Solar set-up loses power quickly.

[Andy Rhody]

Got a polite email today saying that I'm not talking enough around here lately.

Okay, my cousin just bought a remote cabin with a solar set-up that may have been installed 11 years ago. Although he's an electrician, he doesn't know solar and what I know from one look is it had 12 panels, Midnite controller, and 8 gel batteries. It's a 48 volt system. An LED meter will say that the system is fully charged and if he turns on some lights and a small microwave, the meter goes down to zero within 4 minutes. This is in the daytime with sun. At night he has nothing.

Sounds like batteries to me. How long might you expect a gel battery to last?

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Andy! Good to see you around the forum!

Yeah, sounds like the batteries are pooched. Hard to say how long they 'should' last, depending on brand/price/quality there are gel batteries that make it from 4 years all the way to 20 years. On top of that it's all about how they were treated: As with all lead-acid batteries they are sensitive to sitting at partial charge for too long, the lead-sulphate becomes irreversible when charging, and capacity is lost.

Gel is not much used any more. It's been taken over by AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) batteries. Those are also lead-acid, using a fiberglass 'sponge' between plates to immobilize the acid.

Send your cousin to the forum! Lots of people here to help him out.

By the way, the business (Solacity) is VERY busy these days with customers just like your cousin's; lots of small off-grid systems going in for cottages, hunt camps, and cabins.

-RoB-

[Andy Rhody]

Last owners didn't know much about solar. I didn't think that they used it consistantly. Probably gets about 8 hours of full sun daily.

The batteries were stored inside the house so that's why I thought that they would be Gel to avoid possibly getting gas from the batteries in the cabin. Is that correct? Would AGM batteries be safe to store inside?

[Andy Rhody]

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e295/andy47bottles/Science/SANY3900_zpseyuddkef.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/andy47bottles/media/Science/SANY3900_zpseyuddkef.jpg.html)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e295/andy47bottles/Science/SANY3897_zpska17bvmv.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/andy47bottles/media/Science/SANY3897_zpska17bvmv.jpg.html)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e295/andy47bottles/Science/SANY3903_zpsqhdcjkkv.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/andy47bottles/media/Science/SANY3903_zpsqhdcjkkv.jpg.html)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e295/andy47bottles/Science/SANY3910_zpsuk1j8mn2.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/andy47bottles/media/Science/SANY3910_zpsuk1j8mn2.jpg.html)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e295/andy47bottles/Science/SANY3902_zpsqv4gy4kz.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/andy47bottles/media/Science/SANY3902_zpsqv4gy4kz.jpg.html)

[Rob Beckers]

Nice system! Those are all very good components.
Yes, AGM batteries are sealed as well. No off-gassing (unless you badly overcharge them, they have a safety valve just like GEL has).

-RoB-

[Ralph Day]

I like the emergency egress tools on the wall.

In emergency you can cut your way out of the equipment room.

Ralph