Who is still building DIY batteries

Zwy · Feb 8, 2024

ksmithaz1 said:
Phht, define "Hot" that far north. . . Now FL is hot and humid. AZ is just plain hot. Sis has a place in N Montana, I want to visit this summer when it is actually "HOT".

Does it get hot here? Here is 2023 https://www.extremeweatherwatch.com/cities/des-moines/year-2023

Couple that with humidity over 85%, yea, it gets a little sticky.

I've spent a few weeks out in the Mojave with temps above 110°F everyday, then flew back home and just melted getting off the plane.

Come spend June, July and August here. June and July are always pleasant with rain often and high temps with high humidity. I spend all summer repairing air conditioners on equipment and trucks. My busy season starts end of March and goes to 2nd week of November.

Rednecktek · Feb 8, 2024

OffGridForGood said:
NICE!
With the price of cells continuing to fall, it is tempting...maybe just one more pack...

Just one more... said EVERY ADDICT EVER!!

Norwasian · Feb 8, 2024

houseofancients said:
There are plenty of calculations..
But for 15kw semi diy I pay about 2300 USD

Have prices risen, are you using old-style cells, or am I fixing to get gypped? I've spec'd this same capacity (at 48v), including the shipping, at about 3100 USD, via Alibaba, Docan Technology, for the new-style 304Ah cells and an Apexium case...and am nearly ready to order. I'm not in the US, so shipping from China is likely my best option. Still, I have a difficult time believing that the shipping would be the sole difference here.

Rednecktek · Feb 8, 2024

B-Mod said:
Building batteries is just not fun to me. Ground mounts, panels, pulling wire, hanging inverters is more my style of fun.

Where were you a few months ago!??!!

B-Mod · Feb 8, 2024

Rednecktek said:
Where were you a few months ago!??!!

Not fun in the way I want to do it for others, lol. I am a sparky I get my fill of electrical work everyday, and have a side business also. I do like helping others. I recently helped a co worker out planning his system and start up.

OffGridForGood · Feb 8, 2024

And besides,...Central Wisconsin is pretty darn far from Washington State!

Rednecktek · Feb 8, 2024

OffGridForGood said:
And besides,...Central Wisconsin is pretty darn far from Washington State!

My neighbor at the camp made the commute, what's your excuse?

houseofancients · Feb 9, 2024

Norwasian said:
Have prices risen, are you using old-style cells, or am I fixing to get gypped? I've spec'd this same capacity (at 48v), including the shipping, at about 3100 USD, via Alibaba, Docan Technology, for the new-style 304Ah cells and an Apexium case...and am nearly ready to order. I'm not in the US, so shipping from China is likely my best option. Still, I have a difficult time believing that the shipping would be the sole difference here.

Prices have come down, and I am not us based either

Nobodybusiness · Feb 9, 2024

B-Mod said:
I am glad to be just about done building batteries, or so I say right now, lol. I am at just over 230kwh, probably add about 30 to 40 kwh more. Building batteries is just not fun to me. Ground mounts, panels, pulling wire, hanging inverters is more my style of fun.

I’m with you.
I built 270KWh of batteries and I’m done.

I could make more to capture sunny days to contend with crap days but so far the capacity I have is good enough.

Nobodybusiness · Feb 9, 2024

timselectric said:
Fun, is doing laundry on the 4th day of rain.

And not caring.

You still got to charge them up though.
If you got the panels it’s no big deal..

timselectric · Feb 9, 2024

Nobodybusiness said:
You still got to charge them up though.
If you got the panels it’s no big deal..

More battery capacity doesn’t require more solar.
As long as you are producing more than you are using.
The batteries will get charged, just might take longer to get to 100%.

Tulex · Feb 9, 2024

timselectric said:
More battery capacity doesn’t require more solar.
As long as you are producing more than you are using.
The batteries will get charged, just might take longer to get to 100%.

In the summer, I have more battery than I need, could use about half the panels I have installed/planned to charge them.
In the winter, I don't have nearly enough battery OR panels to charge even the batteries I have.

OffGridInTheCity · Feb 9, 2024

In my case, I have purposely worked to increase my DIY battery to lower average DOD and expand cycles. I'm 18650 but to some degree, this applies to LifePo4 as well. I'm down to a yearly average of 37% DOD which I hope will add 1000(s) of extra cycles. It (bigger battery) also has the side-affect of letting me run my home 2-3 days on a full charge - but really, not sure how useful that actually is as 2-3 days rarely aligns with sun vs cloudy weather. When it's cloudy it's usually 5 or 10 days in a row!

timselectric · Feb 9, 2024

Need more battery........... always. lol

Nobodybusiness · Feb 9, 2024

timselectric said:
More battery capacity doesn’t require more solar.
As long as you are producing more than you are using.
The batteries will get charged, just might take longer to get to 100%.

Well not in the summer but winter you do unless you are making more than you can use.

If that’s the case you either don’t use anything or have a crap of panels.

I frequently don’t have enough solar to charge batteries back to full in winter.

First time they reached 100% organically was last week.

timselectric · Feb 9, 2024

Nobodybusiness said:
Well not in the summer but winter you do unless you are making more than you can use.

That's what I said. lol
my point was that more battery capacity does not require more panels.
Battery capacity only affects time of autonomy.
if you are not producing enough, already.
More capacity isn't the fix.

Nobodybusiness · Feb 9, 2024

timselectric said:
That's what I said. lol
my point was that more battery capacity does not require more panels.
Battery capacity only affects time of autonomy.
if you are not producing enough, already.
More capacity isn't the fix.

That’s what I was saying ,if you are using more than you are bringing in like in the winter.

That’s what I was referring too.

I don’t know anyone except maybe 1 guy that has 12 month Solar only consumption.

Don’t know anyone’s batteries that will last from November to February.

timselectric · Feb 9, 2024

Nobodybusiness said:
That’s what I was saying ,if you are using more than you are bringing in like in the winter.

That’s what I was referring too.

I don’t know anyone except maybe 1 guy that has 12 month Solar only consumption.

Don’t know anyone’s batteries that will last from November to February.

Sorry, I didn't realize that you were just agreeing with me.

upnorthandpersonal · Feb 9, 2024

Nobodybusiness said:
Don’t know anyone’s batteries that will last from November to February.

Which is why I'm seriously considering building a 1 MWh battery pack at the moment. The way cell prices are evolving, this shouldn't even be super expensive. I could use 10 kWh a day and bridge my winter even with zero solar coming in.

Nobodybusiness · Feb 9, 2024

upnorthandpersonal said:
Which is why I'm seriously considering building a 1 MWh battery pack at the moment. The way cell prices are evolving, this shouldn't even be super expensive. I could use 10 kWh a day and bridge my winter even with zero solar coming in.

Really?

Thinking that would be cost prohibitive?

Just off the top of my head maybe $150,000 for DIY packs.

Who is still building DIY batteries

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