OP
RichNJKubota
Gold Member
Size?
About 3' x 3' square by 18" deep. Bigger is OK
Rich
About 3' x 3' square by 18" deep. Bigger is OK
Rich
Battery Box Needed, underground, watertight
- Thread starter RichNJKubota
- Start date
- Views: 9469
Just do a goggle search for NEMA boxes and pick a supplier. Most will have something in the size you are looking for. Lowes carries a 12x12x6 plastic but that probably isn't big enough.
You could vent it with flexible water tight conduit into a fitting through the side. This could be ran below the surface to a fence post. Come out of the ground next to the fence post and put a weather head on it.
You could vent it with flexible water tight conduit into a fitting through the side. This could be ran below the surface to a fence post. Come out of the ground next to the fence post and put a weather head on it.
MicroPilot
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...If it looks like this will not work then the batteries will have to be placed in the house and ...along with a very expensive wire to get the power at 48V/100Amps (and 250ft) from the PV panels to the inverter/batteries in the basement....)</font>
Won't you have this wire cost anyway? You'll need to get the power from the batteries to house somehow, and I doubt your going to be using 12/2 romex for that!!
Won't you have this wire cost anyway? You'll need to get the power from the batteries to house somehow, and I doubt your going to be using 12/2 romex for that!!
OP
RichNJKubota
Gold Member
The inverter will be out with the batteries so the wire coming into the house will be carrying 240volts so a much smaller wire. I think 6 guage will do but have not done the calculation yet.
Rich
Rich
bebster
Platinum Member
- Joined
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- Cape Cod, MA
- Tractor
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Rich, would you mind sharing the make/models of the components you're using? I'm considering installing something like that myself. Thanks!
have_blue
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The batteries need to be placed in a watertight box in the ground. )</font>
Hey Rich, could you tell me why the batteries need to be underground?
Those nice Concorde batteres could go anywhere. <trying to envision how they would fit under my bed>
If it were me, and I were forced to bury them, the first thing I would look at would be a light wood frame, sheeted with 1/4" marine ply and wrapped in fiberglass cloth/polyester resin. In other words, boat construction. Sealing would require a stainless or brass wing nut every few inches around the perimeter of the lid.
I have a very small but very effective solar outfit that powers everything in my tractor shed, which is off grid. Although I'm delighted with it, I will never venture into anything bigger.
Hey Rich, could you tell me why the batteries need to be underground?
Those nice Concorde batteres could go anywhere. <trying to envision how they would fit under my bed>
If it were me, and I were forced to bury them, the first thing I would look at would be a light wood frame, sheeted with 1/4" marine ply and wrapped in fiberglass cloth/polyester resin. In other words, boat construction. Sealing would require a stainless or brass wing nut every few inches around the perimeter of the lid.
I have a very small but very effective solar outfit that powers everything in my tractor shed, which is off grid. Although I'm delighted with it, I will never venture into anything bigger.
MicroPilot
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...I have a very small but very effective solar outfit that powers everything in my tractor shed, which is off grid. Although I'm delighted with it, I will never venture into anything bigger. )</font>
How come? Cost, inconvenience, problems?
How come? Cost, inconvenience, problems?
Currmudgeon
Gold Member
Why does the box need to be watertight? If possible, I'd rather use an open bottomed box on a bed of drainage gravel, maybe even with a drain tile.
If the box is watertight, then you need to provide a way to get the water out. I assure you, water will get in. Murphy and all that.
Strongwell makes a line of precast utility vaults and handholes that are the standard of the industry.
http://www.strongwell.com/PolymerConcrete/QuaziteProducts.HTM
Or you could build a concrete masonry vault and put a cast iron cover on it.
http://www.nfco.com/
Try to locate the box where it will not be subject to wheel loads, and if necessary, protect it with bollards or boulders to keep errant garbage trucks and brother-in-law's Caddies off it. If the box must withstand wheel loads, pick a vault and/or cover that's designed for H-20 loadings.
If the box is watertight, then you need to provide a way to get the water out. I assure you, water will get in. Murphy and all that.
Strongwell makes a line of precast utility vaults and handholes that are the standard of the industry.
http://www.strongwell.com/PolymerConcrete/QuaziteProducts.HTM
Or you could build a concrete masonry vault and put a cast iron cover on it.
http://www.nfco.com/
Try to locate the box where it will not be subject to wheel loads, and if necessary, protect it with bollards or boulders to keep errant garbage trucks and brother-in-law's Caddies off it. If the box must withstand wheel loads, pick a vault and/or cover that's designed for H-20 loadings.
OP
RichNJKubota
Gold Member
For this part of the system I'm using 2 Wattsun trackers with a Beacon 5KW grid/battery inverter and about 5KW of PV panels.
As we all know lead acid batteries don't work as well in cold temps so putting them under the surface of the ground will keep them warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
http://www.beaconpower.com/
http://www.wattsun.com/products/wattsun_trackers/AZ-225.html
As we all know lead acid batteries don't work as well in cold temps so putting them under the surface of the ground will keep them warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
http://www.beaconpower.com/
http://www.wattsun.com/products/wattsun_trackers/AZ-225.html
SPIKER
Elite Member
Rich:
With what you are doing I would maybe think small under ground ROOM, rather than just a batterybox. you will need AIRSPACE to keep cool the ground alone will not helpmuch what you need is SURFACE AREA for cooling. I would think a 6x6x10 room out of block with a poured top coat and a small staircase leading into it would be great. and double as a nucular bomb shelter! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif or if the wifie finds any letters form back when a room to stay safe in! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
You can buy Control Panels (Nema 4X) but they are pretty expensive to get size big enough. You COULD get them here cheaper than most anywhere else, ( http://www.automationdirect.com ) look at Nema 4X though for wash down, and maybe a double door, that was lay it FLAT and build a small shed over the top... this does not give you the surface area but you can run a small DC or AC fan through a filter to keep them clean cool and dry...
contact a few local builders and or concrete suppliers for local help.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Mark m
With what you are doing I would maybe think small under ground ROOM, rather than just a batterybox. you will need AIRSPACE to keep cool the ground alone will not helpmuch what you need is SURFACE AREA for cooling. I would think a 6x6x10 room out of block with a poured top coat and a small staircase leading into it would be great. and double as a nucular bomb shelter! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif or if the wifie finds any letters form back when a room to stay safe in! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
You can buy Control Panels (Nema 4X) but they are pretty expensive to get size big enough. You COULD get them here cheaper than most anywhere else, ( http://www.automationdirect.com ) look at Nema 4X though for wash down, and maybe a double door, that was lay it FLAT and build a small shed over the top... this does not give you the surface area but you can run a small DC or AC fan through a filter to keep them clean cool and dry...
contact a few local builders and or concrete suppliers for local help.
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Mark m