bigrovar:
Hi guys I made the transition from my base in abuja to lagos, as such I had to decommission for solar installation over there and sold it (for scraps) to neighbours. I intend to start from stretch a new installation. I have already gotten 9 x 355w Yingli Solar Panels and A Victron Smart MPPT 150/100 Charge controller, I would be reusing my Axpert 3KVA 24v Inverter from the previous project. My problem now is batteries. I am at a loss which battery to go for..

My traditional choice are Tubular Batteries (Flooded) but they can only take limited number of currents.. and with a setup able to output over 100A my fear is even with opportunity loads, I would still be over charging those batteries almost on a daily.

AGM seems to be the way to go and Yes everyone says Quanta truth is Quanta's own datasheet https://www.quanta.in/images/pdf/Quanta-SF-Brochure.pdf does not cover itself in glory It states a between a 500 - 700 cycles at 50% depth of discharge this is about 2 years max of useful battery life.. economically I don't find it viable. I know people who have been using their battery for more than 2 years and still rave about it. But when a manufacturer says their product will last 2 years if used ideally.. I pay attention.

I am also considering ThunderVolts 6v 400AH from solar deport, unfortunately there is hardly any official spec sheet on the battery, no manufacturer's details, no recommended charge voltage no nothing. Some asked about the spec sheet and got no reply. If anyone has used it before place share your experience

Fullriver is within my purview but most of the fullriver sold in Nigeria within the 200AH range are the HGL Model which are not designed for deep cycle application the DC model designed for deep cycle (hence the name) is only available in 260AH at a price point above my budget.

Monbat too has same issue, the model sold in Nigeria are not designed for deep cycle application (I can be wrong)

If anyone has suggestions on good AGM batteries please share.

From all you've said I got about 3 points
1. You want a battery with high charging current.
2. A battery that is durable with longer cycle life
3. Cost effective

I'm certain that lithium ion phosphate (lifepo4) will work very well for you, except for the price aspect.
It comes with a very high cost but if you get a good one, it will pay off in the long run. If built to you spec, they can be charged and discharged at their rated current and can go 2000 cycles at 100% depth of discharge and still retain 80% of their initial capacity. Up to 5000 cycles at 80% DOD.

Not to say that, there are no other batteries within the agm, gel, flooded etc that are good. Actually there is but most of my research and test centered on lifepo4 so I can't give you device on the others but, if you chose to go for lifepo4 then, I can help out.

luvlyoracle:
What is the best setup for a 250watt load and prices

Any setup from 1200w and above will do. The bigger the setup, the better and the more expensive...

Note: A 1200w setup requires a 12v 100ah battery and will power 250w load for 4hours

A 2400w setup requires a 12v 200ah or 24v 100ah battery and will power 250w load for about 8.5hours...

The bigger you go the better but the more you spend...

olaolu11:
How-can-I-use-BMS-battery-management-system-to-automate-my-fridge-to-switch-on-off-so-it-can-work-about-4-hours-daily

I believe you can achieve this with a simple circuitry design or with a voltage timer relay.

Just do more research and you could find something handing. But, if am able to lay my hands on something that could help you I'll forward it to you...

Maybe this will help
https://www.bijlibachao.com/general-tips/time-switches-easy-automatic-way-to-switch-on-and-off-appliances-and-save-electricity.html

olaolu11:
What I have got so far is meaning of BMS. How does it manage battery, pls. I read that someone used it to regulate the on/off time of his fridge. I am interested in the knowledge pls. Thanks in anticipation.

BMS that I know is used as:

1. Battery Management System in battery technology especially in lithium ion batteries.

2. Building Management System in Building technology, it is used to monitor the electrical installations of a building. Mostly found in commercial buildings.

luvlyoracle:
it should be on fir 5hrs atleast....btw aw much us you 100ah lifepo4?.can 80k do something good?

Sadly, NO! The system I'm talking of which is still in process, its Worth more than 150k because I'm using a lifepo4 battery. But that price can comfortably get you a system with a good 200ah agm battery...

luvlyoracle:
What is the best setup for a 250watt load and prices

You need to calculate your load individually and time of usage for each load before you can estimate your cost properly and the size of setup you will need.

A 1kw grid tie setup is cheaper than a 1kw off grid setup...

Uninterrupted power backup is not cheap that's why you don't find it in every home. You can start with what you have, a very little load and run time then upgrade your system gradually.

With proper load shading you can get a 120k or 150k setup as long as you're not adding solar to it. But with solar, be prepare to spend more...

mahkanjuh:
Very informative......I am very excited about this, please..what is the total cost of all of these? Make I dey save money lil by lil
You didn't mention solar panel at all

That's because I'm not adding Solar now so, that will be a topic for another time once this stage is through...

mahkanjuh:

Thanks for this wonderful answer bro, but you didn't drop your contact.

