04-09-2009, 03:05 PM
Great discussion. You can find wire loss charts on the internet that covers most situations, be it running Helco AC power or PV. Generally, DC power from PV are probably more sensitive to wire size/distance/voltage.
I would agree with TY's battery comments. Far better to ruin a cheap set than the really good one. Wanna guess how I know that?
As for adding new batteries to an existing bank, prevalent advice seems to be against it, but I think you might want to seriously weigh the situation, if talking the less expensive batteries, the trade off may be OK.
As for the battery cost question - if I recall correctly, my Interstate (golf cart) batteries were around $75 each. These replaced my "learner" set. At the other extreme, my Rolls Surettes were about $800 each, and I needed 12.
As Cat says, if you live off grid, you tend to be aware of your usage. We've spent a lot of nights basking in the glow of our oil lamps
David
Ninole Resident
I would agree with TY's battery comments. Far better to ruin a cheap set than the really good one. Wanna guess how I know that?
As for adding new batteries to an existing bank, prevalent advice seems to be against it, but I think you might want to seriously weigh the situation, if talking the less expensive batteries, the trade off may be OK. As for the battery cost question - if I recall correctly, my Interstate (golf cart) batteries were around $75 each. These replaced my "learner" set. At the other extreme, my Rolls Surettes were about $800 each, and I needed 12.
As Cat says, if you live off grid, you tend to be aware of your usage. We've spent a lot of nights basking in the glow of our oil lamps
David
Ninole Resident
Ninole Resident