₦airaland Forum

ceaser:
Oh, my bad. Customs fees I meant. That's aside shipping.

Nah, leave custom fees oo. No be weight them dey use calculate am but amount of purchase. Government gives free clearing up to a certain amount but more often than not these international courier services cheat us out of it and even increase the ones being charged sef.

Someone has called me before one day I called their bluff to say I can actually come to their office to negotiate, that they can chop up to 50% off it. I nearly ran mad has I had already paid then.

ewizard1:
24v System - 7s100p 4.6kw

Not very heavy loaded tho. 1.5kva inverter - All media appliances, 8 Led lights, 2 Ceiling Fans. My refrigerator is non-ES so I left it out.

You got 700 pieces of 18650 cells? Whao!!!!

Abeg point me in the direction where you get bad laptop batteries for cheap here in naija cos I'm thinking when I'm done with this present project na to carry 18650 dey play about remain. Build from handy packs to full scale systems just for the fun of it.

ojeysky:
Hahahaha..... Lol but it should be possible to do 0.2 to 0.5C, the higher you are able to deliver the faster you achieve full capacity.

That said, I personally won't go beyond 0.5C even if I have the means; doing 1C charging consistently may eventually tell on the battery life span. On my cell specs a 1C is called a fast charge while up to 0.5C is called a standard/normal charge. I prefer the normal

I am very grateful for this enlightenment.

ojeysky:
C rates are rates at which you charge or discharge your battery. The C is the cell capacity, in your case I think yours is 196AH, as an example, 0.5C means that you can charge your cells at 98A, 0.2 means you can charge at 39A etc.

The charge/discharge ratings of cells varies, most lithiums supports up to 1C charge rates while there are those that supports more but I have not seen one with over 2C charge, same with discharge rates but I have seen C rates as high as 6C.

Thanks for the explanation. Meaning for me to charge this pack at 1C rate I must be ready to pump in 196A of current into it.

Ewo!!!! Where I wan see am from?

ojeysky:
Bros why you dey downgrade LFP na ..... freezer is minor na
I currently have 200Ah, apart from lightings, TV etc, my fridge is on it 24/7, my freezer comes on at 9am and go off at 5pm, AC with similar setup but ofcourse these all depends on how much power you generate daily.

Hmmmm, the way una dey call this Lithium ehn. I pray I enjoy it too oo.

I need a little explanation from you though regarding C rates, both charging and discharging. I see you mention it in some of your other posts. Can you help me expantiate please.

mctfopt:
766kwh/year is approximately 88w which is not bad for a freezer, and 200ah @12v is 2.4kwh which theoretically translates to 27hours if you are running only the freezer, but in reality, you will get fewer hours due to losses in conversion efficiency, pf of the inverter, battery efficiency, etc

Thanks.....this calculation just blew me away. I'm definitely hooking it up to the 38120 cells now.

ewizard1:
Even as been used, they can make brand new Lead Acid batteries look dumb . I also use a DIY 18650 battery setup coupled from cells from dead laptop batteries. Apart from the time trouble to gather the rigth number of cells, it has been fun building those things. Even if I don't know about the BYD, I know Headway is a crazy cell.

Since you know much about headway will a 200ah set up carry a freezer? I don't mind turning off the freezer at night while I run security lights.

See specs of freezer below......essentially 766kwh/yr

ojeysky:
Oh okay it was a sea freight, almost 200kg wow! But ultimately it's not a bad deal at all. This would have taken up to 3 months right?

Invoice sent March 23rd. I sure e for don reach if no be for uncle Coro.

ewizard1:
Wow! Those are quite heavy power.

Baba, as you just talk am now I am forced to agree with you oo. But they are used and I saw them as a deal that's why I went in like that. Also, I had not come across this platform by then.

There is also a Nigerian YouTube channel I follow that helped buy me over to the Nissan Leaf batteries called AWPS I think. No be you get am?

ojeysky:
What's the total weight or approximate weight of the shipment?

You know shipment is done mainly with size than with weight, but I've always known this pack would be heavy. Even the way Big Battery handled it showed it had some weight to it. They didn't use the conventional way to move it to my couriers. Also sure it was crated to which will add to the size.

Anyway, see a grabbed part of the invoice. Showed weight and dimensions.

ojeysky:
What's the total weight or approximate weight of the shipment?

You know shipment is done mainly with size than with weight, but I've always known this pack would be heavy. Even the way Big Battery handled it showed it had some weight to it. They didn't use the conventional way to move it to my couriers. Also sure it was crated to which will add to the size.

Anyway, see a grabbed part of the invoice. Showed weight and dimew.

teamman:
Hi Essegis,

Can you kindly give an idea of the shipping cost to Nigeria of the G1 Nissan Leaf module pack unbundled? Thank you

Pack cost me 265k to ship down. They were not unbundled though so I cannot give the price for unbundled.

mctfopt:
Freight forwarders or the good old FedEx and DHL

Freight forwarders oo. Leave all those thieving DHL and FedEx alone abeg.

ojeysky:
You bought a 3.2v 100AH LFP for 1.2kUSD? Am sorry what's the motivation here? Even a 12v 100Ah battleborn with all the bells sells cheaper. Or did I miss something, is it 9units of 12x8AH?
As to shipping from AliExpress without using the DHL et all, there are other ways, ping me in the backyard

I always laugh whenever I hear una say these batteries with bells and whistles cos all my years in inverter technology I never hear am before. Maybe it doesn't exist in the Lead Acid world sha.

You misunderstand that purchase I see. The total cells for that price are 108 with American shipping. They were sold in packs of 12 of which I now bought 9 packs. I intend using 96 for my set up to achieve a 24p4s battery giving me 12v 196ah thereabouts. I doubt if you can get Battleborn for that price.

It was a deal when I saw it sha and still looks like that to me. I saw all the batteries I bought as deals, maybe because I've always heard Lithium batteries are expensive or maybe I watched YouTube too much, anyway I have no regret as it stands.

I'm really interested in an alternate way of shipping things down from China oo, especially the ones that don't go through post office.

mctfopt:
This is an awesome adventure. It appears you bought different types of LFPs, are they for different project or you just want to have a feel of all of 'em? You can buy your BMS and charger and use DHL or FedEx to ship 'em if you won't mind the cost. They appear to be the only postal agency working efficiently at this Covid19 era.

My brother na really adventure oo. I actually bought 3 types of batteries after watching a lot of YouTube on set ups and performance.

1.) 57 modules of Nissan Leaf
2.) 6 packs of BYD batteries
3.) 100 cells of 38120 LFP

Planning to use the first 2 to run my house on alternate days with an ATS changing them over (their rest days can serve as redundancy) while the 38120 will power my water pump, security lights & I'm thinking of throwing one fridge or freezer into it too though I'm not yet decided on that.

I actually didn't know DHL or FedEx is working in this period I would have bought the remaining things. Though I hate all those courier services with a passion as they use fake customs duties to cheat us out of our hard earned money. Too bad I don't know any other way of shipping down from AliExpress than using them. I dey always bleed whenever I know I'm stuck with them.

mctfopt:
Did you source from battery hookup? Impressive pack you've got. I prefer top balancing.

I got these particular ones from Tech Direct on eBay, though I hear they are also called Big Battery. It was later I saw the ones being offered by Batteryhookup.com, almost same price as these. If I still had cash I would have bought from them also but I got my 38120 cells from them.

My only regret now is I should have coughed up some extra cash and done the gen 2 of the Nissan Leaf batteries. Those are from newer model cars with better percentage life in them. My thinking then was since I was going into a new adventure I should thread gently. If I know what I know now I for just go all in.

Funny thing, with everything I bought I haven't still much surpassed the budget if I was to go for Lead Acid batteries. So I think those guys saying its almost same price in the long run are correct. Although, when COVID-19 is over and I start acquiring all the additives like BMS and charger it will become higher than the Lead Acid budget.

ojeysky:
I meant the storage back will be high, over 12kwh is not a small something o.....I can imagine the shipping will be expensive considering it seem to have metal casing as well. All the best with your DIY, do keep us posted on your adventure.

My present AGM at 1200ah 12v already is more than 12kwh. This necessitated my thinking to go for the batteries this way. The AGM don't last up to morning again and na only 3 fans they run at night. They weren't bought new sha and have lasted 3yrs so I'm not really crying about them. They have lasted their lasting.

A couple of things bought me over to Lithium batteries especially the lack of memory. That makes every purchase a new battery easily increasing one's packs without fear which is impossible with the conventional Lead Acid batteries. Just praying they last me sha and I will post every step on my YouTube channel here. Kindly subscribe.

Smiggle's Vibes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGGgBRPftSYPUtzjewvU26A

ojeysky:
I think that you should not miss that initial bottom balancing and paralleling, am not sure the few minutes paralleling will be sufficient but since this isn't Lifepo4 perhaps this will behave differently. That said what's the capacity of each of the cells and how much did you get them? From your plan it seem you are looking to build a very significant storage.

The 3.7v is closer to conventional inverter voltage range and should make the LVD easier to administer since a typical 24v setup will be 22.2v(6S) instead of 25.6(8S) that we have in LFPs

Even for top balancing I will still have to parallel them. Only difference will be a charge would be applied to them as against discharge when it's bottom balancing.

As for the cells they are rated at 66AH, 500WH. But these cells are not new and they being used initially in an electric car one does not know the condition they are coming with. Though seller sold at 65% capacity and a lot of folks have been getting that or higher.

I don't know what you mean by significant storage as they are not brand new. I ended up buying 57 modules though at an overall price of just above $2000 (a full pack containing 48 modules then 9 extra).....the shipping cost a arm and a leg sha oo. Planning to set them up in 14s for a 48v system and yes I won't have to go digging too much before I can get inverters that will work within the sweet spot voltages of this system. They are compatible with most inverters out there.

ojeysky:
It's just 4 months usage and mine was a packaged DIY, I recently noticed it's a little unbalanced and the Daly BMS is not doing a good balancing job so I will either have to do it the manual way, semi manual or wait till when my ANT BMS with an active balancer arrives. No thanks to covid-19 at the moment.

To your question, my response is based on my study and what I will be doing if I have new cells (I am also trying to increase my capacity, I have 4 cells already waiting for the rest), when they arrive I will bottom balance by making sure the voltage is almost the same (with max of 0.02 diff), I will then parallel all the cells together and leave it for a day to allow for proper voltage level and capacity sync. If that is properly done with a proper BMS installed then you won't need balance for several months to come (with all things been equal) as the BMS will handle little lags.

The above is what I call the manual way, the semi-manual involves identifying the cells that is moving faster than his team and adding sufficient drain to the cell once it's passes 3.4 so that the rest of the cells can meet up with its voltage level while charging which is top balancing

That said, what's the specs of your cells? As they seem long and wider than the normal prismatic cells

Oh, these are called Nissan Leaf batteries. Removed from a Nissan Leaf electric car. They are not actually LiFePO4 but a variation of Lithium with Nickel Cobalt additives and a nominal voltage of 3.7v.

Reason I'm a little confused with best form of balancing to employ is because I have not actually employed them to use in my house so I don't know if they will last a full day before running out. If they do I think bottom balancing should be done to allow them drain out equally but if they don't which means they will hardly get to low cut before being charged again next day by solar then I will carry out top balancing on them.

Most knowledge now is from YouTube but I expect them to work for me. See my write up on my intended set-up below. The house can review and help with positive criticisms if they think they will work or not. All my batteries are bought already used.

ojeysky:
That will be interesting to hear the experience of those people, I certainly agree that having a balanced cell is very important for LFP, I have experienced that with mine but once the cells are balanced it hardly get unbalanced so long as the balancer is doing it's job (it's why I still don't think using an LFP without BMS is a good idea).

As one who started using LFP this year, I am enjoying it and won't mind sharing my disappointment when one occurs even if some will laugh at me for that but for now DIY LFP rocks and the cost isn't bank crushing like the pylons

As someone using this for a while now which of the balancing do you think is best for inverter use of these batteries, top or bottom balancing?

I just got part of my batteries (pictures attached) and would like to balance them when finally complete before I start using. Corona has hampered their early delivery though, I no dey shout.

@bigrovar gave a lot of scary scenarios I would have love to dispute with him but since I've not yet used Lithium before I just decided to keep quiet. With my Lead Acid experiences though if this Lithium I'm aiming for packs up after one year I won't cry at the money lost and would likely go for another set of Lithium next time.

hancock:
I think its the same 75w consumption under load
Im looking at a screen shot I took some time ago
on the inverter side, the load is 414w while on the battery side the BMS gives a more accurate reading of 488w which is a difference of 74w

How does someone get this ICC software?

Barezzi:
Nice! I also want to read about your review/experience(s) so far.
I plan to go that route, but the amount of rework necessary to adapt to my current setup looks daunting.
How did you modify your AC water heater connections?

This was installed in a new house I have not yet packed into. Though we have tested it numerously in the early mornings and even with shower, water gets very hot. As for the AC connections I just terminated them, only installed for a future use in case this messes up (though I don't see that happening anymore).

Its rigid, simple and has removed water heating costs from my light bill. I will still give better reviews when I move in and use for a while.

queenfav:
Good evening all,please we are looking at getting a solar water heater.Would appreciate recommendations on the one to go for, cost and also installation tips.We want one that will be connected directly to solar our panels.Is that possible?

I bought and installed this towards the end of last year. I have a big family so I bought the 300ltrs own. Cost me 300k then, don't know what it's going for now. You can buy smaller ones depending on your pocket. I installed myself so won't be in the best place to give an installation cost.

Also, they have nothing to do with your solar panels or power providing. The solar reference here are laminated glass tubes that use sun power to heat up water & store in a large cooler for your use.

Hello guys,

I've always maintained here in a novice when it comes to Lithium batteries so I will need the help of experts in the house. There is this guy I follow on YouTube, name David Poz. Kindly watch the video below and help me explain how he successfully parallelled cells in modules when the modules themselves are in series. Also they are 24v modules while the cells are nominal 3.7v. I must be missing something I'm sure but I will be glad to get a clarification here

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG48c571D6I&pbjreload=10

ojeysky:
Am using the solpiplog to send the data to emoncms and it indeed logs appropriately on its interface and that corresponds to yours, but what gets sent to emoncms is a little different. Well check on the solpiplog forum....on a lighter note what do you log with?

Edit: Corresponded the figure on solpiplog, so input 11 is midpoint voltage.... nevertheless the solpiplog is not sending all what it reads to emoncms server.

Abeg na for ordinary inverter system all this terminology dey inside so? Okay oo.

I know I'm lost but make I just dey look.

ojeysky:
Your fla is 240k+fla refill cost @50% DoD maybe it serves 3 to 5 years
Lifepo4 is 350k or 450k @80% DoD maybe it serves 7 to 10 years and you still have 60 to 80% capacity left.

So I don't think the cost triples that of fla

This explanation kills it every time. Both in solar and now in lithium batteries. People are always ready and willing to go for the cheaper option now without recourse to the accumulative costs in the long run.

Na wetin dey pocket now dey determine oo. But to me don't even bother till you're ready to do good. If you wan chop frog chop the one wey get belle.......sha not so big the bone come choke you oo.

khattab008:
Can you recommend standing fans to use?

My current fan (OX AC 230V 50HZ 70W) makes a very loud annoying noise whenever I'm on inverter (Mercury 1.2 modified sine wave with Luminous battery)

Your inverter is not pure sine wave that's why. Not all equipment flow well with modified sine waves so it's better to improve your inverter to pure sine instead of buying another fan.

ojeysky:
Mine is about 40A though I think it's 1.5hp

100A BMS should work just fine for me then. Thanks.

OlgaLeez:
Friends, hello everyone. I need a consultation, what do you think about these https://solarneeded.com/review/renogy-100-watt-12-volt-monocrystalline-solar-panel-review "renogy 100 watt 12 volt monocrystalline solar panel"? We just also want to switch to solar energy, are they suitable for a large house? What solar panels did you buy for your home and why?

If you say for a big house these won't cut it. These are mainly for RV set ups. Also a kind advice, don't import your panels. They are the cheapest parts of solar system in the country. Get them from Alaba.

Guys, any idea of the amps draw for a 1hp pump? I want to use it to size my BMS. Thanks.

Trippledots:
Story of my life at bolded.. ...i work with a renewable energy firm that handles companies, I decided to try my hands with installations for individuals as a side hustle... My brother, as i speak, not even one deal under my belt yet. With my little knowledge of solar installation, i make my quote and the client just disappears like smoke because of installation cost.

I'm almost tempted to become a charlatan, and follow the crowd.

I'm yet to overcome my good conscience...i no fit open eye de give quote wey system go die under 5 months of use.

I'm a spectator while others are smiling to the bank.

This your situation is real. I will advise to continue to be good in what you do. Your customers would appreciate and call more for you.

The charlatans are the ones giving solar a bad name. Too bad nothing we can do about it but na like so life be. From the people that undersize systems to the ones that bring in cheap, inferior components.

Oh, thought he said two numbers of 150ah, based my reply on this. Cool

Sorry about that bro, I thought you were referring to JaySterling. It was an honest mix up.