Sorry about that.
This is also my WhatsApp contact: 0813-4608-560.

mahkanjuh:
let's say the total wattage is 750wat and expecting to run over 18hrs to 24hrs?? Please, what would I need and what would be the cost?

For a 750w to run 18hrs:
750×18=13500w
13500+2700=16200w

For 750w to run 24hrs
750×24=18000w
18000+3600=21600w

To run a 16200watts or 21600watts load, you need about 15pcs to 20pcs of 200ah battery
2kw inverter.
Charge Controller
3000watts panels or more...
Cables and breakers.

That will cost a fortune, seriously talking of millions.
But, in the real sense a 750w load will not be run at once so, practically you may end up running say about 400w or even less at any given time so that makes the system cost effective and more realistic.

You can contact me for proper costing and advice.

mahkanjuh:
Please house, my target is 24/7 light. My appliances are one 40inches TV, 2 decoders, 1 sound system, 2 fans and 4 bulbs. Please, what should be my budget and the break down of the things that I will buy to serve this purpose. Thanks please

You need to know the wattage of every thing you intend to use and the hours of usage before you get a reasonable quotation.

TommyAnthem:
Question for the guru's in the house: If I have a setup of solar panels of 600w and my battery is 200ah, is it possible enjoying the surplus wattage generated by the solar panel while the battery is charging?

It all depends on the type of inverter you're using as well as the load. As long as it does not exceed far more than the excess power from your panels.
But know that, you pay for what you get as most inverters with this function comes with a cost.

You can see from the picture below!

Redberyl:
Pls does inverter cause lines in TV. An inverter has just been installed for m, after which this fault started. The thick comes and goes. I notice it clears off after a while then comes back. I don't know if it's just coincidence. My inverter is Prag pure sine wave by the way. Has anyone experienced this issue on their TV before ? How can it be fixed.. It's really disturbing because this isn't a period where we planned to get a new TV.

That looks like a T-con board or flex fault. Maybe just a coincidence, you can try plugin the TV into a main socket not the inverter and see.
If it persist then it means you have a T-con board or flex problem

ojeysky:
Folks am trying to make a choice on air-condition to use on my inverter system, between GenCool and GenPal which one of them is more energy efficient? Anyone with usage experience?

Both will work. But for my personal experience, I'm using a 1.5hp lg gen cool on my 2kw generator and the gen does not blink when ever I put on the AC. Unlike when my 100w refrigerator comes on the gen slightly surge.

earthrealm:


Ok, did nt look at the graph b4. I see it now.
Thats the instantenous harvest i was asking about.
Which is your harvest in watts, at any point in time.
Does it mean, the hybrid inverter doesnt show it?

I guess u r using cheap panels as well, cos am beginning to see their output maxes out at 80 to 85%,. Ie 850w max from a 1kw array etc.

I would try canadian panels on my next setup.
And flooded batts, if i dont hv enough funds for lipo4.
Fla are super rugged, takes abuse like a champ.jsut add distilled water and equalize..and they r back to life again

You can hook me up when in need of lifepo4 battery you could get a better deal...

ceaser:


Okay. So how long does delivery to Nigeria after customisation is complete? 1 month? Three months?

.

All things being equal Max of one month due to production and testing time but it could be within three weeks if the the said configuration is in stock.

AyarmBoye:
Good day... I'm in need of solar panels but money is a constraint... Please where can I get fairly used and perfectly working ones.... God bless as u reply

You can check on jijji.

While I'm still awaiting arrival of my backup equipments, I have put down a sketch of the installation diagram to explain how I intend to do the connections.

ceaser:


Are those prices inclusive of shipping and delivery to Nigeria?

Yes Sir!

Now for the charging system, since I'm not using an inverter with an inbuilt charger that's why I have to get a standard alone charger for lifepo4.

Note: an inverter with inbuilt charger and UPS function or a hybrid inverter is the ideal way to go but because I'm concern about the type of battery I'm going to use which is a lifepo4 battery, and due to the fact that very few inverters can effectively charge a lifepo4 battery, that's the main reason I went for a stand alone inverter (inverter with no ac input) and a stand alone charger (charger with specific charge sequence).

What is the pros and cons of my setup of separate inverter and separate charger?

Pros:
Better charging sequence for good battery management. Since charger is designed for the kind of battery in mind, so it will charge according to battery charge sequence there by extending battery life.

Improved inverter efficiency and performance since the inverter is built to only take in DC and convert to AC, which makes it simple and greatly increases the service life of the inverter.

The units don't go bad at the same time. This means that in case of a fault, only one unit will be affected and can be easily managed because individual units have simple build but all in one units have complex build so, it makes it more complex to fix faults.

Could be cheaper, less weighty and not too big too...

Con's:
Can not switch automatically except if an ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch) is installed in the system.

Installation could be a little complex.

Could be expensive, since a switching device needs to be included with a few more breakers.

It is very important to note that, when using a lifepo4 battery for your inverter setup always be concern about the charging of your battery as lifepo4 charges differently from the traditional inverter batteries you know.
Lifepo4 will do very well with many solar charge controllers for a solar setup but, always check for charging parameters of your charging device be it inverter, charge controllers or stand alone charger... Don't get me wrong on this; I'm not saying that, inverters with inbuilt chargers will can't work with lifepo4. I just want you to understand that lifepo4 does not undergo the 3 charging stages of Gel and other AGM batteries mainly; Bulk charge, Absorption charge and Float charge. All these three stages have different current and voltage sequence which does not work for lifepo4 which only understand the CC/CV charge sequence. This simply means it charges at a constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) from beginning to the end and the the charging stops automatically. No need for float as with other batteries.

I like to confidently say this, most battery problems arises from the charging system. In a nutshell, even a poor quality battery will last long if properly handled during charging.

We may need to take battery charging very seriously since it's the most expensive part of any backup system. I may not be too bordered about discharging as that is easily included in most inverters for battery protection. Charging a battery can be tricky due to battery parameters and specification, that's why proper care and attention need to be taken.

idsolar:


hmmmmm. just to address the area u left. the CLIENT. see we the installers de see oba for this solar work. ability and willingness of clients to pay for quality products and system design. I tell u even with this pwm roysolar, dem client go still shout that system is expensive. though the cc is good, cheap and serving in it's own class, can we compare it to other cc like mppt that is in their own class? every cc it's in own class and grades. na your money and preference. I submit also that the integrity of every installers is in their installation in line with clients demand and solutions. nagode

You are right Sir! Most clients don't want to spend but are expecting more... Though I'm not an installer but I can say that a standard solar setup is not cheap.

But as a good installer you should always stick to standard because word of mouth advert is the most powerful.

ceaser:


Sorry. But I think that is Lithium iron, not lithium phosphate.

And that is one big *as powerful BMS there. Think I seen that BMS on AliExpress.

Yes! That's a very powerful BMS.

Maybe you should run a search on 32650 cells because those cells are 32650 cells.

The unit you see there was built for me though still expecting it's arrival...

shellliver:
Keep it up

Which 600w pure sine wave Inverter did you order?

Manufacturer please?

Not a popular one that you know I bought it direct from the factory in China along with every other items listed earlier except for the breakers and cables.

Just for your curiosity, this are the pictures...

Penuelseun:
Hello my Ogas in the house, I have a question, can a 14. 8v dc input burn a 12v ups? Because I use my ups when charging and the battery gets to that voltage in the afternoon, I have been using it like that of recent but just worried about the ups not burning due to overvoltage. The ups is a bluegate 650

Actually! Everything is fine, your battery is 12v but it can charge up to 14.8v its normal at full charge also, note that your battery drain's down to about 10.5v or 11v too that's when your UPS starts beeping before shutting down.....

For my load and my backup, since I'm on a budget I am trying to keep it very simple. So, I intend to power the following appliances:

67watts 32" led TV for 6 hours

18w Gotv decoder for 6 hours

100w refrigerator for max of 3 hours and

20w ceiling fan for 9 hours

Let's do the maths:

67×6=402w
18×6=108w
100×3=300w
20×9=180w

Total load:402+108+300+180=990w

Now my load estimate is 990watts

Since there's meant to be a loss of about 20% in the system which is 0.2

I now have
990×0.2=198w

Adding it to my estimated load of 990w
990+198=1188w

From the above, my total estimated load will be 1188watts assuming my system efficiency is 80% for 20% loss. But there's every probability that I might get an 85%-90% efficiency. Because stand alone inverters do well in conversion efficiency.

Now, will my inverter and battery do well on these loads put together?

Let's analyze it. My expected inverter is a 600w pure sine wave with a surge of 1200w and my battery a lifepo4 12v 100ah...

Total load at every given hour is:
67w+18w+100w+20w=205w

This means my total load per hour is 205watts assuming that I'm powering all loads at the same time. For a 600w inverter it will do excellently fine, since not up to 50% of it's power rating is being used.

For the battery: 12v 100ah will be
Watts=Voltage × Current
W=V×I ==== W=12×100
W=1200
Therefore, my battery power will be 1200watts.

Let's compare that with the total loads:
Total loads=1188w

How well will it perform:
Battery power - load power
1200w-1188w=12w

This simply means the battery will power all the loads at the said time comfortably with a 12watts still left in the system.

