John D's posts

Hi Chris,

I was reluctant at first to answer your post because there are those who better meet the definition of "wise and good" than me.  However, I have a couple of thoughts regarding those webpages....

Like everyone else, I hope to see better batteries at a lower cost in the near future.  But waiting for that to happen means that we'll continue to use electricity that comes from burning coal, contributing to pollution and global warming. 

I also hope to see better environmental policies at all levels of government, but I don't want to wait for that to happen either.  I believe it is up to each one of us to do what we can for the environment, and to preserve natural resources for future generations. And, when we can reduce our utility bills at the same time, we have a win-win situation.  My greatest utility-bill reduction has come from burning corn to supplement the heat from my furnace.  My solar PV system doesn't reduce my electric bill much, but it's a start.  I continue to add to my system as my budget allows. 

I think we're on the verge of an energy revolution, and I'm happy to be one of the few who've already started.  In an effort to help others to do similar things, I write about my experiences on my blog:

http://solarjohn.blogspot.com

By the way, there's a PBS special tomorrow night that I think you'll enjoy.  It's called "Saved by the Sun".

Regards!
John
 

The Morningstar Charge Controller has the following cutoff points:

For gel batteries:  14.0
For sealed batteries:  14.15
For flooded batteries:  14.4

The high-end controllers have equalization capabilities.

John

I recently wrote an article about that on my blog.  It is actually for lead-acid batteries, but I think you'll find it helpful.  Follow the link below, and then look back 3 or 4 postings for one called "Measuring Battery State of Charge (SOC)".

http://solarjohn.blogspot.com

John

I agree Thomas,

at some point you just have to purchase the best available panels and equipment, and put a system together. 

John