner.

I think it may have helped bring the pair of trojans I had on it back from the nasty state they were in when I got them for hauling them away.

I bought it way back when I started [2001].

You can have it if you would like to give it a try.

Tom

[shay]

PKRemis@remispowersystems.com

[shay]

If your sailing you check the power levels just like on land. On land living "in tune" with the wind and sun for power, it's a little like sailing the farm. When I need more power I turn the panels/blades to the sun/wind and turn them away when I need less :-) "The power goes in here, the water comes out there, the plants grow there, and the processed food goes there!" WOW