View Single Post
Old 08-12-15, 07:11 PM   #20
creeky
Journeyman EcoRenovator
 
creeky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: a field somewhere
Posts: 304
Thanks: 64
Thanked 44 Times in 31 Posts
Default

rob I'm just a bit north of you. I put my 1kw panel set on dock hinges. I get a good bit of extra power, nice on the cloudy days, by going 30 degrees for summer, 45 spring/fall, but the biggest thing is going 60 in the winter. I actually go a bit past 60. Makes the panels easier to clean/sweep the snow off of. which, needless to say, greatly improves power gathering capacity.
I put up a second kw for .80 used, third hand. Those I just leave at the winter angle. don't really need them in the summer. but come the fall/winter ... well you know.

the new lifepo4s. it's insane. 20 year lifespan (7000 discharge cycles) at 50% dod now. I mean I can trade in my 720 lbs of lead acid for 250 lbs of lfp and get twice the usable power. me like. (and the point here is that lifepo4 is 1/3 the weight for rvers.)

so hey. okay almost twice the cost. but 3-4 times the lifespan. me also like.

and no maintenance. yup still liking.

now if they would invent a battery that could work without problem at -20. Ah well. can't have everything.
creeky is offline   Reply With Quote