closeing my off grid cabin for the season ?

What should I do with my battery for the winter?
I could just take them home I have 2 230 ah 6v gc battery.
Im thinking the solar panels will be covered with snow for most of the winter. I was thinking I could mount a 32watt panel to the side of the deck to keep the battery charge up , when the snow is on the roof.
do I need a cc for a small panel?
I could turn off the main system and just charge with a small 32 watt panel and a pmw cc .
thanks john
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Out back flex power one with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler flex net mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
Comments
- 230 AH * 14.5 volt charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller derating * 0.02 rate of charge = 67 Watt nominal "float
If you wanted the minimum then 1% rate of charge can work OK (or ~33 Watt panel--Like you suggest).Mount on a vertical wall (or post/tower) to shed snow.
Have the battery bank relatively fully charged before you leave. Turn off all loads. Make sure you "trust" the charge controller (settings, reliable), and let it go. You want the controller to mostly be in float--Should not to Absorb charging during winter (keep water usage low).
Cold Lead Acid batteries have lower self discharge current--So even if the panel(s) are covered during part of the season, as long as the batteries are cold (freezing or below)--You should be OK.
Of course, there is always the concern with security (theft). Taking the batteries home and putting them on a nice Battery Tender or Battery Minder to float them through the winter would be fine too (take solar panels down and back home, or at least lock in the cabin).
At least that is my suggestion--I live near San Francisco--So I don't really have cold weather system experience.... Others can chime in with their suggestions.
-Bill
Our PV panels are pole top mounted, set at an angle commensurate with 35 degree latitude. I leave them at the "winter angle" all year long. They shed snow readily enough. If you are further north that will shed snow even better. We have more sun than clouds and there is never more than a couple / three days of snow sitting on the panels. I'm going by the CC data recorder records for that assessment.
A fully charged FLA does not freeze until the temperature hits -90 something F. So as long as the system continues to function we are good.
Of course I am trusting in technology. I have used higher quality technology rather than cheaping out on low cost brand-X equipment. That has worked since 2009. Except for the lightning strike, but that is another matter, another topic. The important thing to me, is that winter does not seem to be a problem; no lighting and snow impassable roads keep the riff-raff away. Cold temperatures retard FLA self discharge.
OTOH, a small panel and controller could easily handle the self discharge. I used a small 40 watt panel and CC for many years on the old RV we had. That kept the batteries fully charged over the winter. Again it is trusting in technology.
My cabin is located in northen Quebec and I leave everything there for the winter. I turn all of the loads off, including the inverter. As Mountain Don said, make sure the water level is ok an equalize your batteries on your last visit. The last thing I do before leaving for the winter is to tilt 2 of my 6 panels to vertical to shed the snow. When I show up in the spring, batteries are always 100%, I just flip the switch and everything works without missing a beat.
Good Luck!
Louis R.
At home last year the solar panels where covered with snow for 3 months .
My cabin was colder and had more snow around , I was told there was a 16' drift across the road 2/3rd of the way up .
There is a snowmobile trail that runs the lenth of my ridge about 150' behind the house at 3000 ' so there is some traffic.
I have a 24x40' garage all closed in with siding , I hope the hunters don't shoot up my cabin/ trailer / new building this year.
The panels are all most flat with a 3 on 12 pitch .
Could I add my 32watt flex panel with out a cc as back up and keep my 210watts of solar on also ?
John
And/or find a small AC inverter to run the Internet loads (or a DC to DC converter to run the typical DC input). Anything you can do to reduce overall power usage (those 24x7 loads add up pretty quickly--especially in winter/bad weather).
-Bill
I think I will just run a small back up system that I have on hand and try to go up every 3 weeks or so .
The heat runs 1/2 the time if its in the 20o so its cold .
Next winter I will work inside the house, if I can get up there , and run a wood stove.
Do you guys have home owners insurance on your cabin/land ? and what dose it run?
My agent tells me , HOI for my place is 860 a year. seems like a lot for a garage ?
And it dosent really cover very much . John
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--vtMaps
I mite just let the hoi slide this year , If they brake into the trailer im not covered , if they steal the solar equipment im not covered , hit by lightning im not covered , If the garage burns down they will cover me for a % of the value ? WTF If someone get hurt on site they will cover me in a suet , but I have WC on my guys . Im getting burnt out with this .