Re: PV: Battery Box?

[Steve Shepard <sbtdesigns@bigplanet.com>]

Great input Mongo.

Thanks.

SBT Designs
25840 IH-10 West #1
Boerne, Texas 78006
210-698-7109
www.sbtdesigns.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mongo" <mongo@nortexinfo.net>
To: "Peter Hoyt" <hoytp01@satx.rr.com>; "PV Users" <pvusers@crest.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: PV: Battery Box?


> > It gets very hot here in South Texas in the summer and often reaches a
low
> > in the 20s in the winter......
> >
> > I've thought about providing heat with a thermostatically controlled
solar
> > hot water system for the winter. That should be fairly practical. For
the
> > summer I've thought about doing the same sort of thing with well water
to
> > reduce the temperature of the batteries.
> >
> > Does anyone have any advice or experience on the subject?
>
> I'm near Dallas, with similar problems.  Except I think my temperature
> extremes are greater (i.e. hotter & cooler).
>
> There are three issues.  Heating, Cooling, & Insulation.
>
> Insulation:
> I put my batteries in a Strawbale building for insulation.  This
> provides significant moderation from the exterior temps.  You end
> up with 2 sources of thermal mass also.  The stucco on the inside
> of the building, and the lead/acid in the batteries.
>
> Heating:
> If the temps outside stay above 40, the waste heat from battery
> charging and the inverters will keep the room near 70.
> My experience here has been that when it is cold (like today) the
> sun is usually not shining.  Solar just isn't a good source of heat here.
> Is San Antonio similar ?  So solar heat is not a good option.
> I use a small propane heater now (thermostatically controlled in
> the future)  Ventilation is not a problem so far, since the battery vent
> fan comes on during a charge changing the air supply in the room.
>
> Cooling:
> Heat here can be brutal (as with San Antonio).
> I set-up a small evaporative cooler.  It's dryer where you are so it
> would probably work better for you.  It doesn't take much power and
> again can keep things in the 70's even with >100 outside.
> In the swing months (spring and fall) I open the room up @ night,
> the close it during the day.
>
>
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