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2 votes
2 answers
31 views

When will 'vehicle-to-grid' be available?

There is already a thread on this SE but it's now 5 years old and has not really been updated. I'm thinking of adding solar panels and a battery to my house (see my other question about this) but I ...
quilkin's user avatar
  • 131
1 vote
1 answer
56 views

CO2 emissions for a satellite

How much CO2 emissions would producing an LEO satellite (e.g. Starlink satellite) release? I imagine there are various factors that go into this (aluminum body, electronics, battery, solar cells, etc.)...
Jonathan's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
383 views

Can I use multiple small inverters for individual circuits in parallel instead of one large inverter?

I tried searching the internet, and everything I found was about using inverters in parallel seemed to be for coordinating multiple inverters supplying to a single bus. I'm curious about using ...
abalter's user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
2 answers
185 views

Powering a small apartment

I recently saw a sale on EcoFlow products (in this case, an EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra Starter Kit) so I decided to contiue researching ways to power up my small apartment without having a rooftop full ...
rbhat's user avatar
  • 371
3 votes
1 answer
84 views

Why is it easier to retrofit an AC-coupled than a DC-coupled battery to an existing domestic PV installation?

Not wishing ever to charge a (prospective) house-battery from the grid, naively, I think of a DC-coupled battery as a sort of capacitance between existing solar panels and their inverter. Again, ...
Robin Betts's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
61 views

Sustainability and ethics of buying a domestic battery from a higher emissions country

I've been mulling over whether to have a domestic battery installed. I already have solar panels. I know that installing a battery will reduce my reliance on grid electricity, however I have ...
Tally's user avatar
  • 175
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Inexpensive way of permanently running a fridge with solar power?

I have about USD $3,000 that I can use to invest in solar-powered alternatives at my apartment. Since I live in Latin America, my small rooftop receives tons of sunlight 12 hours/day but is not big ...
rbhat's user avatar
  • 371
3 votes
2 answers
267 views

Why are EV batteries so much cheaper than household batteries from a per kWh basis?

If anything - shouldn't the EV battery have more requirements and be more expensive? It needs to be lighter as that affects efficiency It needs to have safety aspects like not blowing up in a crash A ...
dizzy's user avatar
  • 280
0 votes
1 answer
186 views

How do modified square and sine wave inverters work and which to use?

Today there are two kinds of inverters sold: modified square wave (sometimes erroneously marketed as "modified sine wave") and true sine wave. These allow converting low voltage direct ...
juhist's user avatar
  • 5,257
4 votes
1 answer
365 views

Do Energizer ultimate lithium disposable batteries waste supply that should be used on rechargable batteries?

I was surprised when I went to go buy some new rechargable batteries to see non-rechargable AA and AAA batteries advertised as containing lithium. I assumed this was wasting material that should be ...
jaltekruse's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
119 views

Can I recondition the batteries from a mobile phone or a bike light?

My family uses lots of bicycle lights and I need to buy some more now because they break or get lost or stolen. I'm trying to work out whether it is better to buy the bike lights that use AA or AAA ...
Adam's user avatar
  • 153
1 vote
3 answers
120 views

Is it possible to make 12V to 48V boost dc-dc converter of 6kW power?

I have 12V battery that can output 500A (LiFePO4). But all 220V invertors that I found need 48V input to work with high power (6kW). Is it possible to make boost DC-DC converter that will allow to use ...
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
1 vote
1 answer
47 views

How to check the AGM 12V-battery continuus discharging current?

I have an AGM 12V battery which has capacity 100Ah and max peak discharging current 700A. How can I check the maximum continuus discharging current? I want to use four of this batteries serial ...
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

How to connect 12v inverter to 24v two batteries system?

I have two 545 solar panels and 50 amps mppt charge controller feeding two 12v batteries and I have a 12v 1000 watt inverter, how do I connect the inverter to the batteries? Should I connect the ...
Nebrass Fatima's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
46 views

Is it safe to use EV de-charging cables?

My friend told me that an EV is a huge self-driving powerbank and that with proper cable I can charge my mobile phone, make a barbeque or work on my laptop outdoor. After quite intensively searching ...
trejder's user avatar
  • 135
2 votes
1 answer
317 views

Can I connect ten 100W invertors (each with separate battery) parallel to power one 1kW consumer?

Can I connect ten 100W invertors (each with separate battery) parallel to power one 1kW consumer? Will it work? Is it safe? Should all invertors be equivalent or can be different?
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
5 votes
2 answers
144 views

Is there enough total Lithium in the Earth's crust to make sufficient grid storage to meet total global Winter energy demand?

