flyinglotus1983
New Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2020
- Messages
- 10
Hi,
I'm building my first solar power system, and I'm looking for battery recommendations.
My use-case is hurricane preparation, at my house which is on the Florida east coast (not an RV or mobile setup, but the solar panels will be mobile, not permanent). We have plenty of sun, no trees, and a huge lawn to throw solar panels down on the ground, if the need arises. My wife and I hate gasoline generators, and we're ready to make the jump to solar, and hopefully never look back.
So yea, this is my first solar power system. I'm starting out with a Renogy 100 watt monocrystalline panel, their suitcase model with the built-in stands. I'll buy another one in a month or so, and might double that to a total of 400W before next season. For now though, just having 100 watts is better than nothing, it's a start. I'm hooking this one panel up to a Victron 100/15 MPPT. Now I need a battery. I'd like to start with 100 amp hours, because anything less seems pointless, and anything more is unaffordable. As far as what I'll be powering, I've got two main use-cases. Low-power (<50 watt), for long durations, for up to 24 hours, stuff like fans, portable refrigerators, lights... The second use-case is high-power (1500 watts) for a minute or two, to make coffee in the morning. Most everything will be DC except for the coffee which would be through a large inverter.
My preference for batteries would be DIY LiFEPO4. I can't afford a Battle Born or similar brands, I'd greatly prefer the DIY approach. I've got about 20 years of experience with battery systems and electronics, so no issues there. I'm really just looking for recommendations on a battery supplier for this specific application.
I'm currently looking at four of the blue 100Ah Fortune cells that Will Prowse recommends, but after shipping, they're $600. And I'd still need a BMS, and at that point, they don't really seem that cheap to me. Are there any comparable cells out there, possibly on Aliexpress, that will sell in this quantity range? Or any group buys or other sites I should look at? One store in particular looked promising, Orient Power (Zhuhai OTE Electronic Technology), but most of their items are minimum quantity of 10, or just as expensive as the Fortune batteries above, but longer lead-times.
As alternatives to new LiFePO4, I'd also be OK with used batteries, in any size or shape, as long as they're cheap. $600 would be my absolute limit, but $400 or $500 would be much easier on my financial situation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!
I'm building my first solar power system, and I'm looking for battery recommendations.
My use-case is hurricane preparation, at my house which is on the Florida east coast (not an RV or mobile setup, but the solar panels will be mobile, not permanent). We have plenty of sun, no trees, and a huge lawn to throw solar panels down on the ground, if the need arises. My wife and I hate gasoline generators, and we're ready to make the jump to solar, and hopefully never look back.
So yea, this is my first solar power system. I'm starting out with a Renogy 100 watt monocrystalline panel, their suitcase model with the built-in stands. I'll buy another one in a month or so, and might double that to a total of 400W before next season. For now though, just having 100 watts is better than nothing, it's a start. I'm hooking this one panel up to a Victron 100/15 MPPT. Now I need a battery. I'd like to start with 100 amp hours, because anything less seems pointless, and anything more is unaffordable. As far as what I'll be powering, I've got two main use-cases. Low-power (<50 watt), for long durations, for up to 24 hours, stuff like fans, portable refrigerators, lights... The second use-case is high-power (1500 watts) for a minute or two, to make coffee in the morning. Most everything will be DC except for the coffee which would be through a large inverter.
My preference for batteries would be DIY LiFEPO4. I can't afford a Battle Born or similar brands, I'd greatly prefer the DIY approach. I've got about 20 years of experience with battery systems and electronics, so no issues there. I'm really just looking for recommendations on a battery supplier for this specific application.
I'm currently looking at four of the blue 100Ah Fortune cells that Will Prowse recommends, but after shipping, they're $600. And I'd still need a BMS, and at that point, they don't really seem that cheap to me. Are there any comparable cells out there, possibly on Aliexpress, that will sell in this quantity range? Or any group buys or other sites I should look at? One store in particular looked promising, Orient Power (Zhuhai OTE Electronic Technology), but most of their items are minimum quantity of 10, or just as expensive as the Fortune batteries above, but longer lead-times.
As alternatives to new LiFePO4, I'd also be OK with used batteries, in any size or shape, as long as they're cheap. $600 would be my absolute limit, but $400 or $500 would be much easier on my financial situation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks!