Upgrading the battery storage, moved them inside where it is temp controlled

[Mary B]

New battery box under construction. All pine in a rustic construction. Interior is painted with sealer then 2 coats of epoxy to stand up to battery fumes. Still need to cut lids for the 3 compartments, center is just for easy access to wiring then a lid over each battery area on the ends. Center supports have a series of 30 1/2 inch holes drilled just under the top to let gasses pass to the center where a vent pipe will come into that small piece of ply at the rear. 1 inch copper pipe as the bus bar should handle the max of 80 maps I may draw. Bats are 6v 232 amp hour 4 in series then 4 sets in parallel. Box has supports running 1 foot on center to help handle the weight and spread it out on the floor which I reinforced with concrete under the box. Zero floor bounce with it there and it is about 1,200 pounds total, 6' long and 3' deep. Will look like a bench when I am done plus I am making a removable top for doing my leather cutting on.



right above is all the electronics, still some wiring to get done. Connect the second charge controller, put the relay controller on the board, mount 2 solid state relays that will switch the inverters in and out...



 Next spring 8 more solar panels get installed to feed the beast.

[bart]

Think I'm having double vision. More coffee.

[Mary B]

What the... the right link and picture was there last night...

[bart]

Very nice! What are you using for battery cable? Looks like woven wire, for lake of a better descriptor. 

[kitestrings]

Looks good.  The CU pipe is clever.  I wonder if you could slide slightly larger OD rubber, or plastic/PVC over it in between connection points.  It might help prevent unintended contact if something got dropped, and maybe reduce corrosion.

The batteries appear to be two matching strings, and two different, but matching strings.  Did you add to an existing bank at some point?

[Mary B]

Yes the 2 banks are about 6 months apart in age. One had been sitting on the charger the other was on solar. Close enough in age that I am not to worried about mismatch. I was think of painting the copper with the epoxy paint but once the covers are on danger of a short is pretty slim. All connections to the bus bar have 100 amp fuses too.

[kitestrings]

I'd meant to ask you about the wire size for the inverters. Hard to tell from the pics; and how far, but with modest assumption for surge I'd think you might be looking at #4CU, maybe #2 for anything over ~20'.  Maybe you're closer?

~ks

[Mary B]

#4 for the inverters and the longest distance is about 6 feet. Still making changes to the wiring though and the inverters are getting moved off the junction box and straight to the battery bank