Hope we get a clear understanding on this... I'll be talking about the charging process and put up a sketch diagram of my connection and setup as regards the listed items for my project.

iamjack0812:


Na them be this....should this on this thread Oga?

@pointstore

As much as I hate to say this, please I'll appreciate if you allow us to achieve the purpose of this thread before you start making you market proposal...

Please be mature about this and be part of us with meaningful contribution as that will be highly appreciated.

Thanks so much @iamjack0812

iamjack0812:


Am presently in the same shit as your write up above.
Let me book a seat.

Welcome onboard!!!

eleojo23:


And some of these installers/ sellers/marketers get upset when you ask deep questions.
I offend these guys alot whenever i am buying an electronic device because of the questions I ask.
They just want you to buy and go. They don't know that I usually do alot of research before coming to them

That is why is very good you understand the functions and parameters of an electrical or electronic device before buying them so that you don't end up spending more at the end of the day

maxjax:
when are you expecting your items?

pls do keep us posted

Hopefully before this month end but I'll be discussing the setup here before the item's arrive.

All parameters will be clearly stated with pictures and diagram before we go into the practical aspects and performance record of the system taken

Talibanis:
An interesting read. Front seat booked.

.

You're welcome on board. Sit tight and enjoy please feel free to contribute either by additional information or by asking questions...

Thanks

I'm most glad to start this thread as it is going to be an interesting and practical one...

I got tired of poor power supply by PHCN, coupled with the fact that I live in a house that is not metered and most tenants will fail to pay their power bill on time which eventually leads to the PHCN guys disconnecting our wire.

I have a generator that power's everything in my room including the AC as it's an INVERTER type but, the stress of going out at night to put on/off the Gen or on a raining day plus the cost of buying fuel every now and then made me thought of a backup inverter. If possible an off grid system, just to keep some of my basic appliances powered during outage or disconnect as the case may be.
So, I started my research and since I'm an electrical inclined person and an onliner who knows how to source for stuff's that may not be locally available, and since I needed a good system that no matter how small it would be but will worth it and deliver maximum satisfaction...

It was then I discovered the lithium battery tech and that they are superior to the well known inverter batteries around and then I discovered that they were of different types and more expensive than the traditional inverter batteries. This was where my problems began because I was running on a very tight budget but then I realized that a standard backup power is never cheap even when made with lead acid battery. As if that is not enough, I realized again that the super lithium batteries are not easy to come buy in Nigeria.

It was on this note I deepened my research and discovered that aside from the fact that these batteries have a lot of advantages to the other inverter batteries, like higher depth of discharge (DOD), longer cycle life of 2000-5000, less in weight and volume, higher charging voltage and current which result to faster charging with the term CC/CV ( constant current/constant voltage)...
I also found out that they are of different types and made up of different cells with the

1. Lithium polymer (lipo) being the first with individual cell voltage is 3.7v. These are cells used for cell phones batteries, laptop batteries, power banks and other portable backups and have a cycle life of 500-1000. They are mainly made from the 18650 cells

2. Lithium iron phosphate (lifepo4) with individual cell voltage of 3.2v. These cells are best used for larger battery set up for power backups and are more safer and more expensive to the 18650 3.7v cells, they have cycle life of 2000-5000. Lifepo4 cells are categorized into 32700, 32650, 38120, 40152...

3. Lithium titanate (Lto) with individual cell voltage of 2.3v these are very recent and far more expensive than any of the lithium battery. These cells are very rugged an can charge faster than you can imagine with a cycle life of 15000-25000

After having an in depth understanding of this battery tech I decided to settle for a lifepo4 battery for my inverter set up.
It is also very important to note that, since lifepo4 is not common and does not have the same characteristics as the traditional inverter battery we all know, their charging sequence is quite different as it requires a voltage of about 14.6v CV to charge and does not undergoes float charge like other batteries, with most inverters built in chargers designed with agm and other lead acid in mind it would be hard to charge a lifepo4 battery with these inverters except some inverters with the features to charge a lifepo4.
Proper care needs to be taken in terms of charging this batteries.

Because I'm a ware of this I decided to get a stand alone inverter and a stand alone charger.

This are the list if item I ordered for this project and because I want to keep it simple and cost effective I have to make do with what I can afford.

List of item's:
1. 600W pure sine wave inverter
2. 20a lifepo4 battery charger
3. 12v 100ah lifepo4 battery made from 32650 cells
4. Automatic change over switch (ATS)
5. Breaker's and cables

Since I'm still expecting these items I'll be stopping here and continue when all item's finally arrive then we can move to the next stage...

Demrich:
Mr, it is quite imperative to create a new post of your own and people will follow your thread.

So sorry Sir! I mean no offense... My sincere apology!

Namzy:

How much?

12v 100ah is 135k
24v 100ah is 240k

You can get different configuration for voltage and current