I'm fact checking the statement: "There isn't enough Lithium in the planet (Earth) to store enough energy to make it 4 months through the Winter" here: https://youtu.be/fzzWVLSPgK4?t=192 ...
Life5ign's user avatar
  • 153
0 votes
1 answer
197 views

Could I connect parallel USB outputs of two 5V 1A power banks to get 5V 2A power supply?

Will it work? Will it damage the power banks? What if I connect 10 banks or 100? Is it safe?
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
0 votes
1 answer
56 views

How to detect LiFePO14 12V battery capacity and charge/discharge current?

I have no-name 12V LiFePO4 battery from Aliexpress and I don't know it capacity and charge/discharge current (I don't believe in params that Chinese seller wrote). How can I detect it?
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
1 vote
1 answer
110 views

What will happen if person accidentally touches the + and - terminal simultaneously of a few parallel connnected 30A 18650 batteries?

Will a person get electrocuted? Is it possible to protect against this? Some rules set or protection devices? For i.e. we have a power bank of 16 18650 3400mAh 30A batteries. What if it's case will be ...
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
0 votes
1 answer
110 views

How to protect LiFePO4 battery from too big discharge current (auto turn off on big current)?

I have a 4kW 220V inverter which I want to connect to 12V 50Ah battery with maximum discharge current 30A. I calculated maximum current that inverter will take by 4kW / 12V = 333A which is much bigger ...
Robotex's user avatar
  • 167
1 vote
0 answers
59 views

Technical details The Rockefeller Foundation provides to justify a projected 15 cents/kWh for rural solar mini- and micro-grid solutions at scale?

In CNN's April 25, 2022 Hear bold new idea to bring clean energy to billions journalist Fareed Zakaria interviews Dr. Rajiv Shah, the President of The Rockefeller Foundation. Here is a bit of the ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 425
1 vote
1 answer
190 views

Renewable energy gravity storage

How would you calculate the gravimetric & volumetric energy density of a gravity based system like Energy Vault ?
scott prendergast's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
162 views

Does battery state-of-charge affect regenerative braking in electric vehicles?

Most battery-electric vehicles support regenerative braking, where energy is sent back into the battery. Does the battery state-of-charge (percentage charged) affect how much energy is recovered in ...
Nic's user avatar
  • 2,919
3 votes
1 answer
117 views

What is the most economical and convenient house battery type?

I suppose a 5kWh storage would be more than enough for a minimalist house with solar energy system. Lithium-Ion electric car batteries would do the job, but they are too expensive and I am not sure ...
Xfce4's user avatar
  • 175
2 votes
1 answer
60 views

Charging only one battery at a time, automatically

Sometimes I have multiple batteries I want to charge, but I don't want to charge them all simultaneously. There are three scenarios for this: My power source isn't strong enough to charge all the ...
Nic's user avatar
  • 2,919
1 vote
1 answer
82 views

Difference in Solar wattage between 24V and 48V system

[Cross-posted on Victron's community https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/85929/difference-in-solar-wattage-between-24v-and-48v-sy.html ] Background: I'm on a boat with a 48V system and a 24V ...
Tyler A.'s user avatar
  • 121
6 votes
2 answers
125 views

How to ensure you are using efficient chargers for cell phones, laptop computers, and other electronic devices?

I recently asked a question regarding a sustainable way to generate white noise. I received a wonderfully helpful comment from Móż (thank you!) in which Móż recommended ensuring that the power source ...
Amazon Dies In Darkness's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
81 views

How to create a sustainable white noise generation box?

I would like to create a white noise generation box. I want it to be as sustainable as possible (within reason), as it will likely be used 24/7. My thinking so far is to use an old, unused smartphone,...
Amazon Dies In Darkness's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
88 views

How much of EV car batteries are reused/recycled? [duplicate]

If you buy an EV then the batteries last for a certain amount of years. But what happens after that? Are they recycled 100%? Are the car companies like Tesla collecting those batteries to recycle? If ...
Joe Jobs's user avatar
  • 181
11 votes
3 answers
4k views

How exactly do the impacts of lithium mining compare to oil extraction over a vehicle's lifetime?

There's been a lot of discussion about the impacts of lithium mining vs oil extraction (here for example). I'd like to quantify this. How do the impacts of mining lithium for one electric vehicle (EV) ...
LShaver's user avatar
  • 12k
1 vote
1 answer
118 views

Callibrate a battery monitor for a ~5yr old 360Ah solar panel installation

I am looking to calibrate a new battery monitor for an off-grid battery bank that's ~5 years old, since the previous battery monitor stopped working recently. I'm not sure how to go about it given the ...
Amos Joshua's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
36 views

How to account for second life usage of lithium ion batteries in a life cycle analysis?

I am looking to conduct a life cycle analysis (LCA) to investigate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission contributions from lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. The first part of their lifecycle is ...
user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
168 views

Any electric vehicle that can be used as a home energy storage?

I have a house with a solar array on top currently tied to the grid. I would love to be able to use an EV as a battery for my house, and after it charges up in the day be nice to use it for the ...
ronak's user avatar
  • 163
0 votes
1 answer
50 views

Creating a string of six 2V batteries in series to power an inverter

Background: I have a Magnum Energy MSH3012RV 3kw inverter-charger that runs on 12VDC and I'd like to be able to discharge around 250 to 300 AH between recharges (from 120VAC input) without the ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 101
5 votes
3 answers
121 views

Why is the usage factor for utility-scale storage declining in the U.S.?

This chart from the U.S. Energy Information Agency was published last week in the article "EIA expands data on capacity and usage of power plants, electricity storage systems": The text of the ...
LShaver's user avatar
  • 12k
9 votes
3 answers
6k views

Is Lithium mining any better for the environment than fossil fuel extraction?

A friend of mine is adamant that the extraction of lithium for batteries (and the creation of battery cells themselves) is a very environmentally-damaging procedure, potentially even more-so than oil (...
Robotnik's user avatar
  • 1,341
5 votes
2 answers
6k views

Is it ok to mix battery brands in a solar battery bank?

I plan on installing 12V 100 Ah LiFePO4 batteries, but since they are so expensive, I might buy from different vendors. The batteries have the same chemistry, voltage, and amperage, but are from ...
Rick's user avatar
  • 171
5 votes
1 answer
719 views

Is charging Tesla Model 3 at 110v/15amp less energy efficient than at 220v/30amp?

I have a rudimentary understanding of volts and amps. (Volts is like pressure and Amps are like the bandwidth of that pressure.) So just reasoning about it, I imagine charging to be an event where the ...
pdobb's user avatar
  • 191
2 votes
0 answers
46 views

Solar setup for well pump [closed]

The electricity where I live is pretty expensive at about almost 30 cents a KWh, so I'm considering setting up a solar system. I got 3 100 Watt Polycrystalline solar panels a while ago, pretty cheap. ...
Rick's user avatar
  • 171
3 votes
1 answer
81 views

Will I damage batteries by charging them directly with solar outputs?

I recently picked up a few cheap, mini photovoltaics. I'm planning to wire three in parallel for a 2V, 900mA max output. I'm not well versed in battery mechanisms, and I was wondering if I would ...
IncompleteBits's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
698 views

With two 50W panels best to wire in series or parallel?

Charge controller (Renogy Wanderer 10A PWM) can handle the combined voltage when wired in series. From the spec sheet, it has a max PV input voltage of 50VDC. Panels connect to a charge controller ...
Alex Hale's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
50 views

Adding solar to a small van.. just need steady 12v source not a battery bank.. question about switches and isolators? [closed]

I have a 2018 Ram Promaster city cargo van with OEM 12v 70AH 120RC Sealed Led acid battery and a 160a alternator. Sitting on top of the battery I have a 1200 Watt pure sine 100v inverter connected ...
Hell.Bent's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
2 answers
97 views

Rough cost-benefit of stopping car to recycle batteries

I use up batteries (both recyclable and not) at an exceedingly slow rate. Stockpiling batteries for proper disposal is not realistic as I will do so for years, if not decades. All the more so, since I ...
user2153235's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
92 views

How to size an PV array?

Due to limitations on the street fuse we are going to make a new house ( 50 m2 ) a hybrid off-grid solution that is at the rear of an existing house which is on the grid. So, this means we can charge ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
167 views

Lead nano carbon batteries over Lithium?

The person quoting me on an off grid solution is suggesting lead nano carbon batteries instead of Lithium Ion or ordinary lead acid. Is this technology mature enough yet? And is this now the way to ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
12 votes
6 answers
458 views

To what extent (if any) are electric vehicle batteries recyclable?

Are there any existing procedures for the recycling of electric vehicle car batteries, and if so what are they? In particular I'm interested in those used in the Volkswagen E-Golf, though general ...
Sarah's user avatar
  • 121
5 votes
2 answers
83 views

Will customer preference drive adoption of energy storage the same way as EVs and solar power?

A recent blog post lampooned the fact that the International Energy Agency has under-estimated the growth of solar energy in every single one of their predictions from 1994 to 2016. In the electric ...
LShaver's user avatar
  • 12k
1 vote
3 answers
26k views

How long to charge 12v deep cycle battery?

How long would it take to charge this deep cycle battery (Amazon link) with a regular household electricity plug? Thanks.
rbhat's user avatar
  • 371
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

How long will a 12V Koolatron compact cooler last with 12Ah battery?

I'm thinking of purchasing a Koolatron P20 compact cooler and this ExpertPower 12200 battery How long will cooler last with this battery at full charge? Is this the correct battery to use for this? ...
rbhat's user avatar
  • 371